WNBPA’s Stewart: The letter is not intended to undermine Jackson

WNBPA Vice President Brianna Stewart said Friday that the letter she and Kelsey Bloom wrote to players association CEO Terry Jackson earlier this week was intended to “get the entire (executive committee) back on track” to get the best collective bargaining agreement deal possible as negotiations with the league continue.

The three-page letter highlighted “serious concerns about how the Palestinian Authority is handling the current negotiations” on the new comprehensive partnership agreement, “including the players not being sufficiently engaged in the process.”

Speaking to reporters Friday in Miami during a Team USA minicamp, Stewart said the letter, obtained by ESPN, was not intended to undermine Jackson or cause a rift within the executive committee or players association.

“Teri is our CEO. We know she is leading us in the best way possible,” New York Liberty star Stewart said. “While there may be some differences in opinions or questions asked, it is all in good faith knowing we are doing what is right for all players.”

Stewart said she and Bloom, the union’s first vice president, have spoken with Jackson directly since the letter was sent and have also spoken with the rest of the executive committee, which includes Nneka Ogwumike, Nafisa Collier, Elizabeth Williams, Alisha Clark and Brianna Turner.

The federation held a phone call with its players on Tuesday night, which Stewart described as “tougher.” Sources told ESPN they addressed the issues raised by Stewart and Bloom, as well as the results of a players’ union survey that asked, in part, whether they would “accept the league’s proposal of 50% of net revenue, which is less than 15% of total revenue in an eight-year deal, or ask the union to continue negotiating?”

According to the union’s social media post, 84% of players who responded said they “would not accept 15% and wanted the union to continue negotiating,” although it was not clear how many participated in the survey.

Stewart said there was another call between the executive committee Thursday night that she felt was “much more productive.”

The Union did not respond to the league’s latest proposal, which it received on March 2. The league’s new offer proposes accelerating the maximum contract eligibility for star players on entry-level contracts, sources familiar with the negotiations told ESPN. The league’s revenue share proposal remains the same as previous proposals, though the cap in the first year will rise from $5.65 million to $5.75 million, up from $1.5 million in 2025. Based on the league’s conservative projections, sources told ESPN that the salary cap would grow to about $8.5 million by the sixth year of the deal.

Stewart said she doesn’t know when the union will send its next counterproposal.

Her comments came four days before the March 10 date the league set to the WNBPA last month to try to complete a term sheet for the new CBA. The 2026 regular season is scheduled to begin May 8, but before that, the league must hold a college draft (scheduled for April 13), a two-team expansion draft and free agency for more than 100 players.