Afternoon Edition

December 4, 2025

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CBA talks in the WNBA are ramping up, but players are pushing back on the league’s latest offer. They argue the proposed revenue model keeps too much money in owners’ hands.

—Annie Costabile and Eric Fisher

WNBA Players Still Frustrated As CBA Talks Heat Up

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After a long, quiet year at the bargaining table, WNBA labor negotiations are heating up.

For months, both sides sat in their corners, accusing the other of wasting time. Now, it’s a prizefight. When one side attempts to gain an edge, the other throws a counterpunch.

On Wednesday, it was the Women’s National Basketball Players Association’s turn after news of the league’s proposal—complete with a seven-figure max salary—was reported earlier in the week.

Included in the league’s proposal, according to multiple sources familiar with negotiations, was players receiving a 50% share of a revenue metric that would not include all revenue and would have expenses deducted. All told, the proposed salary model would amount to players receiving less than 15% of the WNBA’s total revenue, according to these same sources. As the CBA progresses, that 50% metric would not change; players believe that ultimately their share of total league revenue would decrease over the life of the CBA.

The union has since countered with a proposal requesting a larger percentage of team and league revenue, sources close to negotiations told Front Office Sports.

“We have been very adamant from the jump, very specific about what we are going for, and that’s revenue share,” two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum told FOS. “Meaningful revenue from all aspects of the business. That’s not just the league, that’s the team revenue, too. There’s a level of frustration because we’ve started with this, and we can’t move forward until we get that and get to a level where we feel comfortable.”

The league has pushed back against the union’s request for salary models similar to those of the NBA and NFL. Sources familiar with negotiations say the league believes that the comparison is unfair because it has similar costs but makes much less money.

The WNBA’s latest proposal included a max base salary of $1 million in 2026. Though the league has described its proposals as including an average salary of more than $500,000, the average salary for a 12-player roster with a $5 million salary cap would be roughly $417,000. Additional projected earnings from revenue-sharing would push that over $500,000, and the max salary over $1.2 million. The additional revenue-sharing payments to players would be made after the season ends.

The WNBA’s current supermax is $249,244, and the minimum is $66,079.

While the league’s latest proposal represents significant salary increases, players are more concerned about a salary model they feel will let owners pocket the lion’s share of profits.

“We’re saying we bet six years from now we will be much better,” Plum said. (The proposed length of the new CBA has not been reported.) “More money, more revenue, more business than right now. Because of that, revenue share is so important. The mistake is trying to offer money up front but not being wise about it and not betting on your long-term vision of revenue share being the ultimate goal.”

The WNBA’s proposal also included codifying charter travel, removing team-funded housing, and a longer season. The start date could be as early as mid-March, with Nov. 20 the last possible date for the WNBA Finals. There is a clear understanding from players that more games are a reasonable concession with increased salary; however, they want to see that on the back end of the schedule.

The league’s proposed early start date could directly interfere with the end of the NCAA season, as well as other leagues like Project B and EuroLeague. Multiple league sources have expressed concern about how this would impact scouting for the draft, conducting a draft, and preparing a team for the regular season. In addition, players have expressed concern over the league’s interference with other earning opportunities.

The WNBA has historically been encouraging of players competing in other leagues, but the new CBA proposal signals a shift in that mentality among owners and league executives.

Project B is currently offering star players multimillion-dollar deals. There is a belief from multiple league sources, including coaches, executives, and players, that the WNBA could one day be the sole destination for star players. However, the salaries would have to warrant players giving up other opportunities, and some believe the league is still at least five years away from that. As the landscape currently stands, there is a belief that star players could be more inclined to sit out of the WNBA season than prioritize it over other earning opportunities—if faced with that choice.

For more on the ongoing WNBA-WNBPA negotiations, read Annie Costabile’s full story here.

NWSL Union Fights Back After League Vetoes Trinity Rodman Contract

John Hefti-Imagn Images

For months, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said the league would do what it takes to keep star forward Trinity Rodman in the league.

