WNBA, Players Reach Agreement

Peace arrived Wednesday in the WNBA, with the league and its players union confirming a four-year working agreement.

Nothing is signed, but both sides said agreement was reached on two major issues--the number of ABL players the WNBA can sign this season and the league’s minimum player salaries.

* There can be up to three ABL players per roster this summer, except for expansion teams Minnesota and Orlando, which can have five. The union had wanted two, the league five.

* The minimum salary was increased from $15,000 to $25,000 for rookies and from $15,000 to $30,000 for veterans.

Despite passing WNBA President Val Ackerman’s drop-dead date of April 10, the league will begin its third season as scheduled June 10 with training camps opening May 14. A two-day predraft camp in Chicago begins Friday,

The draft of ABL players and college seniors will be April 27.

The biggest winners Wednesday were the best of the 90 ABL players who lost jobs when their league folded Dec. 22.

Up to 40 of them will join the WNBA this summer and most of the rest should make it in 2000.

Ackerman confirmed Wednesday the league will add four expansion teams--no cities named--in 2000, making it a 16-team league. And there will be no restrictions on ABL players after this season.

Union representatives stressed no deal has been signed but one player representative, New York’s Coquese Washington, said agreement was total.

“It’s not down on paper yet, but we’re going to work all night doing that, in meticulous detail, and then the players will sign it,” she said.

The union, the Women’s National Basketball Players Assn., is an arm of the NBA players’ union, the National Basketball Players Assn.

“Lawyers for both sides have to have it on paper and signed by April 22,” Ackerman said. “It’s contingent on our being able to conduct our draft on April 27. I’m assured by the union this won’t be an issue.”

The veterans’ salary minimum rises gradually to $40,000 by 2002, to $30,000 for rookies.

The agreement also provides players with paid maternity leave, a 401k plan, year-around medical/dental care, a royalty income program on sales of WNBA merchandise, life insurance and off-season internship programs with WNBA corporate sponsors.