WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS ...........................................................................................................1

ARTICLE II RECOGNITION CLAUSE .....................................................................................16

ARTICLE III UNION SECURITY, DUES AND CHECK-OFF .................................................17

Section 1. Membership. ....................................................................................................17
Section 2. Check-off. ........................................................................................................17
Section 3. Enforcement. ....................................................................................................17
Section 4. No Liability. .....................................................................................................18

ARTICLE IV MANAGEMENT RIGHTS CLAUSE ..................................................................19

ARTICLE V STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT ....................................................................20

Section 1. Required Form. ................................................................................................20
Section 2. Limitation on Amendments. ............................................................................20
Section 3. Allowable Amendments...................................................................................20
Section 4. Rookie Scale Contracts. ...................................................................................24
Section 5. Base Salary Protection. ....................................................................................26
Section 6. Termination of Standard Player Contract. .......................................................31
Section 7. Minimum Player Salary. ..................................................................................36
Section 8. Maximum Player Salary ..................................................................................37
Section 9. 7-Day Contracts. ..............................................................................................38
Section 10. Rest-of-Season Contracts. ................................................................................39
Section 11. Replacement Contracts. ...................................................................................39
Section 12. Length of Veteran Player Contracts. ................................................................39
Section 13. Conformity of Standard Player Contracts. .......................................................40
Section 14. General. ............................................................................................................40
Section 15. Void Contracts. ................................................................................................44
Section 16. Moratorium. .....................................................................................................45
Section 17. Time Off Bonuses. ...........................................................................................46
Section 18. Wireless Microphones. ....................................................................................49

ARTICLE VI FREE AGENCY ....................................................................................................51

Section 1. General Rules. ..................................................................................................51
Section 2. No Individually-Negotiated Right of First Refusal. ........................................51
Section 3. Withholding Services. ......................................................................................52
Section 4. Fourth Year Option for Drafted Rookies. ........................................................52
Section 5. Qualifying Offers to Make Certain Players Restricted Free Agents................53
Section 6. Restricted Free Agency. ...................................................................................55
Section 7. Core Players. ....................................................................................................62
Section 8. Reserved Players. .............................................................................................67
Section 9. Unrestricted Free Agents .................................................................................69

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ARTICLE VII SALARY CAP, LEAGUE-WIDE GUARANTEE, AND MINIMUM
TEAM SALARY ...................................................................................................70
Section 1. Amount of Salary Cap, League-wide Guarantee and Minimum Team
Salary. ..............................................................................................................70
Section 2. Determination of Team Salary. ........................................................................72
Section 3. Operation of Salary Cap...................................................................................79
Section 4. Hardship Exceptions to the Salary Cap. ..........................................................80
Section 5. Extensions. .......................................................................................................83
Section 6. Trade Rules. .....................................................................................................84
Section 7. Miscellaneous. .................................................................................................84

ARTICLE VIII ROOKIE SCALE ................................................................................................86

ARTICLE IX MERIT BONUSES ................................................................................................87

Section 1. Payment of Merit Bonuses. ..............................................................................87
Section 2. Bonus Schedule. ...............................................................................................87

ARTICLE X BENEFITS ..............................................................................................................89

Section 1. Health Insurance. .............................................................................................89
Section 2. Pregnancy Disability Benefit. ..........................................................................91
Section 3. 401(k) Program. ...............................................................................................92
Section 4. Life Insurance. .................................................................................................95
Section 5. Player Programs. ..............................................................................................95
Section 6. Administration of Plans. ..................................................................................95
Section 7. Childcare Assistance Program. ........................................................................96
Section 8. Family Planning. ..............................................................................................96

ARTICLE XI PLAYER-RELATED EXPENSES........................................................................98

Section 1. Lodging. ...........................................................................................................98
Section 2. Relocation Expenses. .....................................................................................100
Section 3. Meal Expense Allowance. .............................................................................101
Section 4. Air Travel. ......................................................................................................102
Section 5. Game Tickets. ................................................................................................103
Section 6. Local Transportation. .....................................................................................103

ARTICLE XII REVENUE SHARING .......................................................................................106

Section 1. Revenue Sharing Agreement. ........................................................................106
Section 2. Accounting Procedures. .................................................................................108

ARTICLE XIII PLAYER ELIGIBILITY AND WNBA DRAFT ..............................................110

Section 1. Player Eligibility. ...........................................................................................110
Section 2. Indemnity. ......................................................................................................111
Section 3. Term and Timing of WNBA Draft Provisions. .............................................112
Section 4. Number of Choices. .......................................................................................112
Section 5. Negotiating Rights to Draft Rookies..............................................................113
Section 6. Effect of Contracts with Other Professional Teams. .....................................114

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 Section 7. Application to Players Who Renounce Intercollegiate Eligibility Prior
to Being Drafted or Regain Intercollegiate Eligibility after Being
Drafted. ..........................................................................................................116
Section 8. Assignment of Draft Rights. ..........................................................................117
Section 9. General. ..........................................................................................................117

ARTICLE XIV PLAYER CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE ......................................................120

Section 1. Player Obligations..........................................................................................120
Section 2. Player Discipline. ...........................................................................................120
Section 3. Fine and Suspension Payments. .....................................................................121
Section 4. Charitable Contributions. ...............................................................................121
Section 5. Gambling........................................................................................................122
Section 6. Holdouts. ........................................................................................................123
Section 7. Fines for Missing Games. ..............................................................................124
Section 8. Additional Appearances for Missing Training Camp. ...................................125
Section 9. WNBA Prioritization. ....................................................................................125
Section 10. Unlawful Violence. ........................................................................................128
Section 11. Counseling for Violent Misconduct. ..............................................................128
Section 12. Firearms and Other Weapons.........................................................................130
Section 13. League Investigations. ...................................................................................130
Section 14. Motor Vehicles...............................................................................................132
Section 15. Player Convictions Involving Alcohol or Controlled Substances. ................132
Section 16. Player Arrests. ................................................................................................132
Section 17. Joint WNBA/WNBPA Policy on Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence,
Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse. ..................................................................133

ARTICLE XV CIRCUMVENTION ..........................................................................................134

Section 1. General Prohibitions. .....................................................................................134
Section 2. No Unauthorized Agreements........................................................................135
Section 3. Diversity in Coaching Initiative. ....................................................................136
Section 4. Penalties. ........................................................................................................138
Section 5. Production of Tax Materials. .........................................................................140
Section 6. Transactions with Retired Players. ................................................................140

ARTICLE XVI ANTI-COLLUSION PROVISIONS ................................................................143

Section 1. No Collusion. .................................................................................................143
Section 2. Non-Collusive Conduct. ................................................................................143
Section 3. Individual Negotiations..................................................................................144
Section 4. League Disclosures. .......................................................................................145
Section 5. Enforcement of Anti-Collusion Provisions....................................................145
Section 6. Satisfaction of Burden of Proof. ....................................................................146
Section 7. Summary Judgment. ......................................................................................146
Section 8. Remedies for Economic Injury. .....................................................................147
Section 9. Calculation of Damages. ................................................................................147
Section 10. Payment of Damages. ....................................................................................149
Section 11. Effect of Damages on Salary Cap. .................................................................149
Section 12. Contribution. ..................................................................................................149

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 Section 13. No Reimbursement. .......................................................................................150
Section 14. Costs...............................................................................................................150
Section 15. Termination of Agreement.............................................................................150
Section 16. Discovery. ......................................................................................................152
Section 17. Time Limits....................................................................................................152

ARTICLE XVII TRAINING AND VETERAN CAMPS ..........................................................153

Section 1. Training Camp. ..............................................................................................153
Section 2. Veteran Camp. ...............................................................................................153

ARTICLE XVIII OFF-SEASON PLAY ....................................................................................154

ARTICLE XIX OFF-SEASON TOURS AND TOURNAMENTS ...........................................155

Section 1. Participation and Compensation. ...................................................................155
Section 2. Non-WNBA Entities. .....................................................................................156

ARTICLE XX PHYSICAL CONDITION, MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND

INJURIES ............................................................................................................157
Section 1. Medical Examination, Supply of Information, and Fitness of Player............157
Section 2. Notice and Treatment. ....................................................................................159
Section 3. Disclosure of Medical or Health Information. ...............................................160
Section 4. Insurance. .......................................................................................................162
Section 5. Health Screenings. .........................................................................................162
Section 6. Electronic Medical Records. ..........................................................................162
Section 7. Concussion Policy/Committee of Physicians. ...............................................163
Section 8. Selection of Team Physician and Other Health Care Providers. ...................163
Section 9. Requirements for Certain Team Player Health Professionals........................164
Section 10. Second Opinion..............................................................................................164
Section 11. Fitness-to-Play. ..............................................................................................165
Section 12. Mental Health.................................................................................................169
Section 13. Wearables. ......................................................................................................169

ARTICLE XXI ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM................................................................................171

Section 1. Terms and Provisions of Program..................................................................171
Section 2. Interpretation. .................................................................................................171

ARTICLE XXII GRIEVANCE AND ARBITRATION ............................................................172

Section 1. Scope. .............................................................................................................172
Section 2. Grievances with Respect to Discipline Imposed for On-Court Conduct. ......172
Section 3. Grievances Not Involving On-Court Conduct. ..............................................174
Section 4. Arbitration Procedures. ..................................................................................175
Section 5. Arbitrator’s Decision and Award. ..................................................................179
Section 6. Disputes with Respect to Players Under Contract Who Withhold
Playing Services. ............................................................................................180
Section 7. Injury Grievances. ..........................................................................................180
Section 8. Threshold Amounts........................................................................................181
Section 9. Other. .............................................................................................................181

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ARTICLE XXIII PROCEDURES FOR THE RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES UNDER
ARTICLES VI, VII, XII, XIII, XV, AND XVI...................................................183
Section 1. Authority of Arbitrator. ..................................................................................183
Section 2. Initiation. ........................................................................................................183
Section 3. Procedures. .....................................................................................................183
Section 4. Special Procedure for Disputes with Respect to a Players Association
Review of a League Revenue Report.............................................................185
Section 5. Costs...............................................................................................................186

ARTICLE XXIV PROMOTIONAL APPEARANCES AND MEDIA .....................................187

Section 1. General. ..........................................................................................................187
Section 2. Liaisons. .........................................................................................................190

ARTICLE XXV PLAYER PROGRAMS ..................................................................................191

Section 1. Mandatory Programs. .....................................................................................191
Section 2. NBA G League Jobs Database. ......................................................................191
Section 3. Offseason Employment. .................................................................................191

ARTICLE XXVI LICENSING, PLAYER MARKETING, COMMERCIAL

APPEARANCES, PLAYERS ASSOCIATION MARKETING,
PICTURES AND APPAREL ..............................................................................193
Section 1. Licensing Rights. ...........................................................................................193
Section 2. Player Marketing Rights. ...............................................................................195
Section 3. Commercial Appearances. .............................................................................197
Section 4. Players Association Marketing. .....................................................................199
Section 5. Pictures...........................................................................................................199
Section 6. Apparel. ..........................................................................................................200
Section 7. Player Content Creation. ................................................................................200
Section 8. Co-Branded Events. .......................................................................................201

ARTICLE XXVII BROADCAST AND TELECAST RIGHTS ................................................202

Section 1. WNBA Rights. ...............................................................................................202
Section 2. No Suit. ..........................................................................................................202

ARTICLE XXVIII MUTUAL RESERVATION OF RIGHTS..................................................203

ARTICLE XXIX TEAM RULES ...............................................................................................204

Section 1. Establishment of Team Rules. .......................................................................204
Section 2. Notice. ............................................................................................................204
Section 3. Grievances Challenging Team Rules. ............................................................204

ARTICLE XXX RIGHT OF SET-OFF ......................................................................................205

Section 1. General. ..........................................................................................................205
Section 2. Definitions......................................................................................................206

ARTICLE XXXI SAVINGS CLAUSE ......................................................................................207

ARTICLE XXXII PLAYER AGENTS ......................................................................................208

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 Section 1. Negotiation of Player Contracts. ....................................................................208
Section 2. Indemnity. ......................................................................................................208
Section 3. Agent Lists. ....................................................................................................209
Section 4. Confirmation by the Players Association. .....................................................209
Section 5. WNBA Player as Agent. ................................................................................209

ARTICLE XXXIII EXPANSION, CONTRACTION, ROSTERS, NUMBER OF

GAMES, SEASON FOOTPRINT .......................................................................210
Section 1. Number of Teams. .........................................................................................210
Section 2. Expansion Draft. ............................................................................................210
Section 3. Dispersal Draft or Transfer of Playing Roster. ..............................................211
Section 4. Rosters............................................................................................................212
Section 5. Number of Games. .........................................................................................213
Section 6. Special Competitions and Tournaments. .......................................................213
Section 7. Season Schedule.............................................................................................214

ARTICLE XXXIV MARKETING AND PROMOTIONAL AGREEMENTS .........................215

Section 1. WNBA Marketing and Promotional Agreements. .........................................215
Section 2. Team Marketing and Promotional Agreements. ............................................216
Section 3. Binding Effect. ...............................................................................................218
Section 4. Reporting........................................................................................................218

ARTICLE XXXV PROVISIONS WITH RESPECT TO CANADIAN EMPLOYMENT........219

Section 1. WNBA Team in Canada. ...............................................................................219

ARTICLE XXXVI PLAYER ADVISORY PANEL..................................................................222

Section 1. Purpose...........................................................................................................222
Section 2. Structure. ........................................................................................................222

ARTICLE XXXVII INTEGRATION, ENTIRE AGREEMENT, INTERPRETATION

AND CHOICE OF LAW .....................................................................................223
Section 1. Integration, Entire Agreement. ......................................................................223
Section 2. Interpretation. .................................................................................................223
Section 3. Choice of Law. ...............................................................................................224

ARTICLE XXXVIII TERM OF AGREEMENT .......................................................................225

Section 1. Expiration Date. .............................................................................................225

ARTICLE XXXIX NO-STRIKE AND NO-LOCKOUT PROVISIONS ..................................226

Section 1. No Strike. .......................................................................................................226
Section 2. No Lockout. ...................................................................................................226
Section 3. No Breach of Player Contracts. .....................................................................226
Section 4. Best Efforts of Players Association. ..............................................................226
Section 5. Player’s Threat to Withhold Services. ...........................................................227
Section 6. No Discrimination..........................................................................................227

ARTICLE XL OLYMPIC HIATUS ...........................................................................................228

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ARTICLE XLI OTHER ..............................................................................................................231
Section 1. No Ownership Interest. ..................................................................................231
Section 2. Playing Rules and Officiating. .......................................................................231
Section 3. WNBA All-Star Game Participants. ..............................................................232
Section 4. Inspection Rights. ..........................................................................................232
Section 5. Implementation of Agreement. ......................................................................232
Section 6. Visas...............................................................................................................233
Section 7. Headings and Organization. ...........................................................................233
Section 8. Time Periods. .................................................................................................233
Section 9. Exhibits. .........................................................................................................233

EXHIBIT 1 STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT ....................................................................234

EXHIBIT 2 WNBA ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM ........................................................................256

EXHIBIT 3 NOTICE OF BONA FIDE EXCLUSIVE ENDORSEMENT AGREEMENT ......307

EXHIBIT 4 CORE SERVICE ....................................................................................................308

EXHIBIT 5 WNBA ROOKIE SCALE.......................................................................................310

EXHIBIT 6 OFFER SHEET .......................................................................................................318

EXHIBIT 7 FIRST REFUSAL EXERCISE NOTICE ...............................................................319

EXHIBIT 8 CORE PLAYER DESIGNATION NOTICE..........................................................320

EXHIBIT 9 JOINT WNBA/WNBPA POLICY ON DOMESTIC/INTIMATE PARTNER

VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND CHILD ABUSE ...................321

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 ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following

meanings:

(a) “Additional Marketing and Promotional Compensation” means the

compensation in U.S. dollars that is paid or payable to a player pursuant to a WNBA Marketing

and Promotional Agreement or a Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement.

(b) “Agreement” means this Collective Bargaining Agreement entered into on

January 17, 2020.

(c) “Authorized WNBA Footwear Supplier” (or “Authorized Footwear

Supplier”) means an entity granted the right by WNBA Enterprises to outfit one or more WNBA

players with logo-identified basketball footwear to be worn during WNBA games.

(d) “Base Salary” means the salary that is set forth in Exhibit 1 to a Player

Contract that is paid or payable in U.S. dollars to a WNBA player (including players whose

Player Contracts have been terminated) for rendering services under such Contract.

(e) “Bona Fide Exclusive Endorsement Agreement” means a binding

agreement that: (i) is between a player and a Bona Fide Licensee authorizing or granting the

Bona Fide Licensee the right to use the Player Attributes of such player exclusively on or in

connection with a product or service; (ii) provides for the player to receive at least five thousand

dollars ($5,000) annually; (iii) is submitted to WNBA Enterprises (along with a summary thereof

in the form attached as Exhibit 3) prior to the January 1 before the Season for which the player

seeks to have WNBA sponsor identification removed (or the use of her Player Attributes limited)

pursuant to Article XXVI, Section 1(c) or Section 2(e); and (iv) once submitted, shall be kept

confidential by WNBA Enterprises.

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 (f) “Bona Fide Licensee” means an entity that (i) was, prior to entering into a

Bona Fide Exclusive Endorsement Agreement, regularly engaged in the business of making or

selling the products or services that are covered by such Bona Fide Exclusive Endorsement

Agreement with the intention of earning a profit from such business, (ii) is commencing the

business of making or selling the products or services covered by a Bona Fide Exclusive

Endorsement Agreement, within one year of the player’s execution thereof, on a bona fide basis

with the intention of earning a profit from such business or (iii) was, prior to entering into a Bona

Fide Exclusive Endorsement Agreement, a bona fide tax exempt charitable organization that is

making or selling the products or services covered by a Bona Fide Exclusive Endorsement

Agreement for a legitimate charitable purpose and continues as a tax exempt charitable

organization for the term of such Bona Fide Exclusive Endorsement Agreement. In the event of

a dispute as to whether any license agreement entered into by a player is a Bona Fide Exclusive

Endorsement Agreement, and not a bad faith attempt to defeat the grant of rights to WNBA

Enterprises under this agreement, the burden of proof as to the agreement’s bona fide nature shall

rest with the player.

(g) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of the WNBA.

(h) “Contract” (see “Standard Player Contract”).

(i) “Contracting Team” means any Team that, by decision of the WNBA or

such Team, ceases operations as a member of the WNBA following the date of this Agreement.

(j) “Core Player” means a player so designated in accordance with Article VI,

Section 7.

