Former NBPA Head Tamika Tremaglio Discusses The WNBA Labor Battle And The Art Of Bargaining

For a seventh straight night, the WNBA and players' union left an all-day collective bargaining session Monday without a deal in place. The two sides have spent around 90 hours in in-person meetings since last Tuesday. Union president Nneka Ogwumike told reporters this past weekend that the big issue to resolve remains revenue sharing, namely how to divide the huge sums of money coming into the league from a new $2.2 billion media rights deal, an ongoing slate of expansion, and growing corporate sponsorship interest. Players have consistently sought a salary system tied to gross league revenue, akin to the NBA’s, which grants players 51 percent of all “basketball-related income.” The league’s proposals, meanwhile, have only offered players a share of “net revenue,” revenue after expenses.

On Monday afternoon, I spoke with Tamika Tremaglio, who was an advisor to the WNBPA during the 2020 collective bargaining agreement negotiations and later served as executive director of the National Basketball Players Association from 2021 to 2023, leading the negotiation of their seven-year CBA finalized in 2023. We discussed the origins of today’s revenue-sharing fight, the role public opinion plays in labor negotiations, the value of all-day bargaining sessions, and the quirky accounting practices common in sports. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.