Valkyries join call for better pay: ‘We're fighting for a fair share'
Golden State Valkyries players Kayla Thornton and Tiffany Hayes joined a chorus of WNBA players on Sunday in calling for a better collective bargaining agreement from the league.
Following the Valkyries' 87-63 blowout of the Connecticut Sun at Chase Center, Thornton opened the postgame news conference with a statement about the upcoming CBA negotiations between the WNBA and the Players Association.
'On behalf of my teammates and every member of our union, I want to be clear, we remain committed to negotiating the next CBA with the league and the team in good faith and privately,' she said. 'But we do want to set the record straight, not for the headlines, but for the fans to support us and deserve transparency about what's at stake.'
Hayes added, 'This is a defining moment for the WNBA as the league grows, it's time for a CBA that reflects our true values. We're fighting for a fair share of the business that we build. It's business, we're not fighting for anything unreasonable.'
Players across the league offered similar statements during their media availabilities on Sunday. Indiana Fever players Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson read the same statement as Thornton ahead of their game against the Las Vegas Aces, while Chicago Sky forward Elizabeth Williams also told reporters, 'the current system is unsustainable.'
The current CBA expires at the end of this season, and player salaries are expected to increase significantly. This season, the minimum salary is $66,079, but the WNBA agreed to a record 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal — about $200 million per year, more than triple its previous deal.
The WNBPA posted on Instagram on Sunday: 'It's time. As the league grows, it's time for a CBA that reflects our true value. We're fighting for a fair share of the revenue we generate. If not now, when?'
In October, the union opted out of the league's current CBA in anticipation of negotiating for increased salaries. In March, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Dallas' DiJonai Carrington hinted that the players would be willing to strike.
Front Office Sports reported Sunday that players wanted to make 'significant headway' in bargaining for a new CBA before the WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis on July 19.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase offered support for the players in her postgame presser.
'A huge reason why I wanted to work in the W was, how can I help, and how can I impact?' she said. 'As this league is growing, I want to help, too. I want to do whatever it takes so they what they want and to get what they deserve. So I'm supporting them 100%.'
Thornton and Temi Fagbenle, who is currently away from the team for EuroBasket, are the team's Player Association representatives. The WNBA said in a statement on Sunday, 'The WNBA continues to meet regularly with the Women's National Basketball Players Association and engage in constructive dialogue as part of our ongoing collective bargaining discussions.'
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