“Lipstick on a Pig”: WNBPA Director Tears Down WNBA’s So-Called ‘Uncapped’ Salary Proposal After Adam Silver’s Comments

The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) released a statement on Wednesday in response to NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s recent remarks about the ongoing WNBA collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations.

During an appearance on the Today Show on Tuesday, Silver said he agrees that WNBA players deserve a larger share of league revenue, though he added that “share” might not be the best framing, since the NBA generates significantly more revenue than the WNBA.

WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson fired back, arguing that the league’s proposed salary structure fails to properly value players’ labor and prevents them from growing alongside the business they help drive.

“The league’s response has been to run out the clock, put lipstick on a pig, and retread a system that isn’t tied to any part of the business and intentionally undervalues the players,” Jackson said. “The fact that the league now wants to call any part of its proposal ‘uncapped’ is precisely why its leadership, transparency, and accountability are being challenged right now.”

WNBPA accuses league of anti-player salary model; WNBA pushes back

Jackson claimed that the league’s system is designed to artificially cap labor costs and disconnect player pay from the business growth they generate.

“You know they know it’s bad when the best they say they can do is more of the same: a fixed salary system and a separate revenue-sharing plan that only includes a piece of the pie, and pays themselves back first. “We’ve come to the table prepared to do business. They’ve responded with bad math and are hoping everyone doesn’t understand what “uncapped” actually means. Adam Silver said it himself on behalf of the WNBA. ‘Share isn’t the word.’ It’s not in their vocabulary.”

According to Front Office Sports, the league’s most recent offer includes significant salary increases, such as a supermax nearing $850,000 and a veteran minimum around $300,000, but maintains a revenue-sharing structure similar to the current model, one that only activates if certain financial benchmarks are met.

The WNBA, in a statement sent to Front Office Sports, denied Jackson’s claims, insisting that its proposals are comprehensive and include a revenue-sharing element that would allow player compensation to rise with league income “without any cap on the upside.”

“It is frustrating and counterproductive for the union to be making misrepresentations about our proposals while also accusing the league of engaging in delay. That is simply not true,” the statement read.

The ongoing CBA negotiations have become one of the biggest storylines of the WNBA offseason, with a potential lockout looming if the two sides fail to reach an agreement.

Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro