In late October the WNBA player's union announced the league's players will opt out of their current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which is set to expire in 2025. The news wasn't particularly surprising, as players previously opted out of their 2018 CBA, and the negotiations that followed resulted in the current agreement.
The WNBPA announced the news a day after the Liberty won the Finals, a match-up viewed by 1.6 million people — an increase of 115% over last year. The CBA expires on Oct. 31, 2025, so there's plenty of time to reach an agreement that more appropriately compensates athletes and that the league also believes is fair.
At the time, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said in a statement, "This is a defining moment, not just for the WNBA, but for all of us who believe in progress. The world has evolved since 2020, and we cannot afford to stand still. If we stay in the current agreement, we fall behind."
"Opting out isn't just about bigger paychecks -- it's about claiming our rightful share of the business we've built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today's players and the generations to come," she added.
In the meantime, the CBA negotiations are bound to impact the Valkyries as the team explores its options ahead of the expansion draft. Many players are opting for one-year contracts until they know the results of the new negotiations, which means the newbie team could end up signing players who aren't sure they want to commit to more than a year in the Bay Area.
As a brand new team, bringing in veterans who can provide leadership, guidance, and on the court edge is vital for the Valkyries. This year's expansion draft is also the first of likely many to come (next year the league will add two new teams — Toronto and Portland — and this year's draft will likely provide a great guide for what to do or not to do). The Valkyries will be tasked with balancing immediate obstacles, like short-term contracts and the limited list of players they'll be allowed to pull from, with their long-term goals.
New CBA negotiations and three expansions in two years are likely to result in extreme team shake-ups in 2025 and 2026 — it's entirely possible that many, if not all, of the teams in the WNBA, will hardly resemble the teams we know now only two or three seasons from now. Throughout the tumult, it will be imperative that the Valkyries bring in at least one strong anchor who can stick with the team for the foreseeable future — and it will be exciting to see who that ends up being.