CLEVELAND — Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has a short rotation of hats and quarter zips he wears to his pregame press conferences. His well-worn Cleveland WNBA hat that’s starting to fade around the edges is one of them. He, appropriately, had that one on during Monday’s pregame availability on the day the Cavs are celebrating International Women’s Day.
“It’s so cool that Cleveland is going to have a [WNBA] team,” Atkinson said before his team’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
That team is going to be coming in a few seasons, but first, the WNBA will need to navigate its current labor dispute. The league and the players have exchanged collective bargaining agreement proposals ahead of the league-imposed March 10 deadline. One of the main sticking points is how much the players should be getting of the league’s revenue.
Atkinson clarified that he isn’t a union negotiator, but it’s safe to say he’s on the players’ side.
“Go get your money,” Atkinson said. “Go for it. Thats what it’s about.”
Right now, they aren’t getting that.
The players’ union proposed a deal that would see the players keep 26% of gross revenue before expenses. The league believes that would be unrealistic. Under the previous agreement, WNBA players have been estimated to keep less than 10% of revenue. For comparison, in 2022 NBA players reportedly kept half of basketball-related income and 39% of all revenue.
What isn’t up for debate is the fact that the WNBA is more popular now than ever. Derailing that momentum right now would be detrimental to the longterm health of the league.
Atkinson admitted that he wasn’t watching the league much three to five years ago. Now he watches for entertainment and also to learn. He’s impressed with the offensive sets that teams run and their level of execution.
“There’s an attention to detail, especially offensively with the sets they run,” Atkinson said. “[I try] to find a good ATO (after timeout play) or set that I haven’t seen. … You really can grab a lot of good stuff.”
Hopefully, the WNBA and its players’ association can come to a deal soon so that games aren’t missed. And more importantly, hopefully it’s one that rewards the players who have led to the explosion of the league’s popularity.
“I want the players to push for what they think is just and deserved,” Atkinson said.