(k) “Designated Sponsor Category” means (i) each of the sponsor categories

(reasonable in scope) designated by each Team by March 15 prior to each Season and (ii) each of

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the sponsor categories (reasonable in scope) designated by WNBA Enterprises by March 15

prior to each Season; provided, however, that, the total number of such designations each Season

by a Team and WNBA Enterprises will not exceed four (4).

(l) “Draft” or “WNBA Draft” means the annual WNBA draft of Rookie

players in accordance with Article XIII.

(m) “Draft Picks” means First Round Picks, Second Round Picks, and Third

Round Picks.

(n) “Draft Rookie” (see “Rookie”).

(o) “Exception” means an exception to the rule that a Team’s Team Salary

may not exceed the Salary Cap.

(p) “Expansion Team” means any Team that becomes a member of the

WNBA through expansion following the date of this Agreement and commences play during the

term of this Agreement.

(q) “Extension” means an amendment to a Player Contract lengthening the

term of the Contract by adding one or more additional twelve-month periods, other than pursuant

to the exercise of an Option.

(r) “First Round Pick” means a player selected by a Team in the first round of

the Draft.

(s) “Free Agent” means: (i) a Veteran Free Agent; (ii) a Rookie Free Agent;

(iii) a Veteran whose Player Contract has been terminated in accordance with the WNBA waiver

procedure; or (iv) a player whose last Player Contract was a 7-Day Contract or a Replacement

Contract, and who either completed the Contract by rendering the playing services called for

thereunder or was released early from such Contract.

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 (t) “Marketing and Promotional Agreements” means WNBA Marketing and

Promotional Agreements and Team Marketing and Promotional Agreements.

(u) “Mid Point of the Regular Season” means with respect to any WNBA

Regular Season, the date that is halfway between the commencement and the conclusion of such

Regular Season, calculated by taking the total number of calendar days of such Regular Season

(including the day of the first Regular Season game and the day of the last Regular Season

game), dividing that number by two (2), and, if the result is not a whole number, rounding up to

the nearest whole number.

(v) “Minimum Annual Salary” means the minimum salary that must be

included in a Player Contract that covers the entire Regular Season in accordance with Article V,

Section 7.

(w) “Minimum Player Salary” means (i) with respect to a Player Contract that

covers the entire Regular Season, the Minimum Annual Salary called for under Article V,

Section 7; (ii) with respect to a Rest-of-Season Contract, the Minimum Annual Salary called for

under Article V, Section 7, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of

days remaining in the WNBA Regular Season as of the date such Rest-of-Season Contract is

entered into, and the denominator of which is the total number of days of that Regular Season;

(iii) with respect to a Replacement Contract, 75% of the Minimum Annual Salary called for

under Article V, Section 7, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of

days remaining in the WNBA Regular Season as of the date such Replacement Contract is

entered into, and the denominator of which is the total number of days of that Regular Season;

and (iv) with respect to a 7-Day Contract, the Minimum Annual Salary called for under Article

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V, Section 7, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is seven (7) and the denominator

of which is the total number of days of that Regular Season.

(x) “Minimum Team Salary” means the amount of Team Salary, as set forth

in Article VII, Section 1(d), that each Team must equal or exceed as of the last day of a Season.

(y) “Negotiate” or “negotiate” means, with respect to a player or her

representatives on the one hand, and a Team or its representatives on the other hand, to engage in

any written or oral communication relating to the possible employment, or terms of employment,

of such player by such Team as a basketball player, regardless of who initiates the

communication.

(z) “Non-Draft Rookie” (see “Rookie”).

(aa) “Off-Season” means the period beginning one day after the last game of a

WNBA Season and continuing through the day prior to the first day of the following Season’s

training camp.

(bb) “Off-Season Playing Obligation” means (i) a contract or agreement

between a player and any entity that requires the player to play basketball in a professional

basketball league other than the WNBA during the Off-Season and/or during a Season or (ii) any

playing services provided by the player to any entity other than the WNBA, even if such services

are not contractual and even if such entity is not a professional basketball league.

(cc) “Option Year” means the additional twelve-month period that is added to

the term of the Standard Player Contract of certain Rookies if the option provided for in Article

V, Section 4 is exercised by the Team.

(dd) “Picture” means all forms of audio, video, data or image reproduction,

distribution or transmission whether now existing or hereafter created, including, but not limited

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to, still photographs, motion pictures, videocassettes, television images, computer and digital

images, CD-ROM, and digital disc, in all cases whether live or on a delayed taped basis.

(ee) “Players Association” means the Women’s National Basketball Players

Association.

(ff) “Player Attributes” means a player’s name, nickname, Picture, portrait,

image, signature, voice or other identifiable attributes and, to the extent that she has rights

therein, biographical data.

(gg) “Player Contract” (see “Standard Player Contract”).

(hh) “Prior Team” means the Team for which a player was last under Contract

prior to becoming a Veteran Free Agent.

(ii) “Qualifying Offer” means an offer of a Standard Player Contract, signed

by the Team that (i) is either personally delivered to the player or her representative or sent by

email or prepaid certified, registered or overnight mail to the last known address of the player or

her representative with a copy to the Players Association and the WNBA; (ii) is for a period of

one year; (iii) may be conditioned, at the option of the Team, on the player submitting to and

passing a physical examination in accordance with the provisions of Article V, Section 3(d); and

(iv) provides for a Base Salary equal to: (A) for a Reserved Player, the applicable Minimum

Player Salary (a “Reserved Qualifying Offer”); (B) for a Draft Rookie finishing her Rookie Scale

Contract who is subject to a right of first refusal in accordance with Article VI, Section 5(a),

105% of the player’s fourth year Base Salary (together with (C) below, a “Rookie Scale

Qualifying Offer”); (C) for a Draft Rookie finishing her Rookie Scale Contract who was named

either WNBA Most Valuable Player or All WNBA First Team in either (x) the fourth year of her

Rookie Scale Contract or (y) two out of the first three years of her Rookie Scale Contract who is

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subject to a right of first refusal in accordance with Article VI, Section 5(a), 105% of the player’s

fourth year Base Salary plus an additional ten thousand dollars ($10,000); (D) for a player

subject to a right of first refusal in accordance with Article VI, Section 5(b)-(d) the greater of the

applicable Minimum Player Salary or the Base Salary contained in the last Season of the player’s

prior Contract (a “Restricted Qualifying Offer”); and (E) for a player designated as a Core

Player, the Maximum Player Salary pursuant to Article V, Section 8(a) (a “Core Qualifying

Offer”). No Qualifying Offer may provide for any Base Salary protection, except that a Core

Qualifying Offer must be fully protected for lack of skill and injury or illness.

(jj) “Qualifying Shoe Deal” means an exclusive agreement between a player

and a shoe manufacturer that (i) provides for at least five thousand dollars ($5,000) in cash

payments annually to the player and (ii) has been filed (in whole or in a summary form that

includes all material terms, but with the financial terms redacted) with the WNBA League Office

at least seven (7) days before the start of the training camp preceding the applicable WNBA

Season. The parties acknowledge that the date by which players must notify the WNBA

League Office of a Qualifying Shoe Deal (the “Footwear Deadline”) is related to certain existing

commercial agreements the WNBA has entered into with WNBA partners. The most significant

of those commercial agreements is with the WNBA’s exclusive footwear supplier, which expires

on December 31, 2025 (the “Footwear Agreement”). The WNBA agrees to consult with the

Players Association prior to the expiration of the Footwear Agreement regarding the Footwear

Deadline upon notice from the Players Association.

(kk) “Qualifying Veteran Free Agent” means a Veteran Free Agent who played

under one or more Player Contracts covering some or all of each of the two preceding Seasons

and either played exclusively with her Prior Team during such two Seasons, or, if she played

7
with more than one Team during such period, changed Teams only (i) by means of assignment

(including via the WNBA’s waiver procedure), or (ii) by signing with her Prior Team during the

first of the two Seasons.

(ll) “Regular Season” or “WNBA Regular Season” means, with respect to any

Season, the period beginning on the first day and continuing through the last day of regularly

scheduled (as opposed to exhibition or playoff) competition between WNBA Teams.

(mm) “Replacement Contract” means a Contract signed with a Replacement

Player pursuant to the Hardship Exception or Emergency Hardship Exception set forth in Article

VII, Section 4.

(nn) “Replacement Player” means a player who is signed by a Team pursuant

to the Hardship Exception or Emergency Hardship Exception set forth in Article VII, Section 4.

(oo) “Required Tender” means an offer of a Rookie Scale Contract to a Draft

Rookie, signed by the Team, that: (i) is either personally delivered to the player or her

representative or sent by email or prepaid certified, registered, or overnight mail to the last

known address of the player or her representative; (ii) provides the player with ten (10) days to

accept; and (iii) may be conditioned, at the option of the Team, on the player submitting to and

passing a physical examination in accordance with the provisions of Article V, Section 3(d).

(pp) “Reserved Player” means a Veteran Free Agent who is subject to a Team’s

exclusive negotiating rights in accordance with Article VI.

(qq) “Restricted Free Agent” means a Veteran Free Agent who is subject to a

Team’s right of first refusal in accordance with Article VI.

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 (rr) “Rookie” or “Rookie Player” means a person eligible to be a WNBA

player pursuant to Article XIII, Section 1, who has never signed a Player Contract with a WNBA

Team.

“Draft Rookie” means a Rookie who is selected in the WNBA

Draft.

“Non-Draft Rookie” means a Rookie who is not selected in the

WNBA Draft for which she is first eligible.

(ss) “Rookie Free Agent” means: (i) a Draft Rookie who, pursuant to the

provisions of Article XIII, is no longer subject to the exclusive negotiating rights of any Team,

and who may be signed by any Team; or (ii) a Non-Draft Rookie who may be signed by any

Team.

(tt) “Rookie Scale Amounts” means the amounts set forth in the tables

annexed hereto as Exhibit 5.

(uu) “Rookie Scale Contract” means the initial Standard Player Contract that

can be offered to and entered into by a Rookie, in accordance with Article V.

(vv) “Room” means the amount by which a Team’s then-current Team Salary

is less than the Salary Cap.

(ww) “Salary” means, with respect to a Salary Cap Year: (i) a player’s Base

Salary with respect to the Season covered by such Salary Cap Year; (ii) any trade bonus amount

earned under the terms of the Contract that is allocated to such Salary Cap Year in accordance

with Article VII, Section 7(c); (iii) any Time Off Bonus applicable to a Salary Cap Year pursuant

to Article V, Section 17(b)(vi); and (iv) any other amount that is deemed to constitute Salary in

accordance with the terms of this Agreement, not including any portion of the player’s Base

9
Salary that is attributable to another Salary Cap Year in accordance with this Agreement. Salary

also includes any consideration received by a retired player that is deemed to constitute Salary in

accordance with the terms of Article VII. The computation of a player’s Salary under this

Agreement shall be made without regard to any reduction in Base Salary that results from the

player’s suspension by the WNBA or her Team. Salary shall not include any Additional

Marketing and Promotional Compensation paid or payable to a player.

(xx) “Salary Cap” means the maximum allowable Team Salary for each Team

for a Salary Cap Year, subject to the rules and Exceptions set forth in this Agreement.

(yy) “Salary Cap Year” means the period from January 1 through the following

December 31. The first Salary Cap Year under this Agreement shall be the 2020 Salary Cap

Year and shall commence (retroactively) on January 1, 2020 and end on December 31, 2020.

The 2021 Salary Cap Year shall commence on January 1, 2021 and end on December 31, 2021;

the 2022 Salary Cap Year shall commence on January 1, 2022 and end on December 31, 2022;

the 2023 Salary Cap Year shall commence on January 1, 2023 and end on December 31, 2023;

the 2024 Salary Cap Year shall commence on January 1, 2024 and end on December 31, 2024;

the 2025 Salary Cap Year shall commence on January 1, 2025 and end on December 31, 2025;

the 2020 Salary Cap Year shall commence on January 1, 2026 and end on December 31, 2026;

and the 2027 Salary Cap Year shall commence on January 1, 2027 and end on October 31, 2027

or, if later, on the day following the final playoff game of the 2027 Season. In the event that the

Collective Bargaining Agreement is terminated pursuant to Article XXXVIII, Section 1, the

2025 Salary Cap Year shall end on October 31, 2025 or, if later, on the day following the final

playoff game of the 2025 Season.

10
 (zz) “Season” or “WNBA Season” means the period beginning on the first day

of training camp and ending immediately after the last game of the WNBA Finals.

(aaa) “Second Round Pick” means a player selected by a Team in the second

round of the Draft.

(bbb) “Standard Player Contract” or “Player Contract” or “Contract” means the

standard form of written agreement between a player and a Team required for use in the WNBA

by Article V below, pursuant to which such player is employed by a WNBA Team as a

professional basketball player.

(ccc) “Team” means any team that is a member of the WNBA.

(ddd) “Team Affiliate” means:

any individual or entity who or which (directly or indirectly) holds

an ownership interest in a Team (other than ownership of publicly-traded securities constituting

less than 5% of the ownership interests in a Team);

any individual or entity who or which (directly or indirectly)

controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, or who or which is an entity affiliated

with or an individual related to, a Team;

any individual or entity who or which (directly or indirectly)

controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, or who or which is an entity affiliated

with or an individual related to, an individual or entity described in Section 1(ddd)(i) or (ii)

above; or

any entity in which 10% or more of the ownership interests are

held (directly or indirectly) by an individual or entity who or which holds (directly or indirectly)

11
10% or more of the ownership interests in a Team or in an entity described in Section 1(ddd)(ii)

above.

For the purposes of this Section: an individual shall only be deemed to be “related

to” a Team or another individual or entity if such individual is an officer, director or employee of

such Team or entity, or is a member of such individual’s immediate family; and “controls” or “is

controlled by” shall include (without limitation) the circumstance in which an individual or a

Team or entity has or can exercise effective control.

(eee) “Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement” means a written

agreement entered into between a Team and a player in accordance with Article XXXIV, Section

2, whereby such player, in exchange for Additional Marketing and Promotional Compensation,

agrees to perform marketing and promotional services for such Team (in addition to any services

required by such player’s Player Contract, any WNBA Marketing and Promotional Agreement to

which such player is a party, or this Agreement) that, during the term of such Team Marketing

and Promotional Agreement, shall: (i) require the player to live in the Team market; (ii) require

such player to make additional appearances on behalf of the Team or its sponsors or licensees;

(iii) permit the Team or its sponsors or licensees to use such player’s Player Attributes

individually on a non-exclusive basis; and (iv) require such player to comply with reasonable

content creation and social media distribution requests of the player by the Team or sponsor.

The Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement may also require such player to perform non-

management “front-office” services for the Team or any of its affiliates. Team Marketing and

Promotional Agreements are subject to any restrictions or limitations established by the WNBA,

in its sole discretion; provided, however, that such restrictions or limitations do not violate a

provision of this Agreement, including Article XXXIV, Section 2.

12
 (fff) “Team Salary” means, with respect to a Salary Cap Year, the sum of all

Salaries attributable to a Team’s active and former players, plus other amounts included in Team

Salary in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, and not including any amounts excluded

from Team Salary in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

(ggg) “Third Round Pick” means a player selected by a Team in the third round

of the Draft.

(hhh) “Unrestricted Free Agent” means a Free Agent who is not subject to a

Team’s right of first refusal or exclusive negotiating rights.

(iii) “Veteran” or “Veteran Player” means a person who is eligible to be a

WNBA player pursuant to Article XIII, Section 1, and is not a Rookie.

(jjj) “Veteran Free Agent” means a Veteran who completed her Player

Contract (other than a 7-Day Contract or a Replacement Contract) by rendering the playing

services called for thereunder.

(kkk) “WNBA” or “Women’s National Basketball Association” means WNBA,

LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

(lll) “WNBA Competitions” means all WNBA games (including pre-season,

Regular Season and playoff games), All-Star Games and associated games and skills

competitions, and any tour, tournament or exhibition scheduled by the WNBA.

(mmm)“WNBA Enterprises” means WNBA Enterprises, LLC, a Delaware

limited liability company.

(nnn) “WNBA Marketing and Promotional Agreement” means a written

agreement entered into between the WNBA and a player in accordance with Article XXXIV,

Section 1, whereby such player, in exchange for Additional Marketing and Promotional

13
Compensation, agrees to perform marketing and promotional services for the WNBA and

WNBA Enterprises (in addition to any services required by such player’s Player Contract, any

Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement to which such player is a party, or this Agreement)

that, during the term of such WNBA Marketing and Promotional Agreement, shall: (i) restrict

the ability of such player to play in another professional basketball league during the Off-Season;

(ii) require such player to make additional appearances on behalf of the WNBA, WNBA

Enterprises, or their sponsors or licensees; (iii) permit the WNBA, WNBA Enterprises, or their

sponsors or licensees to use such player’s Player Attributes individually on a non-exclusive

basis; and (iv) require such player to comply with reasonable content creation and social media

distribution requests of the player by the Team or sponsor. The WNBA Marketing and

Promotional Agreement may also require such player to perform non-management “front-office”

services for the WNBA or any of its affiliates.

(ooo) “WNBA Sponsor” (or “Sponsor”) means an entity that has been granted

the right by WNBA Enterprises to use the designation “Official Sponsor of the WNBA” and/or

to conduct marketing and/or promotional programs using WNBA names, trademarks and/or

logos.

(ppp) “Years of Service” means the number of years of WNBA service credited

to a player in accordance with the following: a player will be credited with one year of WNBA

service for each year that she is signed to a Standard Player Contract to play for a WNBA Team,

but only if she is on the active list of that WNBA Team for the start, or for any portion, of the

Regular Season for which she is signed. Notwithstanding the above, a player will not receive

credit for a Year of Service for any year in which she: (i) withholds playing services called for

by a Player Contract for more than twenty-one (21) days after the Season begins; (ii) is signed

14
only to one or more 7-Day Contracts or Replacement Contracts, or (iii) is a Restricted Free

Agent as of July 20. In addition, notwithstanding the above, a player will not receive credit for a

Year of Service for a Player Contract that is voided due to the player’s failure to pass a physical

examination or that is disapproved by the Commissioner, except that disapproval of a Player

Contract by the Commissioner shall not prevent a player from obtaining a Year of Service that

she would otherwise be qualified to receive, if the player was eligible to participate and dressed

to play in a Regular Season game in the Season during which such disapproval occurred. In no

event can a player be credited with more than one (1) Year of Service with respect to any one

WNBA Season. A Year of Service will be credited to a player on the day following the Season

with respect to which it is being credited. Under no circumstances shall the definition of Years

of Service herein be used for purposes of determining a player’s years of “WNBA playing

service” under the WNBA 401(k) Plan.