Apparently, though, there are limits.

The Washington Spirit and Rodman agreed to a backloaded multimillion-dollar deal, multiple sources confirmed to Front Office Sports, but it was nixed by Berman.

Bloomberg first reported the NWSL’s decision to veto the proposed contract. (The NWSL is a single entity, meaning that team owners are invested in the league and all player contracts are with the league.) The deal would have resulted in Rodman earning an average of more than $1 million per year over four years.

“Our goal is to ensure that the very best players in the world, including Trinity, continue to call this league home,” a league spokesperson said in a statement to FOS. “We will do everything we can, utilizing every lever available within our rules to keep Trinity Rodman here.”

The NWSLPA filed a grievance on Wednesday night, giving the league 14 days to respond. This was one of two grievances the union filed on Wednesday and its 12th of the season. FOS obtained a copy of the grievance associated with Rodman’s proposed contract. It states, in part, that the NWSL violated multiple sections of the new CBA ratified last summer. Specific violations cited include the league violating Rodman’s free-agency rights as outlined in the CBA.

The grievance says the NWSL’s actions are “arbitrary at best and, at worst, were taken to improperly restrict Rodman’s free agency rights and/or unilaterally impose upon her and Washington a de facto maximum salary rule.”

“If the NWSL can interfere with Trinity Rodman’s free-agency rights, they can interfere with anyone’s,” NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke told FOS. “We won’t stand for that.”

According to the grievance, the league accused the team of “salary cap circumvention” and said that the proposed terms violated the “spirit” of league rules.

The new CBA has no maximum player salary, but a salary cap remains in place for teams.

In 2025, the base cap was $3.3 million. By 2028, that number will be $4.7 million. The base salary cap each year, according to the NWSLPA, is not final. The NWSL’s media-rights deal expires in 2027; a new deal could cause the cap to rise significantly.

The league also has the ability to unilaterally increase the salary cap in any given year. If Rodman’s contract was in breach of the cap, the league could just adjust it.

There is a strong belief among players that the NWSL’s salary model is not competitive with the global market. As a result, an increasing number of star players have left the league to play in Europe.

League rules allow teams to buy out one player contract per year, meaning the Spirit could buy her out of the deal to comply with the salary cap if they had to. The exact terms of Rodman’s proposed contract have not been disclosed, but 2028 is believed to be the year that the league is concerned with violating the salary cap.

“Rest assured we would not file a grievance over one player’s contract if 21 other players’ contracts would be compromised by it,” Burke said. “That is not the case here.”

The second grievance filed by the union on Wednesday was over its claim that the NWSL is imposing a prohibition against players negotiating performance incentives for Concacaf and FIFA tournaments. Those prohibitions are not in the CBA, and the NWSLPA is contending it violates the players’ free-agency rights.

Ali-Named Boxing Reform Bill Gains Momentum in Congress

Michael Clevenger/The Courier-Journal via USA TODAY Sports

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan bill to create a new development path for boxing hopefuls is gathering additional steam after a hearing Thursday before a key House of Representatives committee—but concerns remain about the presence of major corporations in the sport.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce heard from the bill’s two lead sponsors, as well as a separate group of witnesses that included the widow of boxing legend Muhammad Ali and UFC executive Lawrence Epstein. The bill, named for Ali, would create unified boxing organizations (UBOs), parallel to existing sanctioning bodies, and it would also implement enhanced minimums for fighter pay and health standards.

After the legislation was introduced in July, it languished for several months, in part due to the recent U.S. federal government shutdown. The bill, however, is now likely to get a vote and plenty of support within the education committee.

“What was once a respected and unified sport has become fragmented—plagued by inconsistent standards, weak enforcement, and a troubling accountability,” said Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R., Pa.), the committee chair, in his opening statement. “Too often, fighters are pushed into dangerous matches without proper medical oversight. The result is a system that too frequently exploits its athletes instead of protecting them. That must change.”

