The ongoing CBA negotiations have been one of the main WNBA storylines of the year and will receive even more interest now that the WNBA season is officially over and a new champion has been crowned. More than anything, most discussions around the CBA have been focused on salaries and revenue shares. However, those aren’t the only issues the players are fighting to improve.
When Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBPA, appeared on Sue Bird’s podcast Bird’s Eye View, she highlighted some overlooked issues WNBA players hope to address in the new CBA.
“We’re looking to see a standardization of facilities,” Ogwumike said. “We’ve moved past the narrative that having a practice facility is not a competitive advantage…Not having one now is probably a competitive disadvantage.”
The Las Vegas Aces just conducted their exit interviews after winning their third championship in four years. One theme that defined each player’s interview was the praise for the Aces organization’s dedication to creating the best possible working conditions for its players. The Aces have been one of the most successful franchises in the 2020s, proving how much of a difference it can make when players have all the resources and comforts that have been the standard in men’s professional sports for decades. It also proves how important it is to guarantee the same standards across the league.
Several players praised the Aces’ organization for its investment in its players
During exit interviews, several players were asked what innovations they thought the Aces had brought to the WNBA. All of them cited the investment in facilities and various resources, like training and performance staff.
Jewell Loyd told reporters, “They [the Aces] are fearless. They‘re not scared to push the needle of what players need. They‘re very vocal in how they want the league to look…I think Mark [Davis] does a great job of standing up for us as players and standing up for what he believes in.”
A’ja Wilson also credited the Aces ownership for its willingness to invest in its players. “I feel like we really kind of went all in, and Mark really kind of dove into really putting money where his mouth is and was like, ‘No, I’m going to invest in my players. I want them to have a place that’s for them, I want them to be able to work under the best circumstances possible because that’s how you get the best basketball.’ So, I think that’s kind of how you’ve seen us push the needle.”
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus also noted that the Aces had set a standard for facilities and resources that other teams still need to catch up to.
Jackie Young praised the Aces’ performance and training staff. “Our performance staff, our trainers, they’re the best of the best,” Young said. “They spend a lot of time with us before practice, after practice, on the road, on our off days. They make sure that we get the treatment that we need and they’re always available for us, just making sure we’re doing all the little extra recovery that we can do, knowing that it’s a quick turnaround in between games.”
Increased injuries were a theme this season. However, the Aces escaped that fate. Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, Jackie Young, Aliyah Nye, and Dana Evans played all 44 regular-season games. A’ja Wilson was available for 40 games, and NaLyssa Smith was also consistently available after joining the Aces. Making it through a season without any injuries always requires some luck. However, having all the resources necessary to guarantee the right treatment, training, and recovery certainly helps.
Great resources and facilities impact team success
To underline Ogwukime’s point: the league has recently been dominated by teams whose owners are willing to invest in their players. The last four championships went to the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty—two of the front-runners when it comes to facilities and resources. The Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury also made the finals in the last two years, and both franchises are known to invest in their players. The Lynx have had their own practice facility, which they share with the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, since 2015, and the Mercury got theirs in 2024.
It seems that investing in players and guaranteeing them the best working conditions possible is rewarded with overall team success and cheaping out on these things indeed creates a competitive disadvantage.