15
 ARTICLE II

RECOGNITION CLAUSE

The WNBA recognizes the Players Association as the exclusive collective

bargaining representative of all persons who are employed by WNBA Teams as professional

basketball players and/or who may become so employed during the term of any collective

bargaining agreement between the parties or any extension thereof as follows: (a) all persons

who are employed by WNBA Teams as professional basketball players; (b) all persons who have

been previously employed by a WNBA Team as professional basketball players who are seeking

employment with a WNBA Team as a professional basketball player; (c) all rookie players

selected in each year’s WNBA Draft; and (d) all undrafted rookie players seeking employment

with a WNBA Team as a professional basketball player. The Players Association warrants that it

is duly empowered to enter into this Agreement for and on behalf of such persons. The WNBA

and the Players Association agree that, notwithstanding the foregoing, such persons and the

WNBA and/or WNBA Teams may, on an individual basis, bargain with respect to and agree

upon the provisions of Player Contracts and Marketing and Promotional Agreements, but only as

and to the extent permitted by this Agreement.

16
 ARTICLE III

UNION SECURITY, DUES AND CHECK-OFF

Section 1. Membership.

As a condition of employment commencing with the execution of this Agreement,

for the duration of this Agreement only, and wherever legal: (a) any player who is or later

becomes a member in good standing of the Players Association must maintain her membership

in good standing in the Players Association; and (b) any player (including a player in the future)

who is not a member in good standing of the Players Association must, on the thirtieth (30th) day

following the beginning of her employment or the thirtieth (30th) day following the execution of

this Agreement, whichever is later, pay, pursuant to Section 2 below or otherwise, to the Players

Association an annual service fee in the same amount as any initiation fee and dues required

generally of members of the Players Association.

Section 2. Check-off.

Commencing with the execution of this Agreement and for the duration of this

Agreement only, each Team will check-off the initiation fee and annual dues, assessments or

service fees, as the case may be, in equal installments from each of the first four Regular Season

paychecks received by the player, for each player for whom a written current check-off

authorization has been provided to the Team. The Team will forward the check-off monies to

the Players Association within fourteen (14) days of each check-off, and, if the Team fails to do

so, interest at 5% per annum, payable to the Players Association, shall begin to accrue on such

check-off monies upon the conclusion of such 14-day period.

Section 3. Enforcement.

(a) Upon written notification to the WNBA by the Players Association that a

player has not paid any initiation fee, dues or the equivalent service fee in violation of Section 1

17
of this Article, the WNBA will raise the matter for discussion with the player and her Team. If

there is no resolution of the matter within seven (7) days, the Team will, upon the written request

of the Players Association, suspend the player without pay, wherever legal. Such suspension

will continue until the Players Association has notified the Team in writing that the suspended

player has satisfied her obligation as set forth in Section 1 of this Article. The parties hereby

agree that suspension without pay is adopted as a substitute for and in lieu of discharge as the

penalty for a violation of Section 1 above and that no player will be discharged for a violation of

that Section. A copy of all notices required by this Section will be simultaneously mailed to the

player involved and the WNBA.

(b) For purposes of this Article, a person shall be deemed to be a “member in

good standing” of the Players Association if she has made the payment of the dues or any

initiation fee (or equivalent service fee) as provided for by Section 1 above, and such status shall

not be based on any other factors involved in union discipline.

(c) Other than pursuant to Section 2 above, no Team shall pay any initiation

fees, dues, or equivalent service fee on behalf of any player.

Section 4. No Liability.

Neither the WNBA nor any Team shall be liable for any salary, bonus, or other

monetary claims that result, directly or indirectly, from a player being suspended pursuant to the

terms of Section 3 above, and the Players Association agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the

WNBA and all Teams for any such claims which may be made against the WNBA and/or any

Team.

18
 ARTICLE IV

MANAGEMENT RIGHTS CLAUSE

The WNBA and WNBA Teams maintain and reserve the right to manage and

direct their operations in any manner whatsoever, except as limited by the provisions of this

Agreement or operation of law.

19
 ARTICLE V

STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT

Section 1. Required Form.

The contract to be entered into by each player and the Team by which she is

employed shall be a Standard Player Contract in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit 1.

Section 2. Limitation on Amendments.

(a) Except as provided in Sections 3, 9, 10 and 11 of this Article and in

Article VII, Section 5, no amendments of any kind to the form or the terms of the Standard

Player Contract provided for by Section 1 of this Article shall be permitted.

(b) If a Team and a player enter into (i) a Standard Player Contract containing

an amendment not specifically permitted by this Agreement or (ii) a subsequent amendment to an

existing Player Contract when such amendment is not specifically permitted by this Agreement,

then such Contract or subsequent amendment, as the case may be, shall be disapproved by the

Commissioner and rendered null and void.

(c) Once executed by the player and the Team, a Player Contract may not be

amended or changed in any manner except pursuant to Section 3(e), (g) and (h)(iii) below or

Article VII, Section 5.

(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 2, a player may

unilaterally change the form of the Standard Player Contract by deleting paragraph 6(d) thereof

in its entirety.

Section 3. Allowable Amendments.

In their individual contract negotiations, a Veteran Player (but not a Rookie) and a

Team may amend the provisions of a Standard Player Contract, but only in the following

respects:

20
 (a) By agreeing upon provisions (to be set forth in Exhibit 1 to a Standard

Player Contract) setting forth the Base Salary to be paid to the player for each Season of the

Contract for rendering the services described in such Contract.

(b) By agreeing upon provisions (to be set forth in Exhibit 2 to a Standard

Player Contract) stating that the Base Salary provided for by the Standard Player Contract shall

be, in whole or in part, and subject to any conditions or limitations, protected in the event that the

Contract is terminated by the Team by reason of the player’s: (i) lack of skill; (ii) disability or

unfitness to play skilled basketball resulting from a basketball-related injury (“basketball-related

injury”); (iii) disability or unfitness to play skilled basketball resulting from any injury or illness

suffered by the player during a WNBA Season (“in-Season injury or illness”); and/or

(iv) disability or unfitness to play skilled basketball resulting from any injury or illness suffered

by the player during the term of the Contract (“injury or illness”); provided, however, that no

Team, at any one time, may be a party to, or have any obligations to pay Base Salary under,

more than six (6) Player Contracts that contain Base Salary protection of any kind during the

then-current or any future Season. For purposes of the preceding sentence: (i) any outstanding

Offer Sheet that provides for Base Salary protection of any kind shall count against the per-team

limit of six (6) Player Contracts containing Base Salary protection of any kind; (ii) the Player

Contract of a player who has been suspended for the entire final Season of such Player Contract

pursuant to Article XIV, Section 6 or XX, Section 1(c) shall not count against the per-team limit

of six (6) Player Contracts containing Base Salary protection of any kind; and (iii) any option

exercised by a team pursuant to Section 4(a) below and Article VI, Section 4 shall not count

against the per-team limit of six (6) Player Contracts containing Base Salary protection of any

kind.

21
 (c) By agreeing upon provisions (to be set forth in Exhibit 3 to a Standard

Player Contract) limiting or eliminating the player’s right to receive her Base Salary (in

accordance with Sections 6(a)(i)(y) and 6(c) of this Article) when the player’s disability or

unfitness to play skilled basketball is caused by the re-injury of one or more injuries sustained

prior to, or by the aggravation of one or more conditions that existed prior to, the execution of

the Standard Player Contract providing for such Base Salary.

(d) By agreeing upon provisions (to be set forth in Exhibit 5 to a Standard

Player Contract) establishing that the player must report for and submit to a physical examination

to be performed by a physician designated by the Team, subject to the provisions of Section 14(i)

below.

(e) By agreeing upon provisions for the purpose of terminating an already-

existing Standard Player Contract prior to the expiration of its stated term, stating as follows:

(i) the Team will request waivers on the player immediately following the Commissioner’s

approval of such amendment; and (ii) should the player clear waivers and her Contract thereupon

be terminated, the amount of any Base Salary protection contained in the Contract will

immediately be reduced or eliminated. In addition to the foregoing, the parties may also agree

that as a result of the termination of the Contract, the Team’s right of set-off under Article XXX

of this Agreement will be modified or eliminated.

(f) By agreeing upon provisions (to be set forth in Exhibit 7 to a Standard

Player Contract) stating that the Contract will be traded to another Team within forty-eight (48)

hours of its execution, such trade and the consummation of such trade to be conditions precedent

to the validity of the Contract.

22
 (g) By agreeing upon provisions (to be set forth in Exhibit 8 to any Standard

Player Contract other than a Rookie Scale Contract) setting forth lump sum bonuses to be paid as

a result of a player not exceeding agreed-upon limitations on the amount of time she will Play

Professional Basketball during an Off-Season, subject to the provisions of Section 17 below

(“Time Off Bonuses”).

(h) By agreeing upon provisions (to be set forth in Exhibit 9 to any Standard

Player Contract) entitling a player to earn compensation if the player’s Standard Player Contract

is traded (“trade bonus”) to another WNBA team subject to the following:

A trade bonus shall be payable only the first time that the Contract

is traded; provided, however, that if a Contract is signed in connection with an agreement to

trade the Contract in accordance with Article V, Section 3(f) and the Contract contains a trade

bonus, the bonus shall not apply to such initial trade but shall instead be payable only the second

time the Contract is traded.

A trade bonus shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the Base

Salary remaining to be earned by the player pursuant to the Contract at the time of the trade.

The only allowable amendments to Exhibit 9 to a Standard Player

Contract shall be the specification of the amount of the trade bonus to be paid to the player,

expressed as either (A) a specified percentage of the Base Salary remaining to be earned under

the Contract at the time of the trade, or (B) a specified dollar amount not to exceed a specified

percentage of Base Salary remaining to be earned under the Contract at the time of the trade.

A Contract that does not contain a trade bonus cannot be amended

to add a trade bonus, except that if the Contract is extended, the Contract may be amended

simultaneously to provide for a trade bonus that, notwithstanding subsection (i) above, shall be

23
payable only the first time such Contract is traded following the Season immediately preceding

the extended term of the Extension. In order to so provide, notwithstanding subsection (iii)

above, Exhibit 9 to the Extension must include the following sentence: “The foregoing trade

bonus shall not be applicable to any trade prior to the end of the [___] Season, but shall instead

be payable only the first time this Contract is traded following the [___] Season.” The Season to

be included where brackets are indicated in the foregoing language shall be the Season

immediately preceding the first Season covered by the extended term of the Extension.

A Contract that contains a trade bonus cannot be amended to

change such trade bonus, except that in connection with the trade of such Contract, the player

and the assignor Team may agree to amend the Contract to waive all or any portion of such trade

bonus.

In no event shall a trade bonus in a Contract be payable more than

once.

No Contract or Extension entered into by a player who, at the time

of signing such Contract or Extension, has fewer than six (6) Years of Service may contain an

Exhibit 9.

Section 4. Rookie Scale Contracts.

(a) The Rookie Scale Contract between a Team and a Draft Rookie drafted in

any of the 2020-2027 WNBA Drafts: (i) shall be for an initial term covering three (3) Seasons

and the immediately succeeding Off-Seasons; (ii) shall provide a Base Salary in each season as

set forth in Article VIII of the Agreement; (iii) shall not contain Base Salary protection of any

kind (other than the contingent protection contained in the Option Year); (iv) may contain the

amendments authorized by Sections 3(c) and 3(d) above; and (v) shall contain an option (to be

24
set forth in Exhibit 4 to a Standard Player Contract) that may be exercised by the Team to extend

the term of the Contract for one additional twelve-month period beyond its initial term. Such

option shall be exercisable by the Team, in its sole discretion, by written notice to the player or

her representative on or before the May 15 following the second Season covered by the Contract.

If such option is exercised by the Team, the terms and conditions of the Contract for the Option

Year will be the same as those for the third year of the Contract, except that the Base Salary to be

paid to the player for the Option Year (x) shall be increased by an amount equal to fifteen

percent (15%) of the player’s Base Salary for the second year of the Contract above the player’s

Base Salary for the third year of the Contract; and (y) shall be fully protected for lack of skill and

injury or illness upon the Team’s exercise of the option.

(b) The Rookie Scale Contract between a Team and a Non-Draft Rookie:

(i) shall be for an initial term of up to but no more than two (2) Seasons (and the immediately

succeeding Off-Seasons); (ii) shall provide a Base Salary in each season as set forth in Article

VIII of the Agreement; (iii) shall not contain Base Salary protection of any kind; and (iv) may

contain the amendments authorized by Sections 3(c) and 3(d) above.

(c) If a Rookie Scale Contract is entered into during any Regular Season, the

player’s Base Salary (as set forth in Article VIII) for such Season shall be reduced so as to equal

the Base Salary as set forth in Article VIII multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the

number of days remaining in the Regular Season when the Contract is executed and the

denominator of which is the total number of days of the Regular Season. If a Rookie Scale

Contract with a Draft Rookie is entered into after the conclusion of the first Regular Season

following the Draft in which such player was drafted, such Contract shall provide a Base Salary

25
in each season as set forth in Article VIII for players drafted in the same draft position in the

Draft immediately prior to the first Regular Season covered by such Contract.

(d) Pre-existing Sponsorship, Endorsement and Licensing Agreements.

Each player must disclose all sponsorship, endorsement and licensing agreements

(including all agreements with respect to footwear) that the player entered into prior to the

execution of her Player Contract and that will be in effect during the term of such Contract.

Such agreements shall be listed in Exhibit 6 to a Standard Player Contract, and copies of the

agreements shall be attached to that Exhibit. Except as required under the License Agreement,

players shall not be required to disclose the financial terms of such agreements and may redact

such terms from the agreements attached to the Exhibit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no

footwear agreement shall be treated as a Qualifying Shoe Deal unless the player provides a

written representation (in Exhibit 6 or otherwise) that such agreement is an exclusive agreement

between the player and a shoe manufacturer that provides for at least five thousand dollars

($5,000) in cash payments annually to the player.

Section 5. Base Salary Protection.

(a) Lack of Skill.

When a Team agrees to protect, in whole or in part, the Base Salary provided for

by a Standard Player Contract in the event such Contract is terminated by the Team by reason of

the player’s lack of skill, such agreement shall mean that, subject to any conditions or limitations

set forth in Exhibit 2 to the Standard Player Contract, and subject further to Article XXXIII,

Section 3(b), and notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 6(a)(i)(x), 6(a)(i)(y), 6(e), and 6(f)

of this Article, the termination of such Contract by the Team on account of the player’s failure to

exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability shall in no way affect the player’s right to receive,

26
in whole or in part, the Base Salary payable pursuant to Exhibit 1 to such Contract; provided,

that: (i) such lack of skill does not result from the player’s participation in activities prohibited

by paragraph 10 of the Standard Player Contract, attempted suicide, intentional self-inflicted

injury, abuse of alcohol, use of any Prohibited Substance or controlled substance, abuse of or

addiction to prescription drugs, conduct occurring during the commission of any felony for

which the player is convicted (including a plea of guilty, no contest or nolo contendere),

participation in any riot, insurrection or war or other military activities, or failure to comply with

the requirements of Article XX, Sections 1, 2(a) and 2(b); and (ii) at the time of the player’s

failure to render playing services, the player is not in material breach of such Contract.

(b) Basketball-Related Injury.

When a Team agrees to protect, in whole or in part, the Base Salary provided for

in a Standard Player Contract in the event such Contract is terminated by the Team by reason of

the player’s disability or unfitness to play skilled basketball resulting from a basketball-related

injury, such agreement shall mean that, subject to any conditions or limitations set forth in

Exhibit 2 and/or Exhibit 3 to such Contract (in addition to the conditions and limitations set forth

in this Article V, Section 5(b)), and subject further to Article XXXIII, Section 3(b), and

notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 6(a)(i)(y), 6(c), 6(d), 6(e) and 6(f) of this Article, the

termination of such Contract by the Team because the player has been disabled and/or is unfit to

play skilled basketball as a direct result of an injury sustained while participating in any

basketball practice or game played for the Team, or in any other basketball activity in which the

player is required to participate under her Player Contract, shall in no way affect the player’s

right to receive, in whole or in part, the Base Salary payable pursuant to Exhibit 1 of such

Contract; provided, however, that (i) such injury does not result from the player’s participation in

27
activities prohibited by paragraph 10 of the Standard Player Contract, attempted suicide,

intentional self-inflicted injury, abuse of alcohol, use of any Prohibited Substance or controlled

substance, abuse of or addiction to prescription drugs, conduct occurring during the commission

of any felony for which the player is convicted (including a plea of guilty, no contest or nolo

contendere) or participation in any riot, insurrection or war or other military activities, or failure

to comply with the requirements of Article XX, Sections 1, 2(a) and 2(b); (ii) at the time of such

injury, the player is not in material breach of such Contract; (iii) if the Team, for its own benefit,

seeks to procure an insurance policy covering the player’s injury, the player cooperates with the

Team in procuring such an insurance policy, including by, among other things, supplying all

information requested of her, completing application forms, or otherwise and submitting to all

examinations and tests requested of her by or on behalf of the insurance company in connection

with the Team’s efforts to procure such policy; and (iv) if the Team, for its own benefit, has

procured such an insurance policy, the player cooperates (in the manner described above) with

the Team and the insurance company in the processing of the Team’s claim under such policy.

(c) In-Season Injury or Illness.

When the Team agrees to protect, in whole or in part, the Base Salary provided

for in a Standard Player Contract in the event such Contract is terminated by the Team by reason

of the player’s disability or unfitness to play skilled basketball resulting from any injury, illness

or disability suffered by the player during a WNBA Season, such agreement shall mean that,

subject to any conditions or limitations set forth in Exhibit 2 and/or Exhibit 3 to such Contract

(in addition to the conditions and limitations set forth in this Article V, Section 5(c)), and subject

further to Article XXXIII, Section 3(b), and notwithstanding the provisions of Sections

6(a)(i)(y), 6(c), 6(d), 6(e) and 6(f) of this Article, the termination of such Contract by the Team

28
on account of an injury, illness or disability suffered or sustained by the player during the

WNBA Season shall in no way affect the player’s right to receive, in whole or in part, the Base

Salary payable pursuant to Exhibit 1 of such Contract; provided, however, that (i) such injury or

illness does not result from the player’s participation in activities prohibited by paragraph 10 of

the Standard Player Contract, attempted suicide, intentional self-inflicted injury, abuse of

alcohol, use of any Prohibited Substance or controlled substance, abuse of or addiction to

prescription drugs, conduct occurring during the commission of any felony for which the player

is convicted (including a plea of guilty, no contest or nolo contendere) or participation in any

riot, insurrection or war or other military activities, or failure to comply with the requirements of

Article XX, Sections 1, 2(a) and 2(b); (ii) at the time of such injury, illness, or disability, the

player is not in material breach of such Contract; (iii) if the Team, for its own benefit, seeks to

procure an insurance policy covering the player’s injury, illness and/or disability, the player

cooperates with the Team in procuring such an insurance policy, including by, among other

things, supplying all information requested of her, completing application forms, or otherwise

and submitting to all examinations and tests requested of her by or on behalf of the insurance

company in connection with the Team’s efforts to procure such policy; and (iv) if the Team, for

its own benefit, has procured such an insurance policy, the player cooperates (in the manner

described above) with the Team and the insurance company in the processing of the Team’s

claim under such policy.

