Newly acquired Sparks center Liz Cambage discussed changes she believes need to be made to the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement during an appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today on Wednesday.
The four-time All-Star center was not shy about expressing the need for the CBA to be revisited as the WNBA continues to grow.
“At the end of the day, my main issue is with the CBA. ... We have owners at the moment that want to do more for us and give more for us,” Cambage said. “I’ve been vocal since Day One. I sat out five seasons because I get paid five to eight times more overseas than I do in the WNBA. It’s hard when you want to be at home. America is home for me now and I want to spend as much time as I can here. ... It’s hard when you have the best league in the world, but we’re not treated like the best athletes in the world.”
The current supermax contract in the WNBA is $228,094 under the WNBA’s CBA for 2022.
After playing overseas from 2014 to ’17, Cambage played for the Wings in ’18, before spending the ’19 and ’21 seasons with the Aces. The ’20 WNBA season was canceled due to COVID-19.
Cambage’s best season in the WNBA came in 2018, when she averaged 23.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. She averaged 14.2 points per game and 8.2 rebounds in ’21.
Cambage signed a one-year deal with the Sparks in February. The contract will pay her $170,000, well below the league’s supermax.
