The WNBA said Wednesday it has offered an uncapped revenue sharing proposal to the players and called the union's statement to the contrary "frustrating and counterproductive."
The WNBA's statement, provided to ESPN, is the latest in a series of escalating public exchanges between the league and the WNBPA, as both sides are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.
The union earlier had provided a statement to ESPN about the key dispute between the sides: the model for salaries and revenue distribution and whether that will be fixed or tied to specific growth indicators.
The union said the league was trying 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.
"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."
The league directly countered the veracity of the union's assertions.
"It is incorrect and surprising that the Players Association is claiming that the WNBA has not offered an uncapped revenue sharing model that is directly tied to the league's performance," the league's statement to ESPN read. "The comprehensive proposals we have made to the players include a revenue sharing component that would result in the players' compensation increasing as league revenue increases -- 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.
"While we have delivered comprehensive proposals that seek an agreement that will benefit all, the Players Association has yet to offer a viable economic proposal and has repeatedly refused to engage in any meaningful way on many of our proposal terms. We stand ready to continue negotiating in good faith and hope they will do the same so that we can finalize a mutually beneficial new CBA as quickly as possible."
The current CBA, which was signed in January 2020, expires Oct. 31. But missing that deadline doesn't mean an automatic lockout. The league and the union could agree on an extension to give them more time to reach a settlement. That has happened in past CBA negotiations for the WNBA.