(d) Injury or Illness.

When a Team agrees to protect, in whole or in part, the Base Salary provided for

in a Standard Player Contract in the event such Contract is terminated by the Team by reason of

the player’s disability or unfitness to play skilled basketball resulting from any injury, illness or

29
disability suffered by the player during the term of her Contract, such agreement shall mean that,

subject to any conditions or limitations set forth in Exhibit 2 and/or Exhibit 3 to such Contract

(in addition to the conditions and limitations set forth in this Article V, Section 5(d)), and subject

further to Article XXXIII, Section 3(b), and notwithstanding the provisions of Sections

6(a)(i)(y), 6(c), 6(d), 6(e) and 6(f) of this Article, the termination of such Contract by the Team

on account of an injury, illness or disability suffered or sustained by the player during the term of

her Contract shall in no way affect the player’s right to receive, in whole or in part, the Base

Salary payable pursuant to Exhibit 1 of such Contract; provided, however, that (i) such injury or

illness does not result from the player’s participation in activities prohibited by paragraph 10 of

the Standard Player Contract, attempted suicide, intentional self-inflicted injury, abuse of

alcohol, use of any Prohibited Substance or controlled substance, abuse of or addiction to

prescription drugs, conduct occurring during the commission of any felony for which the player

is convicted (including a plea of guilty, no contest or nolo contendere) or participation in any

riot, insurrection or war or other military activities, or failure to comply with the requirements of

Article XX, Sections 1, 2(a) and 2(b); (ii) such injury, illness or disability does not occur during

any period in which the player is under an Off-Season Playing Obligation (with such period

deemed to commence, for the purposes of this subsection (ii), no sooner than the start of the

applicable Off-Season) and does not result, directly or indirectly, from the activities engaged in

by the player in connection with her satisfaction of such Off-Season Playing Obligation; (iii) at

the time of such injury, illness, or disability, the player is not in material breach of such Contract;

(iv) if the Team, for its own benefit, seeks to procure an insurance policy covering the player’s

injury, illness and/or disability, the player cooperates with the Team in procuring such an

insurance policy, including by, among other things, supplying all information requested of her,

30
completing application forms, or otherwise and submitting to all examinations and tests

requested of her by or on behalf of the insurance company in connection with the Team’s efforts

to procure such policy; and (v) if the Team, for its own benefit, has procured such an insurance

policy, the player cooperates with the Team (in the manner described above) and the insurance

company in the processing of the Team’s claim under such policy.

(e) No agreement by a Team to protect, in whole or in part, the Base Salary

provided for by a Standard Player Contract shall require (or be construed as requiring) such

Team to continue the player on the Team’s roster; nor shall any such agreement afford the player

any right to continue, or to be deemed as having continued, on such Team’s roster for any

purpose.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, when a Team

agrees to protect, in whole or in part, the Base Salary provided for by a Standard Player Contract,

and such protection is contingent on the satisfaction of a condition set forth in Exhibit 2 to that

Contract, such protection shall be applicable and effective only if the Contract has not previously

been terminated at the time such condition is satisfied.

Section 6. Termination of Standard Player Contract.

(a) In addition to any other grounds for termination that are expressly set forth

in this Agreement or the Standard Player Contract, a Player Contract may be terminated by a

Team at any time without further obligation on the part of either party, upon written notice to the

player, if she:

at any time, in the sole and absolute discretion of the Team’s

management, fails to exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability to qualify to continue as a

player on the Team; provided, however, that (x) if the Player Contract is terminated by a Team,

31
in accordance with the provisions of this subparagraph, during the period commencing on the

day after the Mid-Point of a Regular Season then, subject to Article XXXIII, Section 3(b), the

player shall continue to receive the remainder of her full Base Salary for such Season; and (y) if

the Player Contract is terminated by a Team, in accordance with the provisions of this

subparagraph, and the player, at the time of such termination, is unfit to play skilled basketball as

the result of an injury resulting directly from her rendering playing services for the Team during

a Season covered by the Contract then, subject to Article XXXIII, Section 3(b), she will continue

to receive the remainder of her full Base Salary, less all workers’ compensation benefits (which,

to the extent permitted by law, and if not deducted from the player’s Base Salary by the Team,

shall be deemed as having been assigned to the Team) and any insurance provided for by the

Team paid or payable to the player by reason of such injury, until such time as the player is fit to

play skilled basketball, but not beyond the Season during which such termination occurred;

at any time fails, refuses, or neglects to render the services called

for under her Standard Player Contract or in any other manner materially breaches her Standard

Player Contract;

at any time fails, refuses or neglects to conform her personal

conduct to standards of good citizenship, good moral character, and good sportsmanship; or

at any time commits a significant and inexcusable physical attack

against any official or employee of the Team or the WNBA (other than another player), or any

person in attendance at any WNBA game or event, considering the totality of the circumstances,

including (but not limited to) the degree of provocation (if any) that may have led to the attack,

the nature and scope of the attack, the player’s state of mind at the time of the attack, and the

extent of any injury resulting from the attack; or

32
 at any time fails, refuses or neglects to keep herself in first-class

physical condition.

(b) Prior to terminating a player’s Standard Player Contract, a Team must

offer to assign the player to the other WNBA Teams pursuant to the WNBA waiver procedures

then in effect; provided, however, that a Team shall not offer to assign the player pursuant to the

waiver procedures if the Contract being terminated is a 7-Day Contract or a Replacement

Contract.

(c) Subject to Article XXXIII, Section 3(b), if a Team terminates a player’s

Standard Player Contract by reason of the player’s failure to render her services hereunder due to

a disability caused by an injury to the player resulting directly from her rendering playing

services for the Team or WNBA and rendering her unfit to play skilled basketball, and notice of

such injury is given by the player as provided in Article XX, Section 2, the player shall be

entitled to receive the remainder of her full Base Salary for the Season in which the injury was

sustained, less all workers’ compensation benefits (which, to the extent permitted by law, and if

not deducted from the player’s Base Salary by the Team, shall be deemed as having been

assigned to the Team) and any insurance provided for by the Team paid or payable to the player

by reason of such injury.

(d) Notwithstanding the provision of Section 6(c) above, if a Team terminates

a player’s Standard Player Contract prior to the first game of a Regular Season by reason of the

player’s failure to render her services thereunder due to an injury or condition sustained or

suffered during a preceding Season, or after such Season but prior to the Player’s participation in

any basketball practice or game played for the Team, payment of the player’s lodging and meal

expense allowance during the training camp period, payment of the reasonable traveling

33
expenses of the player to her home city, and the expert training and coaching provided by the

Team to the player shall be full payment to the player.

(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6(a)(i) or Section 6(c) above, if

a Team terminates a player’s Standard Player Contract that is a Training Camp Contract (as that

term is defined in Article VII, Section 2(g)) prior to the first game of the Regular Season by

reason of (i) the player’s lack of skill where at the time of such termination, the player is unfit to

play skilled basketball as the result of an injury resulting directly from her rendering playing

services for the Team, or (ii) the player’s failure to render her services due to an injury to the

player resulting directly from her rendering playing services for the Team or WNBA and

rendering her unfit to play skilled basketball, then, in either case, payment of the player’s lodging

and meal expense allowance during the training camp period, payment of the reasonable

traveling expenses of the player to her home city, and the expert training and coaching provided

by the Team to the player shall be full payment to the player; provided, however, that: (i) the

Team shall pay directly or reimburse any medical expenses directly related to the injury

sustained (or aggravated) during such Season pursuant to Article XX, Section 4, and (ii) if the

player elects to remain in the Team’s home city during her rehabilitation and/or recovery from

such injury, the Team will provide reasonable housing and reasonable local transportation (e.g.,

two players per car) for such player during such rehabilitation and/or recovery period not to

exceed eight (8) weeks from the termination of such Training Camp Contract.

(f) If a Team terminates a player’s Standard Player Contract during the

training camp period, and the provisions of Section 6(a)(i)(y) above do not apply, payment of the

player’s lodging and meal expense allowance during the training camp period, payment of the

34
reasonable traveling expenses of the player to her home city, and the expert training and

coaching provided by the Team to the player shall be full payment to the player.

(g) Subject to Sections 6(a)(i)(x), 6(a)(i)(y) and 6(c) above, if a Team

terminates a player’s Standard Player Contract during any Regular Season, all obligations of the

Team to pay compensation thereunder shall cease on the date of termination, except the player

shall be entitled to receive, as full compensation for her services thereunder, a prorated portion of

her Base Salary based upon the number of days of the Regular Season that such player was under

Contract with the Team. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in circumstances within which

a Team requests waivers on a player prior to the first day of a Regular Season but the player’s

Contract is terminated on or after the first day of the Regular Season, the Team’s obligations to

the player shall be as set forth in Section 6(f) above rather than as set forth in this Section 6(g).

(h) In the event of an alleged default by a Team in the payments to the player

provided for in such player’s Standard Player Contract, or in the event of an alleged failure by a

Team to perform any other material obligation that it agreed to perform under such Contract, the

player shall notify the Team in writing of the facts constituting such alleged default or alleged

failure. If the Team shall not cause such alleged default or alleged failure to be remedied within

ten (10) business days after receipt of such written notice, the player shall have the right to

request that the dispute concerning such alleged default or alleged failure be referred

immediately to arbitration in accordance with Article XXII, Section 4 of this Agreement. If, as a

result of such arbitration, an award issues in favor of the player, and if the Team does not comply

with such award within ten (10) business days of its receipt thereof (unless such award has been

stayed or reversed by appropriate legal process), the player shall have the right, by a further

written notice to the Team, to terminate her Standard Player Contract.

35
Section 7. Minimum Player Salary.

(a) Except with respect to 7-Day Contracts provided for in Section 9 below,

Rest-of-Season Contracts provided for in Section 10 below, Replacement Contracts provided for

in Section 11 below, and Rookie Scale Contracts, no Standard Player Contract covering the

following Seasons shall provide a Base Salary of less than the following amounts:

Years 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

of
Service

0-2 $57,000 $58,710 $60,471 $62,285 $64,154 $66,079 $68,061 $70,103

3+ $68,000 $70,040 $72,141 $74,305 $76,535 $78,831 $81,196 $83,631

(b) Nothing in this Section 7 shall alter the respective rights and liabilities of a

player and a Team, as provided for in this Agreement or a Standard Player Contract, with respect

to the termination of a Player Contract.

(c) Every Player Contract entered into between a player and Team that is

intended to provide for only the Minimum Player Salary for one or more Seasons must contain

the following sentence in Exhibit 1 of such Contract and shall be deemed amended in the manner

described in such sentence: “This Contract is intended to provide for a Base Salary for the

________ Season(s) equal to the Minimum Player Salary for such Season(s) and shall be deemed

amended to the extent necessary to so provide.”

(d) In the event that the Base Salary in any Player Contract entered into prior

to January 17, 2020 and covering the 2020 Season and, if applicable, any Season thereafter (an

“Existing Contract”) is below the Minimum Annual Salary, the Base Salary in such Player

Contract shall be automatically adjusted so that the Base Salary in 2020 and, if applicable, any

36
Season thereafter shall equal the Minimum Annual Salary. Nothing herein shall in any way

prevent a Team from terminating an Existing Contract at any time.

Section 8. Maximum Player Salary

No Standard Player Contract shall provide a Base Salary in any Season covered

thereunder of more than the Maximum Player Salary.

(a) For: (i) Player Contracts entered into between a Qualifying Veteran Free

Agent with six (6) or more Years of Service (or, beginning with the 2021 Salary Cap Year, five

(5) or more Years of Service) and her Prior Team; (ii) Player Contracts entered into between a

Veteran Free Agent who is designated as a Core Player and her Prior Team; (iii) Extensions of

Rookie Scale Contracts with Draft Rookies; and (iv) Veteran Extensions with a player who, at

the time such Veteran Extension is entered into, has six (6) or more Years of Service (or,

beginning with the 2021 Salary Cap Year, five (5) or more Years of Service) and has played

under one or more Player Contracts covering some or all of each of the two preceding Seasons

and either played exclusively with her Prior Team during such two Seasons, or, if she played

with more than one Team during such period, changed Teams only (x) by means of assignment,

or (y) by signing with her Prior Team during the first of the two Seasons, the Maximum Player

Salary shall be:

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

$215,000 $221,450 $228,094 $234,936 $241,984 $249,244 $256,721 $264,423

(b) For all other Player Contracts, the Maximum Player Salary shall be:

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

$185,000 $190,550 $196,267 $202,154 $208,219 $214,466 $220,900 $227,527

(c) The Maximum Player Salary for any Contract entered into during any

Regular Season hereunder shall be reduced so as to equal the Maximum Player Salary multiplied

37
by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days remaining in the Regular Season

when the Contract is executed and the denominator of which is the total number of days of the

Regular Season.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if a trade of a

Standard Player Contract would, by reason of a trade bonus contained in such Contract, cause the

player’s Salary (including allocated trade bonus amount) in any Salary Cap Year to exceed the

player’s applicable Maximum Player Salary, then such player’s trade bonus (i.e., the amount of

the trade bonus payable to the player) shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to ensure

that the player’s Salary (including allocated trade bonus amount) in the current and all remaining

Salary Cap Years does not exceed the player’s applicable Maximum Player Salary.

Section 9. 7-Day Contracts.

At any time after the Mid-Point of a Regular Season, a Team may enter into a

Player Contract with a player for seven (7) days (a “7-Day Contract”). The Base Salary provided

for by a 7-Day Contract shall not be less than the Minimum Player Salary. Notwithstanding

anything to the contrary in Article V, Section 6 (including, but not limited to, Article V, Section

6(a)(i)(x), 6(a)(i)(y), or 6(b)), when a Team terminates a 7-Day Contract prior to the expiration

of the seven (7) days, the team shall pay to the player only such sums as set forth in Exhibit 1 to

such Contract. No team may enter into more than three (3) 7-Day-Contracts with the same

player in any one (1) Season. No Team may enter into a 7-day Contract if the length of such

Contract would extend to or past the date of the Team’s last Regular Season game for such

Season.

38
Section 10. Rest-of-Season Contracts.

At any time after the first day of a WNBA Regular Season, a Team may enter into

a Player Contract that may provide Base Salary to a player only for the remainder of that Season

(a “Rest-of-Season Contract”). The Base Salary provided for in a Rest-of-Season Contract shall

not be less than the Minimum Player Salary. A Rest-of-Season Contract shall not contain Base

Salary protection of any kind.

Section 11. Replacement Contracts.

At any time beginning with the first day of the WNBA Regular Season, a Team

may enter into a Player Contract with a Replacement Player only for the remainder of that

Season pursuant to Article VII, Section 4 (a “Replacement Contract”). The Base Salary provided

for in a Replacement Contract shall be the Minimum Player Salary. A Replacement Contract

shall not contain Base Salary protection of any kind. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in

Article V, Section 6 (including, but not limited to, Article V, Section 6(a)(i)(x), 6(a)(i)(y) or

6(b)), when a Team terminates a Replacement Contract, the Team shall pay to the player only

such prorated portion of her Base Salary as was earned by her based upon the number of days of

the Regular Season that the player was under Contract with the Team. After the expiration or

termination of a Replacement Contract, the player shall become an Unrestricted Free Agent.

Section 12. Length of Veteran Player Contracts.

(a) Maximum Term. Except when a shorter term is expressly provided for

elsewhere in this Agreement, a Player Contract may cover, in the aggregate, up to but no more

than three (3) Seasons (and the immediately succeeding Off-Seasons) from the date such

Contract is signed; provided, however, that (a) a Contract between a Qualifying Veteran Free

agent and her Prior Team may cover, in the aggregate, up to but no more than four (4) Seasons

39
(and the immediately succeeding Off-Seasons), (b) a Rookie Scale Contract shall cover, in the

aggregate, three (3) Seasons plus an Option Year, and (c) an Extension of a Rookie Scale

Contract may cover, in the aggregate, up to but no more than four (4) Seasons from the date such

Extension is signed.

(b) Computation of Time. For purposes of Section 12(a) above, if a Player

Contract or Extension is signed after the beginning of a Season, the Season in which the Contract

or Extension is signed shall be counted as one (1) full Season covered by the Contract or

Extension.

Section 13. Conformity of Standard Player Contracts.

All Standard Player Contracts (and any Team Marketing and Promotional

Agreements) that were entered into by a Team and any player (and any WNBA Marketing and

Promotional Agreements that were entered into by the WNBA and any player) prior to the

effective date of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect for their stated terms and for

any option years, except that those Contracts shall be deemed amended in such manner to require

the parties to comply with all terms of this Agreement, including the terms of the Standard

Player Contract annexed hereto as Exhibit 1. All Standard Player Contracts shall be subject to

the terms of this Agreement, which shall supersede the terms of any Standard Player Contract

inconsistent herewith. No Standard Player Contract shall provide for the waiver by a player or

the Team of any benefits or the sacrifice of any rights to which the player or the Team is entitled

by virtue of a Standard Player Contract or this Agreement.

Section 14. General.

(a) (i) Subject to Section 16 below, any oral or written agreement

between a player and a Team concerning terms and conditions of employment shall be reduced

40
to writing in the form of a Standard Player Contract or an amendment thereto as soon as

practicable. Immediately upon the consummation of any such oral or written agreement, the

Team shall notify the WNBA by email and provide the WNBA with all terms of such agreement.

Following its receipt of such notice, the WNBA shall provide the same notice to the Players

Association as soon as practicable.

Notwithstanding subsection (a)(i) above, neither the WNBA, any

Team, nor the Players Association or any player shall contend that any agreement concerning

terms and conditions of employment is binding upon the player or the Team until a Player

Contract embodying such terms and conditions has been duly executed by the parties. Nothing

herein is intended to affect (A) any authority of the Commissioner to approve or disapprove

Player Contracts, or (B) the effect of the Commissioner’s approval or disapproval on the validity

of such Player Contracts.

A violation of the first sentence of subsection (a)(i) above may be

considered evidence of a violation of Article XV.

(b) No player shall attend the regular training camp of any Team or participate

in any game or organized practices with the Team at any time, unless she is a party to a Player

Contract then in effect.

