WNBA Fires Back Public Response Following WNBPA's Work Stoppage Threats

The rhetoric is intensifying amid intense collective bargaining negotiations between the league and its players.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league is in an intense collective bargaining fight with the WNBPA. / Andrew Dolph / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After the WNBPA released a statement on Thursday signifying that the executive committee has been authorized to call a strike "when necessary" amid ongoing intense negotiations with WNBA reps, the league took no time firing back a statement of their own.

The WNBA asserted that the WNBPA's characterization of the current state of talks "fundamentally misrepresented" the ongoing bargaining discussions.

"We are aware that the players have voted to authorize the WNBPA Executive Committee to call a strike if the Executive Committee decides to take that step in the future," the statement began. "While we acknowledge the players' right to authorize a future work stoppage, we strongly disagree with the WNBPA's characterization of the current state of negotiations, which fundamentally misrepresents the ongoing discussions taking place at the bargaining table.

"...The league remains steadfast in its commitment to reaching an agreement as soon as possible and delivering a 30th season for the players, fans, teams, and partners. We have negotiated in good faith and with urgency, and remain focused on finalizing a new collective bargaining agreement that not only meaningfully enhances player pay, benefits, and experience, but also does so in a way that ensures the long-term growth of the game and the league's capacity to serve the next generation of WNBA players."

It was a near certainty that talks between the WNBA and its players were going to be intense this go around, with revenue sharing at the forefront of the discussions.

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