PHOENIX — The Phoenix Mercury know they have two important jobs ahead of them: Stage a comeback from an 0-2 deficit in the WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces, then get ready to battle the league in collective bargaining negotiations soon after the best-of-seven series is over.
“We’re ready to throw down the gauntlet and get what we deserve,” Phoenix backup guard Kitija Laksa said in an interview as both teams practiced Tuesday at the Mercury facility.
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“If not now, when?” Laksa, a Latvian playing in the W for the first time this season, said. “We’ve had enough of it because of the conditions, the pay, all of it. We feel like it’s a now-or-never moment for us.”
Game 3 is Wednesday night at the newly renamed Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, with both teams seeking their third WNBA title. A Mercury win will put them back in the series. A Las Vegas win means Phoenix will face elimination in Game 4 on Friday night.
“We’ve got to make every shot difficult for them,” Phoenix star forward Alyssa Thomas said. “They’re going to hit shots. That’s the nature of the beast.”
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The Aces defeated the Mercury by a total of 16 points in the first two games of the series at Las Vegas. Phoenix lost by just three points in Game 1 and were overwhelmed 91-79 in Game 2.
“They had home-court advantage,” Mercury forward Satou Sabally said. “They did what they had to do. Now it’s our turn. It’s all about defense. We just need a collective group effort. ”
If the series reaches its max with Game 7 in Vegas on Oct. 17, the next day leads to the witching hour. The current basic agreement between the league and the players expires on Oct. 31. Without an agreement, or an agreement to extend the negotiating deadline, the owners will lock out the players.
That will cause an offseason of discontent and a potential slowdown of the league’s current momentum, although the greatest impact won’t occur until the lockout affects the next player negotiating period, which begins on Jan. 26. The official free agent signing period opens on Feb. 1. Both will be suspended if a lockout lingers.
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“We’re not in a good spot,” veteran Mercury guard DeWanna Bonner said. “A lockout may be an option. I guess that’s something we all are going to have to tap into once we get done with these finals.”
Sabally, the team’s union representative, echoed the words of her teammate.
“I need to tie my shoelaces for [Game 3] first,” she said. “But it will be interesting to see if the league finally makes an effort into showing they value us or seeing what their employees will do.”
Disparity in pay and a larger share of revenue are the big issues in collective bargaining. The salary cap per each WNBA team was $1.5 million this past season with a maximum salary of $214,466 and a supermax only marginally higher at $249,244. The average salary was $102,249. Thomas and Sabally, for example, both earned $215,000. Kahleah Copper was the only player on the team at the super max.
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The players are arguing that a new 11-year, $200 million per season television deal will start in 2026. They also say arena attendance was up 34% in 2024. TV ratings hit a 27-year high for the regular season and the playoffs have been up 15% over last postseason.
“We don’t want there to be a lockout, but we’re prepared,” Laksa, who made $80,000 as a rookie this season, said. “And if we don’t get [a bigger piece of the pie] we’re prepared to stand up for that. If we can come up with a CBA that’s fair, I’m super excited. Players are going to be paid what they deserve.
“But it’s going to be a fight, for sure. They’ve already demonstrated that.”
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