Earlier this week, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson endorsed the legislation, as have the operators of a series of major arenas, including Madison Square Garden in New York, Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Not Done Yet

Despite the fast-rising support, though, worry persists among some members of the committee about what the bill might do to enhance corporate interests in boxing.

Zuffa Boxing, the new entity involving WWE and UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings and its partners, is a key backer of the legislation. If successful, Zuffa Boxing would operate in some respects similarly to UFC—where complaints persist about the power of parent company TKO Group Holdings, and UFC last year reached a $375 million settlement over long-running allegations of suppressing fighter pay.

“Unfortunately, there are sections of the Revival Act that raise serious questions about who will actually control the future of boxing,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.). “It would remove guardrails that prevent individual promoters from controlling the industry and forcing boxers into contracts that do not benefit them. This legislation could also allow corporations to completely take over the sport, leaving boxers without the leverage or ability to advocate for themselves.”

Ali’s widow, Lonnie Ali, testified Tuesday and called the bill a strong continuation of her late husband’s extensive legacy.

“Given its enhanced protections for boxers, I believe Muhammad would be proud to have his name associated with this legislation,” she said.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY

Which Teams Could Actually Trade for Giannis?

FOS illustration

Giannis Antetokounmpo is reportedly reevaluating his future with the Bucks and has expressed interest in joining the Knicks. But does New York have the assets and financial flexibility to pull this off? Keith Smith of Spotrac joins Baker Machado to assess. He also talks through the Clippers’ impending roster decision with Chris Paul after their ugly breakup, and whether he expects Los Angeles to sell off its big pieces at the trade deadline.

Plus, Jon Alba of Sports Illustrated’s “The Takedown” joins the show to discuss the latest media-rights deal in the wrestling world: James Dolan’s AMC Networks is acquiring rights for TNA Wrestling, formerly known as Impact Wrestling. Alba offers exclusive insights from his interview with TNA CEO Carlos Silva and explains what this means for combat sports deal valuations as media companies vie for live sports real estate.

Also, in Asset Class presented by Invesco QQQ, FOS deals reporter Ben Horney joins to discuss the interesting move of incoming Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon selling his stake in the NHL’s Hurricanes to fund his Blazers purchase.

Watch the full episode here.

STATUS REPORT

Two Up, One Down, One Push

The Tennessean

Vanderbilt ⬆⬇ Currently 14th in the College Football Playoff rankings, the school explored scheduling a 13th game for this weekend to help burnish its résumé and reach the postseason tournament, according to multiple reports. Ultimately, logistical concerns proved too much to overcome; the Commodores’ next game will be in a bowl.

Warner Bros. Discovery ⬇ The TNT Sports parent company, in the midst of receiving acquisition offers, is under increasing fire as CBS Sports parent company Paramount accused the David Zaslav–led entity of running an improper sale process, and perhaps one favoring rival suitor Netflix. “It has become increasingly clear, through media reporting and otherwise, that WBD appears to have abandoned the semblance and reality of a fair transaction process,” Paramount wrote in a letter to Zaslav. WBD responded that its board “attends to its fiduciary obligations with the utmost care, and that they have fully and robustly complied with them and will continue to do so.” Paramount, Netflix, and NBC Sports parent company Comcast have tendered second-round bids for WBD.

MLS Cup tickets ⬆ Thanks in no small part to the appeal of Argentine star Lionel Messi, resale ticket pricing for Saturday’s MLS Cup final between Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps has reached an average purchase price of $565, according to TickPick, representing the highest figure on record for the league championship game.

NFL fields ⬆ Beginning with the 2026 season, the league is implementing a helmet-type standardization in which fields around the league, both natural and synthetic, will need to comply annually with enhanced mandatory attributes. The NFL will create a list of approved and accredited fields, and those teams with existing fields will need to replace them by the end of the 2027 season. The move is designed in part to promote a more uniform level of field quality across the league, as well as systematically phase out older fields.