(c) The only form of Salary that a Team may pay a player under her Player

Contract is cash in U.S. dollars via a check made payable to the player or via a direct deposit

made to the player’s bank account. Compensation of any other kind is prohibited.

(d) No Team shall make any direct or indirect payment of any money,

property, investments, loans, or anything else of value for fees or otherwise to an agent, attorney,

or representative of a player (for or in connection with such person’s representation of such

41
player); nor shall any Player Contract provide for such payment. No Player shall assign or

otherwise transfer to any third party her right to receive Salary from the Team under her Player

Contract. Nothing in this subsection (d), however, shall prevent a Team from sending a player’s

regular paycheck (made payable to the player) to a player’s agent, attorney, or representative if

so instructed in writing by the player.

(e) No Team shall make any direct or indirect payment of any money,

property, investments, loans, or anything else of value to: (i) any basketball team not in the

WNBA, or (ii) any other entity, organization, representative, or person, for the purpose of

inducing a player to enter into a Player Contract or in connection with receiving the right to enter

into a Player Contract.

(f) If a Team (“Prior Team”) terminates a player’s Player Contract, then the

Prior Team may not enter into another Player Contract with the player during the period

commencing on the date of termination and continuing through (i) the tenth day (10th) day

following such termination if such termination occurs during the Regular Season, or (ii) the tenth

(10th) day of the first Regular Season following such termination if such termination occurs

during the Off-Season or the training camp period; provided, however, that (i) any Team that

terminates a player from the period beginning seven (7) days before the Mid-Point of the Regular

Season and continuing through the Mid-Point of the Regular Season may enter into a Player

Contract with such player after the Mid-Point of the Regular Season, provided that such Player

Contract is a 7-Day Contract and/or a Rest-of-Season Contract at the applicable Minimum Player

Salary, (ii) if a Team terminates one or more Player Contracts in order to create Room for an

Offer Sheet, and the ROFR Team subsequently exercises its Right of First Refusal and enters

into a Contract with that player, the Team shall immediately thereafter be permitted to enter into

42
a Player Contract with any of the players whose Contracts it had terminated to create Room for

the Offer Sheet, and (iii) if a Team terminates a Player Contract and subsequently applies for,

and is granted, a Hardship Exception or Emergency Hardship Exception, the Team shall,

immediately following the grant of the Exception, be permitted to enter into a Replacement

Contract with such player.

(g) On a bi-weekly basis, the WNBA shall provide to the Players Association

copies of all new Standard Player Contracts.

(h) A Team’s termination of a Player Contract by reason of the player’s “lack

of skill” (under Section 5(a) of this Article V) shall be interpreted to include a termination based

on the Teams’ determination that, in view of the player’s level of skill (in the sole opinion of the

Team), the Base Salary paid (or to be paid) to a player is no longer commensurate with the

Team’s financial plans or needs. The forgoing sentence shall not affect any post-termination

obligation to pay Base Salary that may result from Base Salary protection provisions included in

a Player Contract.

(i) The following provisions shall govern an agreement (to be set forth in

Exhibit 5 to a Player Contract) establishing that the player must report for and submit to a

physical examination to be performed by a physician designated by the Team:

The player must report for such physical examination at the time

designated by the Team (which shall be no later than the third business day following the

execution of the Contract), and must, upon reporting, supply all information reasonably

requested of her, provide complete and truthful answers to all questions posed to her (it being

agreed that only questions reasonable and medically appropriate may be posed), and submit to all

reasonable and medically appropriate examinations and tests. The determination of whether the

43
player has passed the physical examination shall be made by the Team in its sole discretion; and

a Team shall have the right to determine in good faith that a player has failed to pass the physical

examination due to the risk of a future injury, illness or other health condition notwithstanding

that the player is currently able to play. If the player does not pass the physical examination, the

Team shall so notify the player no later than the sixth business day following the execution of the

Contract.

The Team’s determination that the player has passed the physical

examination shall be a condition precedent to the validity of the Contract. Accordingly, and

without limiting the generality of the preceding sentence, until such time as a player has passed

the physical examination, the prohibitions set forth in Section 14(b) above shall continue to

apply to the Team and player.

A Required Tender or a Qualifying Offer may contain an Exhibit

5. If a player accepts such a Required Tender or Qualifying Offer but does not pass the required

physical examination, the Required Tender or Qualifying Offer shall be deemed to have been

withdrawn, which shall have the consequences described in Article XIII, Section 5 or Article VI,

as the case may be.

(j) A player who knows she has an injury, illness or condition (including

pregnancy) that renders, or she knows will likely render, her physically unable to perform the

playing services required under a Player Contract may not validly enter into such a Player

Contract without prior written disclosure of such injury, illness or condition to the Team.

Section 15. Void Contracts.

If a Player Contract fails to take effect or becomes void as a result of a

Commissioner disapproval, the player’s failure to pass a physical examination conducted

44
pursuant to Exhibit 5 to such Contract, or the rescission of a trade conducted pursuant to Article

V, Section 3(f), then, in each such case:

(a) the Team shall continue to possess such rights with respect to the player as

the Team possessed at the time of the execution of the Contract, including, without limitation,

any such rights that the Team possessed pursuant to Article VI and Article XIII;

(b) any Required Tender or Qualifying Offer that was outstanding at the time

the Contract was executed shall continue in effect as if the Contract had not been executed

(including if the original deadline for accepting the Required Tender or Qualifying Offer expired

following the execution of the Contract), but for no fewer than three (3) business days following

the Commissioner’s disapproval, the Team’s issuance of notice to the player that she did not pass

the physical examination, or the rescission of such trade, as the case may be; and

(c) in the case of a player who does not pass a physical examination pursuant

to Exhibit 5: (i) the player shall not be permitted to accept such Required Tender or Qualifying

Offer for a period of two (2) business days following her receipt of notice from the Team that she

did not pass her physical examination, during which period the Team may elect to withdraw the

Required Tender or Qualifying Offer, which shall have the consequences described in Article VI

or Article XIII, as the case may be; and (ii) if the Required Tender or Qualifying Offer is not

withdrawn by the Team during this period, the Required Tender or Qualifying Offer shall

thereafter be deemed amended so as to eliminate any Exhibit 5 that may be contained therein.

Section 16. Moratorium.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, no player and Team may

negotiate over, or enter into, any oral or written agreement concerning terms and conditions of

the player’s employment, or reduce any such agreement to writing in the form of a Player

45
Contract or amendment, between the end of the Regular Season and January 31 (the

“Moratorium Period”). The foregoing sentence shall not preclude (i) a player from accepting

any Required Tender or Qualifying Offer that is outstanding during the Moratorium Period, (ii) a

player and a Team from negotiating during the period beginning on January 15 and ending at the

conclusion of the Moratorium Period over the terms and conditions of a Player Contract or Offer

Sheet that may be entered into after the Moratorium Period, or (iii) a player and a Team from

entering into an amendment pursuant to Article V, Section 3(e) during the Moratorium Period.

Section 17. Time Off Bonuses.

(a) A Team shall be permitted to include a Time Off Bonus (as defined in

Section 3(g) above) in any new Player Contract that is entered into with a Veteran Player after

the date of this Agreement subject to the rules set forth below. A Player Contract entered into

with a Veteran Player (either currently existing or entered into after the date of this Agreement)

that does not contain a Time Off Bonus when signed may be amended to add one in accordance

with the rules set forth below.

(b) The following additional rules shall govern the inclusion of Time Off

Bonuses in Player Contracts:

A Team may sign one or more Player Contracts during each Salary

Cap Year and/or enter into amendments of one or more previously-signed Player Contracts

during such Salary Cap Year that: (A) provide for a Time Off Bonus applicable to the Off-

Season following the first Season covered by such Player Contract or, in the case of amendment

of previously-signed Player Contracts, provide for a Time Off Bonus applicable to the Off-

Season following (a) the upcoming Season covered by such Player Contract if the amendment is

entered into prior to a Season or (b) the current Season if the amendment is entered into during a

46
Season (in each case, the “First Off-Season”); and (B) provide for Time Off Bonuses applicable

to the First Off-Season totaling no more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).

In the event a Player Contract includes a Time Off Bonus

applicable to the First Off-Season, then the Contract may include (but is not required to include)

a Time Off Bonus applicable to each consecutive and subsequent Off-Season covered by the

Contract. For each Off-Season covered by the Player Contract after the First Off-Season, the

Time Off Bonus may increase or decrease in relation to the previous Off-Season’s Time Off

Bonus, by no more than three percent (3%) of the Time Off Bonus for the First Off-Season.

Player Contracts that include a Time Off Bonus must specify in

Exhibit 8 to a Standard Player Contract the maximum number of days from zero (0) to ninety

(90) that the player will Play Professional Basketball (as defined in (vii) below) during each Off-

Season (as applicable) in order to earn the Time Off Bonus in respect of such Off-Season. In

order to earn a Time Off Bonus in respect of an Off-Season, the player must (A) if the player

enters into an Off-Season Playing Obligation, provide the Team with a copy of such Off-Season

Playing Obligation evidencing the player’s agreement to limit the amount of time she will Play

Professional Basketball during such Off-Season in accordance with Exhibit 8 to her Standard

Player Contract; and (B) comply with the specific limitation contained in such Exhibit 8 during

such Off-Season. If a Player Contract provides for a Time Off Bonus, a Team and player shall

not be permitted at any time to amend the Contract to modify the agreed-upon limitations on the

amount of time the player will Play Professional Basketball during an Off-Season in order to

earn such Time Off Bonus. In addition, no Team may waive the requirement that the player

comply with the agreed-upon limitations with respect to any Off-Season.

47
 With respect to Player Contracts covering more than one Season

that include a Time Off Bonus in respect of more than one Off-Season, if a player fails to earn

her Time Off Bonus with respect to any Off-Season covered by the Contract, then the Time Off

Bonus in respect of each subsequent Off-Season (if any) covered by the Player Contract shall be

automatically cancelled and of no further force and effect.

If a player earns a Time Off Bonus in respect of an Off-Season but

was not on the active list of her Team (or any assignee Team) for the entirety of the Regular

Season preceding such Off-Season, the Time Off Bonus payable to such player shall be prorated

based upon the number of days of that Regular Season the player was on the active list of such

Team for such Regular Season; provided, however, that no such proration of the Time Off Bonus

will occur if (a) such player signed a Rest-of-Season Contract containing such Time Off Bonus

during the Regular Season preceding such Off-Season and completed the playing services

therein; or (b) the only period of time such player was not on the active list of her Team during

the Regular Season preceding such Off-Season was due to a suspension for on-court discipline.

In addition, a player shall not be eligible to earn a Time Off Bonus in respect of an Off-Season if

the player (a) failed to fulfill her Off-Season Playing Obligation by, without limitation, leaving

the Team to which she is under an Off-Season Playing Obligation early (i.e., prior to fulfilling

her Off-Season Playing Obligation during that Off-Season), and (b) would not have satisfied the

time limitation set forth in Exhibit 8 of her Player Contract absent such failure to fulfill her Off-

Season Playing Obligation.

All Time Off Bonuses for an Off-Season provided for in Player

Contracts that were not previously cancelled in accordance with subparagraph (iv) above

(whether or not the Time Off Bonus is earned by the player) shall be included for purposes of

48
determining a Team’s Team Salary for the Salary Cap Year covering the Season preceding such

Off-Season.

For purposes of this Section 17, “Play Professional Basketball”

shall mean the period of time during an Off-Season during which: (a) the player is under contract

with a professional basketball team (other than a WNBA Team) and is obligated to provide

playing services for such team (without regard to whether such services are in fact provided); or

(b) the player is providing playing services to a non-WNBA team (including, without limitation,

a national team without regard to whether such services were pursuant to a contract or whether

the player was paid for such services), or the player would be providing playing services to a

non-WNBA team but for an injury sustained by the player while fulfilling her services to a non-

WNBA team. For purposes of the preceding sentence, “playing services” shall include, without

limitation, participation in any games or any training, conditioning or other workout activities.

Section 18. Wireless Microphones.

Upon reasonable request by her Team, the WNBA, or WNBA Enterprises, NBA

Properties, Inc., or NBA Media Ventures LLC (each of the foregoing, a “League-Related

Entity”), and subject to the conditions and limitations set forth below, a player shall wear a

wireless microphone during any game or practice, including warm-up periods and going to and

from the locker room to the playing floor. The rights in any audio captured by such microphone

shall belong to the WNBA or a League-Related Entity and may be used in any manner for

publicity or promotional purposes.

(a) The WNBA or a League-Related Entity will be responsible for placement

of the microphone on the player in a location and manner that minimizes interference with the

player’s performance.

49
 (b) The audio captured by the wireless microphone worn by the player

(“Player Audio”) will be screened (including for profanity) and approved prior to airing by the

telecast producer.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, Player Audio

shall not be used as the basis for the imposition of discipline upon any player.

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 ARTICLE VI

FREE AGENCY

Section 1. General Rules.

(a) Subject to the provisions of Article VII, (i) a Reserved Player is free at any

time beginning on January 15 to negotiate a Player Contract with her Prior Team and to accept a

Reserved Qualifying Offer from her Prior Team, and is free at any time beginning on February 1

to enter into a Player Contract with her Prior Team; (ii) an Unrestricted Free Agent is free at any

time beginning on January 15 to negotiate, and free at any time beginning on February 1 to enter

into, a Player Contract with any Team; (iii) a Restricted Free Agent is free at any time beginning

on January 15 to negotiate a Player Contract with her Prior Team, to accept a Restricted

Qualifying Offer from her Prior Team, and to negotiate an Offer Sheet with any Team other than

her Prior Team, and is free at any time beginning on February 1 to enter into a Player Contract

with her Prior Team or an Offer Sheet with any Team other than her Prior Team; and (iv) a Core

Player is free at any time beginning on January 15 to negotiate a Player Contract with her Prior

Team or to accept a Core Qualifying Offer from her Prior Team, and is free at any time

beginning on February 1 to enter into a Player Contract with her Prior Team.

(b) No compensation obligation of any kind to another Team shall be

applicable to any Free Agent. No right of first refusal (“Right of First Refusal”) shall be

applicable to any Free Agent other than a Restricted Free Agent.

Section 2. No Individually-Negotiated Right of First Refusal.

(a) No Player Contract, or any Extension or other amendment of a Player

Contract may include any individually negotiated Right of First Refusal or other limitation on

player movement following the last Salary Cap Year covered by such Player Contract.

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 (b) No Right of First Refusal rule, practice, policy, regulation or agreement

providing for a Right of First Refusal shall be applied to any player as a result of that player’s

entry into a player contract with or the playing with any team in any professional basketball

league other than the WNBA.

Section 3. Withholding Services.

A player who withholds playing services called for by a Player Contract for more

than twenty-one (21) days during the last Season covered by her Player Contract or for any

period of time that includes the last game played by such player’s Team during the last Season

covered by her Player Contract shall be deemed not to have “complet[ed] her Player Contract by

rendering the playing services called for thereunder.” Accordingly, such a player shall not be a

Free Agent and shall not be entitled to negotiate or sign a Player Contract with any Team unless

and until the Team for which the player last played expressly agrees otherwise.

Section 4. Fourth Year Option for Drafted Rookies.

(a) A Team that drafts a Rookie in any of the 2020-2027 WNBA Drafts (or a

Team to which such player has been assigned) shall have the option to retain the playing services

of such player for a fourth year by exercising its Fourth Year Option (as described in subsection

(b) below) on or before the May 15 following the second Season of such player’s Rookie Scale

Contract.

(b) The Fourth Year Option Notice shall be a notice to the player that is either

personally delivered to the player or her representative or sent by email or prepaid certified,

registered, or overnight mail to the last known address of the player or her representative, signed

by the Team, informing the player that the Team has exercised its Option for the player’s fourth

WNBA Season (“Fourth Year Option”). The terms and conditions that apply to the Option Year

52
shall be unchanged from all terms and conditions that applied to the player’s third WNBA

Season, except that the Base Salary for the Option Year (x) shall be increased over the Base

Salary for her third Season by fifteen percent (15%) of the Base Salary for her second Season

and (y) shall be fully protected for lack of skill and injury or illness.

(c) If a Team has not delivered a Fourth Year Option Notice by the specified

deadline, the player shall, following her third WNBA Season, become an Unrestricted Free

Agent.

Section 5. Qualifying Offers to Make Certain Players Restricted Free Agents.

(a) From the January 1 following a Season covered by a Fourth Year Option

through the immediately following January 14, the player’s Team may make a Restricted

Qualifying Offer to the player covered by such Option. If such a Restricted Qualifying Offer is

made, then, on the February 1 following the Season covered by the player’s Fourth Year Option,

the player shall become a Restricted Free Agent, subject to a Right of First Refusal in favor of

the Team (“ROFR Team”), as set forth in Section 6 below. If such a Restricted Qualifying Offer

is not made, then the player shall become an Unrestricted Free Agent on such February 1.

(b) Subject to Section 7 below, any Veteran Free Agent who has four (4) or

five (5) Years of Service on the first day of the 2020 Salary Cap Year, and any Veteran Free

Agent who has four (4) Years of Service of the first day of any such Salary Cap Year following

the 2020 Salary Cap Year, will be a Restricted Free Agent if her Prior Team makes a Restricted

Qualifying Offer to the Player at any time from the January 1 following such Season through the

immediately following January 14. If such Restricted Qualifying Offer is made, then, on the

February 1 following the last Season covered by the player’s Player Contract, the player shall

become a Restricted Free Agent, subject to a Right of First Refusal in favor of the ROFR Team,

53
as set forth in Section 6 below. If such a Restricted Qualifying Offer is not made, then the player

shall become an Unrestricted Free Agent on such February 1.

(c) In order to make a Restricted Qualifying Offer, a Team must have Room

for the Restricted Qualifying Offer. A Restricted Qualifying Offer made to a Restricted Free

Agent may be withdrawn by the Team at any time through the February 15 following its

issuance. If the Restricted Qualifying Offer is not withdrawn by February 15, it must thereafter

remain open through the following March 7; provided, however, that the Restricted Qualifying

Offer may be withdrawn by the Team during the period February 16 through March 7 but only if

the player agrees in writing to the withdrawal. If a Restricted Qualifying Offer is withdrawn, the

player shall immediately become an Unrestricted Free Agent. A player who knows or

reasonably should have known that she has a physical disability or other condition (including

pregnancy) that would render her physically unable to perform the playing services required

under a Player Contract the following Season may not validly accept a Restricted Qualifying

Offer made under this Section 5 or Section 6 below, unless the ROFR Team consents after

disclosure of such physical disability or condition (provided that the Team may, at its election,

and prior to determining whether to consent, conduct a physical examination of the player). In

the event that the ROFR Team does not consent, such player will remain subject to the ROFR

Team’s Right of First Refusal. In no event may a player accept a Restricted Qualifying Offer

beyond the March 7 following its issuance. If a Restricted Qualifying Offer is neither withdrawn

nor accepted and the deadline for accepting it passes, the Team’s Right of First Refusal shall

continue, subject to Section 6(a) below.

