Most people don't include benefits in their salaries, because it's pretty hard to buy groceries with your HMO card. Some players say that they were promised if they signed with the WNBA, the league would take care of them down the road. Others claim they were told that if they signed with the ABL, they'd never be allowed to play in the WNBA they feel the league is obligated to protect their jobs. That means the ABL will have a substantial presence this summer, and women's basketball fans will have a much better game to watch. We look upon this as a rite of passage.
Unions are an accouterment of major league sports.
To that extent, it s not a surprise we re bargaining. I guess we're on the fast track. This is a start-up business. People tend to forget that. I'm not aware of any other league which would restrict eligibility on that basis.