STILL WAITING…

When you’ve been in a collective bargaining agreement negotiation, there are certain things you come to expect. You know that the bosses are going to tell you that they can’t afford to pay you what you truly want.

You expect them say “we’d LOVE to give you this, but it’s just not fiscally possible.” And perhaps most importantly, you know that they can run out the clock. Management always has the financial advantage and can just wait and wait and wait until labor agrees to their terms.

It’s an ugly part of the game, but the game nonetheless. It appears the WNBA negotiations are heading down this path.

On the evening of February 17, the WNBPA sent its latest CBA proposal over to the WNBA. The main takeaway was the players reducing their request for gross revenue to 27.5 percent from their previous ask of 30 percent.

It marked the latest move by the PA to meet the league in the middle, so an agreement could be reached and WNBA business could resume. There was optimism amongst fans online that this was a sign that a deal was on the horizon and that this saga would end.

That optimism lasted about three hours.

Shortly before midnight on the 17th, the WNBA issued a statement calling the union’s proposal “unrealistic.” The league also said that everyone’s running out of time. It should be noted that the league did not bring a proposal to the last in-person meeting between the two sides and had to send it a few days later.

The league has started to move, but with so much work to be done, the pressure has started to mount. At All-Star Weekend, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned that we’re getting “awfully close” to the 11th hour in negotiations here. For people more directly involved in negotiations, there’s still some level of optimism.

“We are not where we want to be, but I think negotiations are trending in the right direction,” WNBPA Vice President Napheesa Collier told Yahoo Sports.

“And that’s what you want. You want movement. You don’t want to be in a stalemate. You want there to be hope for the future, and I do have that. I think there has to be a lot of movement in a lot of places in the CBA, but the fact that we are moving, I think, is really hopeful.”

The WNBPA is fighting the clock and a strong opponent in the WNBA/NBA. As talks continue, player solidarity will be critical as the PA tries to secure as many benefits as possible.

The past, present, and future of women’s basketball are on the line. They have to get it right.

AN ADVOCATE FOR THE PAST AND PRESENT OF THE WNBA

As part of Black History Month, we here at the Women’s Basketball Roundup will spotlight some icons who have made the game what it is today.

Today, we’ll discuss an original Cleveland Rocker who has been a key advocate for retired WNBA players.

Rushia Brown’s WNBA career lasted six seasons, during which she played for the Rockers and the Charlotte Sting. She played alongside basketball icon Dawn Staley in Charlotte before eventually retiring after playing overseas. Brown’s story wasn’t over, and she went on to make an even bigger impact.

Brown founded the Women’s Professional Basketball Alumnae, an organization that helped female athletes transition from basketball to other aspects of society. As a small organization, they did the best they could with what they had.

However, they didn’t have the history and reach of the more established National Basketball Retired Players Association. The NBRPA initially didn’t serve women, but that eventually changed over time. Brown's advocacy played a big part in that.

“One of my first duties was to find Rushia and sit down with her,” former NBRPA President and CEO Scott Rochelle said in 2024. “To her credit, she held my feet to the fire. She really asked the right questions. I went to Atlanta to meet with her. We sat down, we talked, and from there, I just had to do what I said I was going to do and be very intentional about growing.”

Brown’s work has made an impact. With more money coming into women’s sports, now is the time to give back to the people who paved the way.

Thanks to Brown’s advocacy, retired players have a seat at the table and hopefully take part in the women’s sports renaissance.

SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS IN PITTSBURGH

The University of Pittsburgh women’s basketball program is being sued, and the accusations are incredibly serious.

On February 6, six former players filed a lawsuit against the university and head coach Tory Verdi. In the suit, the players alleged that Verdi retaliated against them, abused them psychologically, and created a hostile environment. In one instance, Verdi is alleged to have told an international player, “Go back home because ICE is coming.”

These allegations are incredibly shocking and, if true, represent a dramatic abuse of power by one of the University's most powerful people.

"Verdi used his position of authority to engage in emotionally abusive conduct, retaliation, and psychological manipulation that transcended poor coaching and entered into constitutional violations," according to one of the lawsuits.

"The program was defined by fear and emotional volatility as players were routinely demeaned, psychologically isolated, and pressured to perform under abusive conditions."

In a statement to USA Today, the university called the lawsuits and allegations “meritless” and said they will defend themselves vigorously.

Even in a new college sports landscape, the coach is in charge and can determine the fates of the athletes they’re supposed to support.

If these allegations are true, then Pitt and Verdi created a hostile environment that damaged the students and made life worse for them.

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

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