(d) Any claim that a Contract offered as a Restricted Qualifying Offer fails to

meet one or more of the criteria for a Restricted Qualifying Offer shall be made by notice to the

54
Team, in writing, no later than ten (10) days after a copy of the Restricted Qualifying Offer was

given by the Team or the WNBA to the Players Association. Such notice must set forth the

specific changes that allegedly must be made to the offered Contract in order for it to constitute a

Restricted Qualifying Offer. Upon receipt of such notice, if the requested changes are necessary

to satisfy the requirements of a Restricted Qualifying Offer, the Team may, within five (5)

business days, offer the player an amended Contract incorporating the requested changes. If the

Team offers such an amended Contract, the player and the Players Association shall be

precluded from asserting that such Contract does not constitute a timely and valid Restricted

Qualifying Offer.

Section 6. Restricted Free Agency.

(a) If a Restricted Free Agent does not sign an Offer Sheet (as defined below)

with any Team by the July 1 of the WNBA Season for which the Restricted Qualifying Offer is

made, and does not sign a Player Contract with the ROFR Team before that Season ends, then

her ROFR Team may reassert its Right of First Refusal for the following WNBA Season by

extending another Restricted Qualifying Offer (with the same terms, including the amount of

Salary that was included in the prior Restricted Qualifying Offer, subject to the Minimum Player

Salary) by the next January 14. A ROFR Team may continue to reassert its Right of First

Refusal by following the foregoing procedure in each subsequent year in which that Restricted

Free Agent does not sign an Offer Sheet with any Team by the July 1 of the WNBA Season for

which the Restricted Qualifying Offer is made, and does not sign a Player Contract with the

ROFR Team before that Season ends. Any such Restricted Qualifying Offer shall be governed

by the provisions of Section 5 above.

55
 (b) When a Restricted Free Agent receives an offer to sign a Player Contract

from a Team (the “New Team”) other than the ROFR Team, which she desires to accept, she

shall give to the ROFR Team a completed certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit 6

annexed hereto (the “Offer Sheet”), signed by the Restricted Free Agent and the New Team,

which shall have attached to it a Standard Player Contract separately specifying the “Principal

Terms” (as defined in Section 6(c) below) of the New Team’s offer. The Offer Sheet must be for

a Player Contract with a term of more than one WNBA season. In order to extend an Offer

Sheet, the New Team must have Room for the player’s Player Contract at the time the Offer

Sheet is signed and must continue to have such Room at all times while the Offer Sheet is

outstanding. The ROFR Team, upon receipt of the Offer Sheet, may exercise its Right of First

Refusal, which shall have the consequences hereinafter set forth below in this Section 6. In order

to match an Offer Sheet, the ROFR Team must have Room for the player’s Player Contract at the

time the notice of its Right of First Refusal is given and must continue to have Room at all times

the First Refusal Exercise Notice remains in effect.

(c) The Principal Terms of an Offer Sheet are only:

The fixed and specified Base Salary that the New Team will pay to

the Restricted Free Agent on the dates specified in the Standard Player Contract;

Term;

Base Salary protection provided for each Season as set forth in

Exhibit 2 (if any);

Prior-injury exclusion terms set forth in Exhibit 3 (if any).

An Offer Sheet may not contain a Time Off Bonus.

56
 (d) If, within four (4) days from the date it receives an Offer Sheet, the ROFR

Team gives to the Restricted Free Agent a “First Refusal Exercise Notice” substantially in the

form of Exhibit 7 annexed hereto, such Restricted Free Agent and the ROFR Team shall be

deemed to have entered into a Player Contract, effective as of the date the First Refusal Exercise

Notice is given, containing all the Principal Terms included in the Standard Player Contract

attached to the Offer Sheet and no additional terms.

(e) If the ROFR Team does not give the First Refusal Exercise Notice within

the aforementioned four (4) day period, or if during such four (4) day period the ROFR Team

provides written notice to the player that the Team declines to exercise its Right of First Refusal,

then the player and the New Team shall be deemed to have entered into a Player Contract

containing all of the terms and conditions included in the Standard Player Contract attached to

the Offer Sheet and no additional terms.

(f) After exercising its Right of First Refusal as described in this Section 6,

the ROFR Team may not trade the Restricted Free Agent until the following February 1, without

the player’s consent. Even with the player’s consent, until such following February 1, neither the

ROFR Team exercising its Right of First Refusal nor any other Team may trade the player to the

Team whose Offer Sheet was matched.

(g) Any Team that exercises its Right of First Refusal may do so subject to the

player’s passing a physical examination to be conducted by the Team within five (5) days from

its exercise of the Right of First Refusal. In the event the player does not pass the physical

examination, the ROFR Team may withdraw its First Refusal Exercise notice within five (5)

days following the date upon which such examination is conducted; however, the New Team

may not withdraw the previously submitted Offer Sheet. In the event the player, after being

57
given reasonable advance notice, does not submit to a requested physical examination within five

(5) days of the exercise of the Right of First Refusal then, until such time as the player submits to

the requested physical examination, the ROFR Team may withdraw its First Refusal Exercise

Notice, which shall have the effect of invalidating the Offer Sheet and causing the Team that

issued the Offer Sheet to be prohibited from signing or acquiring the player for a period of one

(1) year from the date the First Refusal Exercise Notice was withdrawn. In lieu of exercising its

Right of First Refusal subject to the player’s passing of a physical examination as provided for

above, the ROFR Team may conduct a physical examination of the player prior to deciding

whether to exercise its Right of First Refusal, provided that the player consents in writing to such

physical examination.

(h) There may be only one Offer Sheet signed by a Restricted Free Agent

outstanding at any one time, provided that the Offer Sheet has also been signed by a Team. An

Offer Sheet, both before and after it is given to the ROFR Team, may be revoked or withdrawn

only upon the written consent of the ROFR Team, the New Team, and the Restricted Free Agent.

In such event, a Restricted Free Agent shall again be free to negotiate and sign an Offer Sheet

with any Team, and any Team shall again be free to negotiate and sign an Offer Sheet with such

Restricted Free Agent, subject only to the ROFR Team’s renewed Right of First Refusal.

(i) If a dispute arises between the player and either the ROFR Team or the

New Team, as the case may be, relating to the contents of an Offer Sheet, and/or whether the

binding agreement is between the Restricted Free Agent and the New Team or the Restricted

Free Agent and the ROFR Team, such dispute shall immediately be submitted to the Arbitrator,

who shall resolve such dispute within five (5) days.

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 (j) A Restricted Free Agent may not give an Offer Sheet to the ROFR Team

at any time after the July 1 of the Season for which she has been made a Qualifying Offer.

(k) On the same day as the giving of an Offer Sheet to the ROFR Team, the

ROFR Team shall cause a copy thereof to be given to the WNBA, which shall cause a copy

thereof to be promptly given to the Players Association. On the same day as the giving of a First

Refusal Exercise Notice to the Restricted Free Agent, the Restricted Free Agent shall cause the

copy thereof to be given to the New Team, which shall cause a copy thereof to be promptly

given to the WNBA, which shall cause a copy thereof to be promptly given to the Players

Association.

(l) There may be no consideration of any kind given by one Team to another

Team in exchange for a Team’s decision to exercise or not to exercise its Right of First Refusal,

or in exchange for a Team’s decision to submit or not to submit an Offer Sheet to a Restricted

Free Agent.

(m) Any Offer Sheet, First Refusal Exercise Notice, or other writing required

or permitted to be given under Section 5 of this Article VI, shall be provided either by personal

delivery or by email or prepaid certified, registered or overnight mail, addressed as follows:

To any WNBA Team: addressed to that Team at the principal address of such

Team as then listed on the records of the WNBA or at the Team’s principal office, to the

attention of the Team’s general manager (and if by email, then to the general manager’s email

address with the Team and any such other email address as the Team may designate in writing);

To the WNBA: Women’s National Basketball Association, Olympic Tower, 645

Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10022, Attn: General Counsel (and if by email, then to the

59
General Counsel’s email address with the WNBA and any such other email address as the

WNBA may designate in writing);

To the Players Association: Women’s National Basketball Players Association,

1133 Avenue of the Americas, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10036, Attn: Executive Director (and if

by email, then to the Executive Director’s email address with the Players Association and any

such other email address as the Players Association may designate in writing).

To a Restricted Free Agent: (i) for Qualifying Offers and other writings related to

Qualifying Offers (e.g. withdrawal of a Qualifying Offer), to the last known email address or

address of the Player or her representative; and (ii) for Offer Sheets and other writings related to

Offer Sheets (e.g., First Refusal Exercise Notices), to her address listed on the Offer Sheet and, if

the Restricted Free Agent designates a representative on the Offer Sheet and lists such

representative’s address thereon, a copy shall be sent to such representative at such address (and

if by email to the player or her representative, then with a copy to the Executive Director’s email

address with the Players Association and any such other email address as the Players Association

may designate in writing).

(n) (i) In addition to personal delivery or by pre-paid certified, registered,

or overnight mail, any Offer Sheet, notice revoking or withdrawing an Offer Sheet, First Refusal

Exercise Notice, notice declining to exercise a Right of First Refusal, notice relinquishing a

Right of First Refusal, or notice withdrawing a First Refusal Exercise Notice (collectively “Offer

Sheet-Related Notices”) may be given by email as follows:

To any WNBA Team: to the attention of each of the Team’s specified

representatives’ email address (as set forth in paragraph (o) below).

To the WNBA: to the attention of [email protected].

To the Players Association: to the attention of [email protected].

60
 To a Restricted Free Agent: to her email address listed on the Offer Sheet, and, if
the Restricted Free Agent designates a representative on the Offer sheet and lists
such representative’s email address thereon, a copy shall be sent to such
representative at such email address.

Any Offer Sheet-Related Notice given by email must be sent to the

WNBA, the Players Association, the applicable Restricted Free Agent (including such Restricted

Free Agent’s representative if designated on the Offer Sheet), the ROFR Team, and the New

Team. If an Offer Sheet fails to list a player’s email address, delivery of any Offer Sheet-Related

Notice to the player shall be deemed satisfied by email delivery to the Players Association.

By the January 15 of each Salary Cap Year, each Team shall

provide to the WNBA the names and email addresses of two (2) representatives designated by

the Team who shall be, for such Salary Cap Year, the only representatives of the Team permitted

to give any Offer Sheet-Related Notice on behalf of the Team via the email notification

procedures set forth herein, and the required recipients of any Offer Sheet-Related Notice sent to

the Team via the email notification procedures set forth herein. The WNBA shall provide to the

Players Association (and all Teams) the list of Team representatives (and such representatives’

email addresses) by January 20.

Any Offer Sheet given to a ROFR Team may, notwithstanding

anything to the contrary in paragraph 6(b) above, be given by either the Restricted Free Agent

(including such Restricted Free Agent’s representative) or the New Team.

(o) Any Offer Sheet, First Refusal Exercise Notice, or other writing required

or permitted to be given under this Article VI that is sent by email shall be deemed given when

sent. For delivery by any other means allowed by this Article VI, the following shall apply:

(i) an Offer Sheet shall be deemed given only when received by the ROFR Team; (ii) a First

Refusal Exercise Notice shall be deemed given when sent by the ROFR Team; (iii) a Restricted

61
Qualifying Offer and an Amended Restricted Qualifying Offer (i.e., pursuant to Section 5(d)

above) shall be deemed given when sent by the ROFR Team; (iv) other writings required or

permitted to be given under Section 5 and 6 of this Article VI (e.g., an acceptance of a Restricted

Qualifying Offer, a withdrawal of a Restricted Qualifying Offer, notice that a Restricted

Qualifying Offer fails to meet one or more criteria for a Restricted Qualifying Offer, etc.) shall

be deemed given only when received by the party to whom addressed.

Section 7. Core Players.

(a) Each Team shall be permitted to designate no more than one (1) of its

Veteran Free Agents as Core Players. Such a designation can apply to any Veteran Free Agent

who would otherwise be an Unrestricted Free Agent or a Restricted Free Agent. Any Veteran

Free Agent who has previously been designated as a Core Player by a Team and remains under

Contract to play for such Team during the upcoming Season pursuant to a Player Contract signed

while such player was so designated (but not including Seasons covered by any Extension to

such Contract) shall be included in the maximum number of players who may be designated as a

Core Player by such Team.

(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no player may be

designated as a Core Player during the period when Core Player Designations may be given prior

to the 2020 Season and 2021 Season if such player has played pursuant to a Contract signed

while such player was designated as a Core Player (a “Core Player Contract”) for three (3) or

more Seasons and no player may be designated as a Core Player during the period when Core

Player Designations may be given prior to the 2022 Season and each Season thereafter during the

term of this Agreement if such player has played pursuant to a Core Player Contract for two (2)

or more Seasons. Players who have played pursuant to Core Player Contracts prior to the 2020

62
Season, along with the Seasons included in those Core Player Contracts, are listed on Exhibit 4.

Nothing in this Section 7 is intended to limit the maximum allowable term of a Contract between

a Team and a player designated as a Core Player by such Team as provided for in Article V,

Section 12.

(c) In order to designate a player as a Core Player, the Team must, from the

January 1 following the last Season covered by the player’s Player Contract through the

immediately following January 14, provide to the player a Core Player Designation Notice

substantially in the form of Exhibit 8 annexed hereto. Such Core Player Designation Notice,

which shall be personally delivered to the player or her representative, or shall be sent by email

or prepaid certified, registered, or overnight mail to the last known address of the player or her

representative with a copy to the Players Association and the WNBA, shall be signed by the

Team and shall be accompanied by a Core Qualifying Offer. Any Team that designates a Core

Player shall be the only Team with which such Core Player can negotiate or sign a Player

Contract. Such Core Player Designation shall continue to apply until it terminates pursuant to

Section 7(d) below.

(d) If the Core Player and Team have entered into a Contract, the Core Player

Designation will terminate and become available to the Team again upon the earliest of: (i) the

expiration of the original term of such Contract (whether or not such Contract has been extended

by mutual agreement of the parties); (ii) termination of such Contract; (iii) the assignment of

such Contract to another Team; (iv) the retirement of the Core Player; or (v) the suspension of

the Core Player pursuant to Article XIV, Section 2. If the Core Player and Team have not

entered into a Contract, the Core Player Designation will terminate and become available to the

Team again upon the earliest of: (a) the withdrawal by the Team of the Core Qualifying Offer;

63
(b) the renunciation by the Team of the Core Player Designation (as set forth in Section 7(g)

below); (c) the retirement of the Core Player; or (d) November 30 of the Salary Cap Year in

which the Core Player Designation was made by the Team.

(e) In order to designate a player as a Core Player, a Team must have Room

for the Core Qualifying Offer. A Core Qualifying Offer may be withdrawn by the Team at any

time through the following February 15. If the Core Qualifying Offer is not withdrawn by

February 15, it must thereafter remain open through the following March 7; provided, however,

that the Core Qualifying Offer may be withdrawn by the Team during the period February 16

through March 7 if the player agrees in writing to the withdrawal. If a Core Qualifying Offer is

withdrawn, the player shall thereupon immediately become an Unrestricted Free Agent;

provided, however, that if (i) prior to the designation of the player as a Core Player and the

subsequent withdrawal of the Core Qualifying Offer, the player’s Prior Team could have

obtained a Right of First Refusal with respect to the player by making her a Restricted

Qualifying Offer, (ii) the Prior Team, following the withdrawal of the Core Qualifying Offer,

makes a Restricted Qualifying Offer to the player in order to obtain a Right of First Refusal, and

(iii) such Restricted Qualifying Offer is made by January 14 of any Salary Cap Year (or if the

withdrawal of the Core Qualifying Offer occurs after January 12, within forty-eight (48) hours of

such withdrawal), then the player shall become a Restricted Free Agent, subject to a Right of

First Refusal in favor of the Team. If a Core Qualifying Offer is neither withdrawn nor accepted

and the deadline for accepting it passes, the Team’s exclusive negotiating rights shall continue,

subject to Section 7(d) above.

(f) A player who knows or reasonably should have known that she has a

physical disability or other condition (including pregnancy) that would render her physically

64
unable to perform the playing services required under a Player Contract the following Season,

may not validly accept a Core Qualifying Offer made under this Section 7 unless the Team

consents in writing after receiving written notice of such physical disability or other condition.

If, after receiving written notice of such disability or condition (and, if desired by the Team, a

physical examination of the player to confirm such disability or condition), the Team desires to

withdraw the Core Player Designation Notice and the accompanying Core Qualifying Offer, it

shall do so by giving written notice of such withdrawal to the player, and the player shall

thereupon immediately become an Unrestricted Free Agent; provided, however, that if (i) prior

to the designation of the player as a Core Player and the subsequent withdrawal of the Core

Player Designation Notice and accompanying Core Qualifying Offer the Team could have

obtained a Right of First Refusal with respect to such player by making her a Restricted

Qualifying Offer, (ii) the Team, following the withdrawal of the Core Player Designation Notice

and accompanying Core Qualifying Offer, makes a Restricted Qualifying Offer to the player in

order to obtain a Right of First Refusal, and (iii) such Restricted Qualifying Offer is made by

January 14 of any Salary Cap Year (or, if the withdrawal of the Core Player Designation Notice

and accompanying Core Qualifying Offer occurs after January 12, within forty-eight (48) hours

of such withdrawal), then the player shall become a Restricted Free Agent, subject to a Right of

First Refusal in favor of the Team.

(g) At any time after the expiration date (i.e., March 7) of a Core Qualifying

Offer as provided for in subsection (e) above, a Team may renounce a Core Player Designation,

which shall result in its termination as set forth in subsection (d) above. In order to renounce a

Core Player Designation, a Team shall provide the WNBA with an express, written statement

65
renouncing the Core Player Designation. The WNBA shall provide the Players Association with

a copy of such statement within one (1) business day following its receipt thereof.

(h) On the same day as the giving of a Core Player Designation Notice and a

Core Qualifying Offer to a player, the Team shall cause a copy thereof to be given to the WNBA,

which shall cause a copy thereof to be promptly given to the Players Association.

