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Black Women in the WNBA Fought for More Money and Better Quality of Life — And Won
In a landmark deal, players chart a new path for the WNBA with higher salaries, enhanced mental health resources, and other benefits
When basketball star Nneka Ogwumike announced in a November 2018 essay for The Players’ Tribune that the WNBA Players Association would opt out of its contract with the league, she also commanded the WNBA, and society at large, to bet on women. And with today’s monumental news, the WNBA demonstrated that it heard Ogwumike’s call for action loud and clear.
In a landmark move between the Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association and the league, a new collective bargaining agreement was reached that invests more into the players, 88% of whom are Black or women of color. Under the leadership of Ogwumike as the WNBPA president and a diverse WNBPA executive committee, Black women of the WNBA fought for better pay and working conditions — and won.
“It’s a momentous day for the league,” Ogwumike, a forward for the Los Angeles Sparks, said of the new agreement. “It’s just remarkable to be a part of a league that is majority Black women and for us to be as progressive as we are. I think we’ve done a great job of showing support for the…
