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Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike has worn two different hats all season. On one hand, Ogwumike is a big part of the Storm's success this season. On the other, she has been on the front lines of the collective bargaining agreement negotiations with the WNBA and its commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. With Breanna Stewart and others behind her, the veteran hasn't backed down.
Ogwumike and players around the league want the WNBA to give them a bigger chunk of the revenue each year. With the WNBA's new media rights deal on the horizon, players want more money. Stewart argued at All-Star Weekend that the players deserve bigger paychecks. She and other All-Stars made a statement before the league's marquee game with their warmup shirts.
Ogwumike told ESPN's Michael Vopel and Kevin Pelton that WNBA players want a share of the money that teams bring in each season in the new CBA.
“The players are still adamant that we get a percentage of revenue that grows with the business, which perhaps includes team revenue, and that's just a part of the conversation,” Ogwumike said.
Engelbert and the WNBA have made the players multiple offers, but Ogwumike and the Players' Association turned them down. According to the Storm's star, the league's offer does not fit what the players want.
“It's basically the same system that we exist in right now,” Ogwumike said. “They're proposing a system that includes revenue that would grow with the business. When you approach it from the perspective of their response to our proposal, yes, money is more, but ultimately if you look at the growth of the business, the money relative to the percentage of everything is virtually staying the same.”
With CBA negotiations ongoing, all eyes are on the WNBA and Ogwumike as the threat of a lockout looms large. However, both sides promised that a compromise is their goal before the new media rights deal kicks in next year. At the end of the day, players around the WNBA want to be paid more. It is up to the league to accommodate them as the game grows.
