Deb Willig Discusses Historic Collective Bargaining Agreement for the WNBA with The Philadelphia Inquirer

After a 15-month bargaining stretch and a 150-hour marathon negotiation, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) has ratified a historic collective bargaining agreement with the WNBA. The players will receive the largest salary increase from one CBA to the next in the history of sports, about 20% of gross revenues, paid housing, and a Health Reimbursement Arrangement for retired players without health insurance to use for routine exams.

Managing partner Deborah Willig and partner Jessica Caggiano were among the team fighting tirelessly to ensure these world-class players have a deal that truly reflects their worth. A recent article from The Philadelphia Inquirer highlighted Deb’s fearless push for better working conditions for WNBA players. Recommended based on her work securing the first-ever CBA for the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association, Willig set the tone in demanding better treatment for the athletes.

“I just kept going, ‘SMFH,’ in my head,” Willig said of the lack of acceptable working standards. “It was really astonishing.”

WNBPA Vice President Alysha Clark noted, “For [Willig] to come in and just be like, ‘I’m not scared. What you guys are doing is undervaluing these women, and you know it, and I’m gonna make sure that you know it,’ it gave us a boost of confidence. It was like, ‘Hell yeah, Deb. Tell her. Hell yeah, Deb!”

“Tone-deaf,” Willig said of the WNBA. “I mean, I have negotiated contracts for the white-collar workers of the city since 1978, for the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers since 1983. I’ve negotiated contracts for steelworkers at Merck for 15 years. For Teamsters. Lots of stuff. The people on the other side were tone-deaf and very condescending. ‘You don’t understand the business,’ we heard.”

“I think the league seriously underestimated the intelligence and resolve of the players,” she added. “No question in my mind about that. Never thought they’d go on strike. Thought they would cave.”

The team continued to fight for adequate protections until a tentative agreement was reached on March 18, 2026. Among the new stipulations are family rooms, family planning benefits, parental leave, and minimum standards for physical therapists, massage therapists, and athletic trainers. The final tally among the players was unanimous.

“And one younger player [wrote], ‘This is life-changing.’ And I just …” Willig said, motioning to her heart.

Read the full article online: Before she helped negotiate the WNBA’s ‘life-changing’ CBA, this Philly lawyer hooped at Lower Merion and Penn (Subscription required.)