(i) Any claim that a Core Player Designation Notice or the accompanying

Core Qualifying Offer fails to meet one or more of the criteria for a Core Player Designation

Notice or a Core Qualifying Offer shall be made by written notice to the Team no later than ten

(10) days after copies of the Core Player Designation Notice and Core Qualifying Offer are

given by the Team or the WNBA to the Players Association. Such notice must set forth the

specific changes that allegedly must be made to the Core Player Designation Notice or the

offered Contract in order for it to constitute a Core Player Designation Notice and a Core

Qualifying Offer. Upon receipt of such notice, if the requested changes are necessary to satisfy

the requirements of a Core Player Designation Notice and a Core Qualifying Offer, the Team

may, within five (5) business days, deliver or send to the player an amended Core Player

Designation Notice and Core Qualifying Offer incorporating the requested changes. If the Team

offers such an amended Core Player Designation Notice and Core Qualifying Offer, the player

and the Players Association shall be precluded from asserting that such Core Player Designation

Notice and Core Qualifying Offer do not constitute a timely and valid Core Player Designation

Notice and Core Qualifying Offer.

(j) A Core Player Designation Notice and Core Qualifying Offer shall be

deemed given when sent by the Prior Team. Except as provided in Section 6(n) with respect to

First Refusal Exercise Notices and Restricted Qualifying Offers, other writings required or

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permitted under this Section 7 shall be deemed given only when received by the party to whom

addressed.

Section 8. Reserved Players.

(a) Any Veteran Free Agent who has three (3) or fewer Years of Service on

the first day of any Salary Cap Year will be a Reserved Player if her Prior Team makes a

Reserved Qualifying Offer to the player at any time from the January 1 following such Season

through the immediately following January 14. If such Reserved Qualifying Offer is made, then,

on the February 1 following the last Season covered by the player’s Player Contract, the player

shall become a Reserved Player, subject to the exclusive negotiating rights of her Prior Team. If

such a Reserved Qualifying Offer is not made, then the player shall become an Unrestricted Free

Agent on such February 1.

(b) In order to make a Reserved Qualifying Offer, a Team must have Room

for the Reserved Qualifying Offer. A Reserved Qualifying Offer made to a Reserved Player may

be withdrawn by the Team at any time through the following February 15. If the Reserved

Qualifying Offer is not withdrawn by February 15, it must thereafter remain open until the

following March 7; provided, however, that the Reserved Qualifying Offer may be withdrawn by

the Team during the period February 16 through March 7 if the player agrees in writing to the

withdrawal. If a Reserved Qualifying Offer is withdrawn, the player shall immediately become

an Unrestricted Free Agent. A player who knows or reasonably should have known that she has

a physical disability or other condition (including pregnancy) that would render her physically

unable to perform the playing services required under a Player Contract the following Season

may not validly accept a Reserved Qualifying Offer made under this Section 8, unless the Prior

Team consents after disclosure of such physical disability or other condition (provided that the

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Team may, at its election, and prior to determining whether to consent, conduct a physical

examination of such player). In the event that the Prior Team does not consent, such player will

remain subject to the Prior Team’s exclusive negotiating rights. If a Reserved Qualifying Offer

is neither withdrawn nor accepted and the deadline for accepting it passes, the Team’s exclusive

negotiating rights shall continue, subject to Section 8(c) below.

(c) If a Reserved Player does not sign a Player Contract with her Prior Team

by the conclusion of the WNBA Season for which the Reserved Qualifying Offer is made, then

her Prior Team may reassert its exclusive negotiating rights for the following WNBA season by

extending another Reserved Qualifying Offer (on the same terms as the prior Reserved

Qualifying Offer) by the next January 14. A Prior Team may continue to reassert its exclusive

negotiating rights by following the foregoing procedure in each subsequent year in which the

Reserved Player does not sign a Player Contract with her Prior Team before the Season ends.

(d) Any claim that a Contract offered as a Reserved Qualifying Offer fails to

meet one or more of the criteria for a Reserved Qualifying Offer shall be made by notice to the

Team, in writing, no later than ten (10) days after a copy of the Reserved Qualifying Offer was

given by the Team or the WNBA to the Players Association. Such notice must set forth the

specific change that allegedly must be made to the offered Contract in order for it to constitute a

Reserved Qualifying Offer. Upon receipt of such notice, if the requested changes are necessary

to satisfy the requirements of a Reserved Qualifying Offer, the Team may, within five (5)

business days, offer the player an amended Contract incorporating the requested changes. If the

Team offers such an amended Contract, the player and the Players Association shall be

precluded from asserting that such Contract does not constitute a timely and valid Reserved

Qualifying Offer.

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 (e) A Reserved Qualifying Offer shall be deemed given when sent by the

Prior Team. Other writings required or permitted to be given under this Section 8 shall be

deemed given only when received by the party to whom addressed.

Section 9. Unrestricted Free Agents

Subject to Section 7 above, any Veteran Free Agent who has six (6) or more

Years of Service on the first day of the 2020 Salary Cap Year, and any Veteran Free Agent who

has five (5) or more Years of Service on the first day of any Salary Cap Year following the 2020

Salary Cap Year, will be an Unrestricted Free Agent on such February 1.

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 ARTICLE VII

SALARY CAP, LEAGUE-WIDE GUARANTEE, AND MINIMUM TEAM SALARY

Section 1. Amount of Salary Cap, League-wide Guarantee and Minimum Team Salary.

(a) Salary Cap. The Salary Cap for each Salary Cap Year during the term of

this Agreement shall be as set forth below.

2020 2021 2022 2023

$1,300,000 $1,339,000 $1,379,200 $1,420,500

2024 2025 2026 2027

$1,463,200 $1,507,100 $1,552,300 $1,598,800

(b) Guarantee Level. The level used to calculate (pursuant to (c) and (d)

below) the League-wide Guarantee and the Minimum Team Salary (the “Guarantee Level”) for

each Salary Cap Year during the term of this Agreement shall be as set forth below.

2020 2021 2022 2023

$1,209,000 $1,245,300 $1,282,600 $1,321,100

2024 2025 2026 2027

$1,360,700 $1,401,600 $1,443,600 $1,486,900

(c) League-wide Guarantee.

As of the conclusion of each Season covered by this Agreement,

the WNBA agrees that Team Salaries for all Teams, in the aggregate, will not be less than an

amount equal to the sum of (i) the total number of WNBA Teams that played a full schedule of

Regular Season games during such Season, multiplied by the Guarantee Level for that Season,

and (ii) for each WNBA Team that played less than a full schedule of Regular Season games

during such Season, an amount equal to the Guarantee Level for that Season multiplied by a

fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Regular Season games played by the Team

during such Season and the denominator of which is the total number of Regular Season games

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that a Team playing a full schedule of Regular Season games played during such Season (the

“League-wide Guarantee”). For purposes of this Section 1(c), the Team Salaries for all Teams,

in the aggregate, as of the conclusion of a Season shall include any payments to players with

respect to such Season made by one or more Teams pursuant to Section 1(d) below.

In the event that, as of the conclusion of any Season, Team Salaries

for all Teams, in the aggregate, are less than the League-wide Guarantee for such Season (a

“Guarantee Shortfall”), the WNBA shall be obligated to pay the Guarantee Shortfall to all

WNBA players who were on a WNBA roster during the Regular Season covered by such Salary

Cap Year. Any such Guarantee Shortfall obligation shall be effectuated and satisfied solely by

the WNBA paying such Guarantee Shortfall to Teams no later than sixty (60) days following the

completion of the Season covered by such Salary Cap Year and causing the Teams to distribute

the Guarantee Shortfall to such players on such proportional basis as may be reasonably

determined by the Players Association, less all amounts required to be withheld by any

governmental authority. The Players Association shall provide the WNBA with its proposed

per-player distribution of any such Guarantee Shortfall for a Salary Cap Year within thirty (30)

days after the completion of the Season.

(d) Minimum Team Salary.

Beginning with the Salary Cap Year commencing on January 1,

2020, and for each Salary Cap Year thereafter during the term of this Agreement, there shall be a

Minimum Team Salary equal to 90% of the Guarantee Level.

In the event that, as of the conclusion of a Season, a Team’s Team

Salary is less than the applicable Minimum Team Salary, the WNBA shall cause such Team to

make payments equal to the shortfall (to be disbursed to the players on such Team either in

71
proportion to the players’ Base Salaries for that Season or in accordance with such other formula

as may be reasonably determined by the Players Association). Notwithstanding the preceding

sentence, any Team that ceases operations prior to the conclusion of a WNBA Season shall not

be required to meet the Minimum Team Salary obligation.

Section 2. Determination of Team Salary.

(a) Computation. For the purposes of computing Team Salary under this

Agreement, all of the following amounts shall be included:

Subject to the rules set forth in this Article VII, the aggregate

Salaries of all current players (and former players to the extent provided by the terms of this

Agreement) attributable to a particular Salary Cap Year, including, without limitation:

Salaries payable to players whose Player Contracts have

been terminated pursuant to the WNBA’s waiver procedure.

Any amount called for in a retired player’s Player Contract

that is paid or to be paid to the player.

Amounts paid pursuant to awards or judgments for, or

settlements of, disputes between a Player and a Team concerning Base Salary obligations under a

Player Contract, except to the extent that such amounts were previously included in (and not

subsequently excluded from) a player’s Salary. If any amounts paid to a player as described in

the preceding sentence relate to one or more future Salary Cap Years, such amounts will be

included in the corresponding Salary Cap Year(s). If any such amounts relate to the then-current

or any prior Salary Cap Year, then the following shall apply with respect to such amounts: (x) if

the amounts relate to a Team’s Base Salary obligation for only one (1) Season, they shall be

included in Team Salary for the Salary Cap Year during which the Team’s obligation to pay such

72
amounts is determined, unless the Team’s obligation is determined during the period

commencing on the day prior to the first day of the Regular Season and continuing through the

December 31 of any Salary Cap Year, in which case such amounts shall be included in Team

Salary for the following Salary Cap Year; and (y) if the amounts relate to a Team’s Base Salary

obligation for more than one (1) Season, they shall be included in Team Salary in equal amounts

over the same number of Salary Cap Years, with the first such Salary Cap Year being the Salary

Cap Year during which the Team’s obligation to pay such amounts is determined, unless the

Team’s obligation is determined during the period commencing on the day prior to the first day

of the Regular Season and continuing through the December 31 of any Salary Cap Year, in

which case the following Salary Cap Year shall be the first Salary Cap Year in which such

amounts are included in Team Salary.

Salaries anticipated to be included in Team Salary based

upon any agreement disclosed to the WNBA pursuant to Article V, Section 14(a)(i).

Any trade bonus amount earned under the terms of the

Contract that is allocated to such Salary Cap Year in accordance with Article VII, Section 7(c).

With respect to each Veteran Free Agent who is designated as a

Core Player, the Salary called for in any outstanding Core Qualifying Offer tendered to such

Veteran Free Agent.

With respect to each Veteran Free Agent who is a Restricted Free

Agent, the greater of (A) the Salary called for in any outstanding Restricted Qualifying Offer

tendered to such Veteran Free Agent, or (B) the Salary called for in any First Refusal Exercise

Notice issued with respect to such Veteran Free Agent.

73
 The aggregate Salaries called for under all outstanding Offer

Sheets.

With respect to each Veteran Free Agent who is a Reserved Free

Agent, the Salary called for in any outstanding Reserved Qualifying Offer tendered to such

Veteran Free Agent.

An amount with respect to the number of players fewer than ten

(10) included in a Team’s Team Salary, as determined in accordance with Section 2(d) below.

Value or consideration received by retired players that is

determined to be includable in Team Salary in accordance with Article XV, Section 6.

The aggregate amount of any Time Off Bonuses included in

Players Contracts attributable to a particular Salary Cap Year in accordance with Article V,

Section 17.

(b) Expansion. The Salary of any player selected by an Expansion Team in

an expansion draft and terminated in accordance with the WNBA waiver procedure before the

first day of the Expansion Team’s first Season shall not be included in the Expansion Team’s

Team Salary, except, to the extent such Salary is paid, for purposes of determining whether the

Expansion Team has satisfied its Minimum Team Salary obligation for such Season under

Article VII, Section 1(d) and whether the WNBA has satisfied the League-wide Guarantee under

Article VII, Section 1(c).

(c) Assigned Contracts. For purposes of calculating Team Salary, with

respect to any Player Contract that is assigned, the assignee Team shall, upon assignment, have

included in its Team Salary the entire Salary for the then-current Salary Cap Year and for all

future Salary Cap Years.

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 (d) Incomplete Rosters.

If at any time from December 1 through the day prior to the first

day of the Regular Season a Team has fewer than ten (10) players included in its Team Salary (as

determined in accordance with Section 2(d)(ii) below), then the Team’s Team Salary shall be

increased by an amount calculated as follows:

STEP 1: Subtract from ten (10) the number of players included in

Team Salary.

STEP 2: If the result in Step 1 is a positive number, multiply the

result in Step 1 by the Rookie Minimum Annual Salary.

In determining whether a Team has fewer than ten (10) players

included in its Team Salary for purposes of Section 2(d)(i) above, the only players who shall be

counted are (i) players on the Team’s active list (including any injured players) who are included

in Team Salary, (ii) players who have been tendered a Qualifying Offer by the Team that remains

outstanding, and (iii) players who have been tendered an Offer Sheet by the Team that remains

outstanding.

(e) Hold-Outs and Other Team/Entity Basketball Injuries. If in any

Season, a player is suspended by a Team for the remainder of the Season pursuant to Article

XIV, Sections 6 or 9 or Article XX, Section 1(c), the player’s Salary shall be excluded from the

Team Salary of such Team, beginning on the date of such suspension and continuing until the

later of (i) the following January 1, or (ii) the date on which the player’s suspension ends.

(f) Long-Term Injuries, Illnesses, or Conditions. Any player who suffers a

career-ending injury, illness, or condition, and whose contract is terminated by the Team in

accordance with the WNBA waiver procedure, will be excluded from her Team’s Team Salary

as follows:

75
 If the injury, illness, or condition occurs on or after January 1, but

prior to July 1 of any Season, then, beginning on the second January 1 following the injury,

illness, or condition, the Team may apply to the WNBA to have the player’s Salary for each

remaining Season of the Contract excluded from Team Salary. (For example, if the career-

ending injury, illness, or condition occurs on May 1, 2015, the Team may apply to have the

player’s Salary excluded from Team Salary beginning on January 1, 2017.)

If the injury, illness, or condition occurs on or after July 1 but prior

to the subsequent January 1, then, beginning on the second anniversary of the injury, illness, or

condition, the Team may apply to the WNBA to have the player’s Salary for each remaining

Season of the Contract excluded from Team Salary.

The determination of whether a player has suffered a career-ending

injury, illness, or condition, and the determination of the date on which a player’s career-ending

injury, illness, or condition occurred, shall be made by a physician selected jointly by the WNBA

and the Players Association.

Notwithstanding subsections (i) through (iii) above or (viii) below,

a player’s Salary shall not be excluded from Team Salary if, after the date on which a career-

ending injury, illness, or condition is alleged to have occurred but before her Salary is excluded

from Team Salary, the player played in more than five (5) WNBA games in any one (1) Season

or in a total of ten (10) games over two (2) Seasons.

Notwithstanding subsections (i) through (iii) above or (viii) below,

if, after a player’s Salary is excluded from Team Salary in accordance with this Section 2(f), (i)

the player plays in five (5) WNBA games in any one (1) Season, the excluded Salary for that

Season and any subsequent Season shall thereupon be included in Team Salary; or (ii) the player

76
plays in ten (10) or more WNBA games over two (2) Seasons but did not play in five (5) games

in the first of such two (2) Seasons, the excluded Salary for the second Season shall thereupon be

included in Team Salary. If, at the time the player’s Salary is required to be included again in

Team Salary in accordance with this Section 2(f)(v), the Team does not have Room for some or

all of such Salary, the portion of the player’s Salary for which the Team has Room shall be

immediately included in the Team’s Team Salary and the remainder shall be included in the

Team’s Team Salary beginning on the earlier of (x) the next January 1, or (y) the earliest date

after such January 1 when the Team has Room for such remainder amount.

If a Team requests to have a player’s Salary excluded from Team

Salary pursuant to this Section 2(f), the player with respect to whom the request is made shall

cooperate in the processing of the request, including by appearing (if necessary) at the scheduled

place and time for examination by a designated physician.

The exclusion from Team Salary authorized by this Section 2(f) is

available only to the Team with which the Disabled Player was under Contract at the time her

career-ending injury, illness, or condition occurs.

For purposes of this Section 2(f), the date of occurrence of a

career-ending injury, illness, or condition that has developed over time shall be deemed to be the

date on which the injury, illness, or condition progressed to the point of becoming career-ending.

(g) Training Camp Contracts. From February 1 until the day prior to the

first day of the next Regular Season, a Team may enter into Player Contracts that will not be

included in Team Salary until the first day of such Regular Season (i.e., the player will be

deemed not to have any Salary until the first day of such Regular Season), provided that such

Contracts satisfy the requirements of this Section 2(g) (a “Training Camp Contract”). No

77
Training Camp Contract may provide for (i) Salary in excess of the applicable Minimum Player

Salary, (ii) Base Salary protection of any kind, or (iii) a term longer than one (1) Season.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Rookie Scale Contract entered into from February 1 through

the day prior to the first day of the next Regular Season shall be a Training Camp Contract. The

only consideration that may be provided to a player signed to a Training Camp Contract, prior to

the start of the Regular Season, is per diem, lodging, and transportation. A Team that has

entered into one or more Training Camp Contracts must terminate such Contracts no later than

the day prior to the first day of a Regular Season, except to the extent the Team has Room for

such Contracts. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Qualifying Offers and Rookie

Tenders that, if signed by the player would become Training Camp Contracts, shall not be

included in Team Salary from January 1 until the day prior to the first day of the next Regular

Season.

(h) Team Salary Summaries.

The WNBA shall provide the Players Association with Team

Salary summaries and a list of current Exceptions once every two weeks during the Regular

Season and once every week between February 1 and the commencement of the next Regular

Season.

In the event that the WNBA fails to provide the Players

Association with any Team Salary summary or list of Exceptions as provided for in Section

2(h)(i) above, the Players Association shall notify the WNBA of such failure, and the WNBA,

upon receipt of such notice, shall as soon as reasonably possible, but in no event later than two

business days following receipt of such notice, provide the Players Association with any such

summary or list that should have been provided pursuant to Section 2(h)(i) above.

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Section 3. Operation of Salary Cap.

(a) Basic Rule. A Team’s Team Salary may not exceed the Salary Cap at any

time unless the Team is using one of the Exceptions set forth in Section 4 below.

(b) Room. Subject to the other provisions of this Agreement, including

without limitation Article V, Section 8, any Team with Room may enter into a Player Contract

that calls for a Salary in the first Season of such Contract that would not exceed the Team’s then-

current Room.

(c) Annual Salary Increases and Decreases.

Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, for each Season

of a Player Contract after the first Season, the player’s Salary may increase or decrease in

relation to the previous Season’s Salary by no more than three percent (3%) of the Base Salary

for the first Season of the Contract.

With respect to an Extension (other than an Extension of a Rookie

Scale Contract), and notwithstanding Section 3(c)(i) above and 3(c)(iii) below, for each Season

of such Player Contract after the first Season of the extended term, the player’s Salary may

increase or decrease in relation to the previous Season’s Salary by no more than three percent

(3%) of the Base Salary for the last Season of the original term of the Contract.

With respect to an Extension of a Rookie Scale Contract, and

notwithstanding Section 3(c)(i) and 3(c)(ii) above, for each Season of such Player Contract after

the first Season of the extended term, the player’s Salary may increase or decrease in relation to

the previous Season’s Salary by no more than three percent (3%) of the Base Salary for the first

Season of the extended term of the Contract.

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 (d) No Futures Contracts. Notwithstanding any other provision in this

Agreement:

Every Player Contract shall be effective and commence as of the

date of execution and shall be for a continuous term.

No Team and player may enter into a Player Contract during the

period commencing at the start of the Team’s last game of the Regular Season and continuing

through the following January 31. The preceding sentence shall not prohibit a Team and player

from entering into an amendment to an existing Player Contract pursuant to Article V, Section

3(e) during such period.

Section 4. Hardship Exceptions to the Salary Cap.

There shall be the following exceptions to the rule that a Team’s Team Salary

may not exceed the Salary Cap:

(a) Hardship.

If, during a WNBA Regular Season, a Team with one (1) player

who is unable to play due to injury, illness or other condition for a minimum of three additional

weeks from the date of the requested Exception (the “First Injured Player”) has an additional

player (the “Disabled Player”) who suffers a Disabling Injury, Illness, or Condition (as defined

below), the Team may sign one Replacement Player to a Replacement Contract to replace such

Disabled Player.

For purposes of this Section 4, Disabling Injury, Illness, or

Condition means any injury, illness, or condition that has rendered the Disabled Player unable to

play for a minimum of two (2) consecutive Regular Season games and will thereafter render the

Disabled Player unable to play for a minimum period of three (3) additional weeks (regardless of

80
whether, once the Disabled Player has missed two (2) consecutive Regular Season games, there

are fewer than three (3) weeks remaining in the WNBA Season).

A Hardship Exception will arise on the date it is granted by the

League Office and will expire seven (7) days after it arises.

The determination of whether a player has suffered a Disabling

Injury, Illness, or Condition shall be made by a physician designated by the WNBA (the

“WNBA Physician”) in consultation with the Players Association, and such determination shall

be final, conclusive, and unappealable. The WNBA shall advise the Players Association of the

determination of the WNBA Physician within one (1) business day of such determination. The

cost of the WNBA Physician will be borne by the WNBA Team seeking the Exception.

In no event shall a Team be entitled to an Exception pursuant to

this Section 4(a), unless the First Injured Player on the date it applies for the Exception, in the

determination of the WNBA Physician, is unable to play for a minimum of three (3) additional

weeks from that date. The determination of the WNBA Physician shall be final, conclusive, and

unappealable. The cost of the WNBA Physician will be borne by the WNBA Team seeking the

Exception.

If a Team requests an Exception pursuant to this Section 4(a), the

player with respect to whom the request is made, and the First Injured Player, shall cooperate in

the processing of the request, including by appearing (if necessary) at the scheduled place and

time for examination by the WNBA Physician.

Notwithstanding a determination by the WNBA Physician that a

player has suffered a Disabling Injury, Illness, or Condition, such player, upon recovering from

81
her injury, illness, or condition, may begin play. In such event, however, the Team shall

immediately terminate the Replacement Contract of the Replacement Player.

The Hardship Exception is available only to the Team with which

the Disabled Player was under Contract at the time her Disabling Injury, Illness, or Condition

occurred.

If a Team makes a request for a Hardship Exception to replace a

Disabled Player pursuant to this Section 4(a) and such request is denied, the Team shall not be

permitted to make any subsequent request for an Exception to replace the same player unless

fifteen (15) days have passed since the first request was denied and the Team establishes that the

subsequent request is based on a new injury or an aggravation of the same injury.

(b) Emergency Hardship.

If a Team during the Regular Season, as a result of injuries,

illnesses, other conditions or other extenuating circumstances that have affected its players, has

fewer than ten (10) players on its roster who are able to play, it may apply to the WNBA to

obtain an Exception to sign one or more Replacement Player(s) to Replacement Contract(s) to

replace one or more of the Team’s unavailable Players. Any such Replacement Contract shall be

terminated immediately once ten (10) other players on the Team’s roster are again able to play.

The determination of whether to grant a Team one or more

Emergency Hardship Exceptions shall be in the WNBA’s sole discretion. The WNBA may

attach such conditions to an Emergency Hardship Exception as it may determine, in its sole

discretion, provided that such conditions do not violate any provision of this Agreement.

If a Team requests an Emergency Hardship Exception pursuant to

this Section 4(b), all players whom the Team claims are unable to play shall cooperate in the

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processing of the request (and in such ongoing evaluation of the players’ physical condition as

the WNBA may require for purposes of determining when a Replacement Contract must be

terminated pursuant to Section 4(b)(i) above), including by appearing (if necessary) at the

scheduled place(s) and time(s) for examination(s) by a physician designated by the WNBA. The

cost of the WNBA physician will be borne by the WNBA Team seeking the Exception.

Section 5. Extensions.

(a) Veteran Extensions.

No Player Contract, other than a Rookie Scale Contract, may be extended except

in accordance with the following:

A Player Contract covering a term of two (2), three (3) or four (4)

Seasons may be extended no sooner than the first anniversary of the signing of the Contract.

A Player Contract that has been extended may not subsequently be

extended until the first anniversary of such Extension.

Subject to Article V, Section 8, a Player Contract extended in

accordance with this Section 5(a) may, in the first Season of the extended term, provide for a

Base Salary of up to 120% of the Base Salary in the last Season of the original term of the

Contract. Annual increases or decreases in Salary shall be governed by Section 3(c) above.

(b) Rookie Scale Extensions.

A First, Second or Third Round Pick who enters into a Rookie

Scale Contract on or after the date of this Agreement may enter into an Extension of such Rookie

Scale Contract during the period that commences on February 1 and continues through May 15

following the third Season covered by the Contract (provided that the Team exercised the Option

Year provided in such Contract).

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 An Extension of a Rookie Scale Contract may provide for Salary

in the first Season of the extended term no greater than the Maximum Player Salary provided for

in Article V, Section 8 (or, if no Maximum Player Salary is provided for in Article V, Section 8,

three percent (3%) above the Maximum Player Salary for the prior Season). Annual increases

and decreases in Salary shall be governed by Section 3(c) above.

Section 6. Trade Rules.

(a) A Team shall not be permitted to receive in connection with any trade,

directly or indirectly, any cash or other compensation, including cash or other compensation

received as reimbursement for Base Salary obligations to players whom the Team is acquiring.

(b) A Team cannot trade any player after the WNBA trade deadline occurring

in the last Season of the player’s Contract.

(c) No player who signs a Contract as a Free Agent or Draft Rookie may be

traded before the later of (i) two (2) weeks following the date on which such Contract was signed

or (ii) the fifteenth (15th) day of the Regular Season covered by the Contract, unless such player

consents in writing to such trade.

(d) Exclusive negotiating rights to a player (other than draft rights, rights to

Reserved Players and rights to suspended players with no playing services remaining in the

Player Contracts) may only be traded with the written consent of the player.

Section 7. Miscellaneous.

(a) In the event that a Team and a player agree to amend a Player Contract in

accordance with Article V, Section 3(e), then for purposes of calculating the player’s Salary for

the then-current and any remaining Salary Cap Year, the aggregate reduction in the player’s

protected Base Salary shall be allocated pro rata over the then-current and each remaining Salary

84
Cap Year covered by such Contract on the basis of the remaining unearned protected Base Salary

(prior to giving effect to such reduction) in each such Salary Cap Year.

(b) Except where this Agreement states otherwise, for purposes of any rule in

this Agreement that limits, involves counting, or otherwise relates to, the number of Seasons

covered by a Contract, if a Player Contract is signed after the beginning of a Season, the Season

in which the Contract is signed shall be counted as one (1) full Season covered by the Contract.

(c) In the event that a player earns a trade bonus pursuant to her Contract,

then for purposes of calculating the player’s Salary for the then-current and any remaining Salary

Cap Year covered by such Contract, the amount of the earned trade bonus shall be allocated pro

rata over each remaining Salary Cap Year covered by such Contract (only including the then-

current Salary Cap Year if the trade occurs during or before the Season covered by such Salary

Cap Year) on the basis of the Base Salary in each such Salary Cap Year.

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 ARTICLE VIII

ROOKIE SCALE

(a) The amount of Base Salary provided to a player in each Season of a

Rookie Scale Contract shall be the applicable Rookie Scale Amount for each Season set forth in

Exhibit 5.

(b) Any Team that fails to make a Required Tender to a Draft Pick, withdraws

a Required Tender, renounces a Draft Pick, or fails to sign a Draft Pick selected in a Subsequent

Draft within the designated period of exclusive negotiating rights shall be prohibited from

signing such player until after she has signed a Player Contract with another WNBA Team, and

either (i) the player completes the playing services called for under such Contract, or (ii) such

Contract is terminated in accordance with the WNBA waiver procedures.

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 ARTICLE IX

MERIT BONUSES

Section 1. Payment of Merit Bonuses.

During each Season covered by this Agreement, the WNBA and/or the Teams

shall pay the merit bonuses set forth in Section 2 below. To be eligible to earn a Team bonus, a

player must be on the Regular Season roster of the applicable Team on the last day of the

Regular Season; provided, however, that any player who was on the Regular Season roster for

two-thirds of the Regular Season games for a Team that makes the playoffs, but not on the

Regular Season roster on the last day of the Regular Season for any Team, shall receive a two

hundred and fifty dollar ($250) bonus. If a player who is eligible to earn a Team bonus was not

on the active or inactive list of such Team for the entirety of the Regular Season, any bonus paid

to such player shall be prorated based upon the number of days of the Regular Season that such

player was on the active or inactive list of such Team for such Season.

Section 2. Bonus Schedule.

Team: WNBA Champion: $11,356 per player

Championship Runner-up: $5,678 per player
Eliminated in third round: $2,839 per player
Eliminated in second round: $1,803per player
Eliminated in first round: $1,136 per player

Individual: Most Valuable Player: $15,450

All WNBA First Team: $10,300 per player
All WNBA Second Team: $5,150 per player
Sixth Woman of the Year: $5,150
Defensive Player of the Year: $5,150
Sportsmanship Award: $5,150
Rookie of the Year: $5,150
Most Improved Player: $5,150
All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (if held): $5,150
All-Star Game Participant (if held): $2,575 per player
All-Star Three Point Contest Winner (if held): $2,575
All-Star Skills Competition Winner (if held): $2,575

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All WNBA Defensive Team: $1,500 per player
All WNBA Rookie Team: $1,500 per player
All-Star Three Point Contest and Skills $1,030 per player
Competition Non-Winning Contestants (if held):

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 ARTICLE X

BENEFITS

Section 1. Health Insurance.

(a) Medical Coverage.

During each Season covered by this Agreement, each player who is a party to a

Standard Player Contract (and such player’s eligible dependents, if applicable) will be provided

with medical benefits for the period beginning on the first day of training camp and ending on

the day such Contract expires or is terminated. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the medical

benefits for a player waived during the Regular Season shall not be terminated until seven (7)

days after such Contract is terminated. The eligibility requirements, circumstances under which

benefits may be terminated, and the nature of the benefits will be set forth in summaries that will

be distributed by the WNBA to each player signed to a Contract and to the Players Association.

For the 2019 Season, subject to any conditions and limitations

contained in the plan, the medical plan provided that players received both (A) in-network

services with a copayment for certain services, a $600 annual deductible per covered individual

($1,800 per family), and coverage at eighty percent (80%) until the covered individual has paid

$3,000 per person ($9,000 per family) in a calendar year, and one hundred percent (100%)

thereafter, with no annual lifetime maximum benefit; and (B) out-of-network services with a

$3,000 annual deductible per covered individual ($9,000 per family), coverage for sixty percent

(60%) for most eligible charges (as set forth in the plan) and seventy percent (70%) for certain

other eligible charges (as set forth in the plan) until the covered individual has paid $9,000 per

person ($27,000 per family) in a calendar year, and one-hundred percent (100%) thereafter, with

no annual or lifetime maximum benefit. A player who elected coverage for her dependents,

under the medical plan, paid thirty-three percent (33%) of the cost of such coverage.

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 For each Season hereunder, beginning with the 2020 Season,

players will receive the medical benefits described in Section 1(a)(i) above, provided that the

premiums (which, for purposes of this Section 1(a)(ii), shall include any excise tax payable by

the WNBA) for such benefits do not exceed by more than 5% the premiums paid by the WNBA

for medical insurance coverage for players with respect to the immediately preceding Season. If

the premiums for such benefits increase in any Season by less than 5%, then the difference

between 5% and the actual amount of any such increase shall be carried forward and used to

fund any increase in premiums in one or more future Seasons of more than 5%, provided that

under no circumstance shall (x) the WNBA pay premiums for any Season that exceed the

immediately preceding Season’s premiums by more than 10%, or (y) the WNBA be obligated to

pay to the players, in benefits or otherwise, any carry-forward that is not used to fund the

premiums for the benefits specified in this Section 1(a)(ii). If the premiums for the medical

insurance coverage exceed the limitations set by this Section 1(a)(ii) in any Season, the WNBA

(after consultation with the WNBPA) shall make changes in the benefits so that such premium

limitations are not exceeded.

(b) Dental Coverage.

During each Season covered by this Agreement, each player who is a party to a

Standard Player Contract (and such player’s eligible dependents, if applicable) will be provided

with dental benefits for the period beginning on the first day of training camp and ending on the

day such Contract expires or is terminated. The eligibility requirements, circumstances under

which benefits may be terminated, and the nature of the benefits will be set forth in summaries

that will be distributed by the WNBA to each player signed to a Contract and to the Players

Association.

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 For the 2019 Season, subject to any conditions and limitations

contained in the plan, the dental plan provided two options, the DHMO plan or the DPPO plan.

The DPPO plan provided the following benefits: in-network and out-of-network services: for

preventative services (as defined in the insurance plan), no annual deductible and coverage for

seventy-five percent (75%); for basic and major services, an annual deductible of $75 per person

($225 per family) and coverage for eighty percent (80%) of basic services (as those services are

defined in the insurance plan) and fifty percent (50%) of major services (as those services are

defined in the insurance plan), with an annual maximum of $1,000 per person. The DHMO plan

provided the following benefits: no annual deductible and no lifetime maximum under both the

DPPO plan and the DHMO plan, the players pay a copayment based on the service provided (as

defined in the insurance plan); and, if the player elected coverage for her dependents, the player

paid for thirty-three percent (33%) of the cost of such coverage.

For each Season hereunder, beginning with the 2020 Season,

players will receive the dental benefits described in Section 1(b)(i) above provided that the

premiums for such benefits do not exceed by more than 5% the premiums paid by the WNBA for

dental insurance coverage for players with respect to the immediately preceding Season. If the

premiums for the dental insurance coverage exceed the limitations set by this Section 1(b)(ii) in

any Season, the WNBA (after consultation with the WNBPA) shall make changes in the benefits

so that such premium limitations are not exceeded.

Section 2. Pregnancy Disability Benefit.

(a) A player who cannot render the services required under her Standard

Player Contract as a result of her pregnancy shall receive one hundred percent (100%) of the

Base Salary that she would have received under Exhibit 1 to her Standard Player Contract had

91
she rendered the required services and of any trade bonus set forth in Exhibit 9 to her Standard

Player Contract if her Contract is traded while she cannot render the playing services required

under her Contract, but shall not be eligible for any Team merit bonuses (as set forth in Article

IX) unless she was able to perform services in at least one Regular Season game during the

applicable Season. The player shall receive the Base Salary described in the preceding sentence

in accordance with the payment schedule contained in her Standard Player Contract for the

shorter of: (i) the duration of her inability to perform services as a result of her pregnancy; or (ii)

the remaining term of her Standard Player Contract.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2(a) above, a player whose

Standard Player Contract is terminated while she is pregnant shall, if the applicable insurance

policies allow, continue to receive the medical benefits provided for by Section 1(a) until the

later of the end of the Season in which such Contract was terminated or three months after the

birth of her child. If coverage under the applicable insurance policies cannot be continued, and if

the player elects continued coverage pursuant to COBRA, the WNBA shall pay the premiums for

such coverage for the player until the later of the end of the Season in which her Contract was

terminated or three months after the birth of her child.

Section 3. 401(k) Program.

(a) The WNBA shall cause to be maintained for each Season during the term

of this Agreement, a multi-employer profit sharing plan (the “Retirement and 401(k) Savings

Plan”) qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the

“Internal Revenue Code”). During each Season covered by this Agreement, the Retirement and

401(k) Savings Plan will:

92
 permit elective deferrals by each player of a portion of her Base

Salary not in excess of the legal limit set forth in Section 402(g) of the Internal Revenue Code

(“401(k) Deferrals”);

provide for employer matching contributions equal to twenty-five

percent (25%) of the 401(k) Deferrals contributed to the Retirement and 401(k) Savings Plan by

each player during that Season (“Matching Contributions”); and

provide for employer contributions for each Season on behalf of

each eligible player for such Season (“Regular Contributions”) equal to an amount to be

determined as follows:

players with two years of WNBA playing service as of the

end of that Season — two percent (2%) of the player’s Base Salary for that Season;

players with three years of WNBA playing service as of the

end of that Season — three percent (3%) of the player’s Base Salary for that Season; and

players with four years or more of WNBA playing service

as of the end of that Season — four percent (4%) of the player’s Base Salary for that Season.

(b) For purposes of subsection (a) above:

the Base Salary of a player shall be as set forth in Exhibit 1 to her

Contract;

a player shall be credited with a year of WNBA playing service if

the player was on the Regular Season roster of any WNBA Team(s) for fifty percent (50%) or

more of the total Regular Season games of the applicable Season; and

a player shall be an eligible player for a Season if that player is

credited with a year of WNBA playing service for that Season.

93
 (c) The 401(k) Deferrals, Matching Contributions and Regular Contributions

shall be subject to all applicable limitations under the Internal Revenue Code.

(d) The total amount of 401(k) Deferrals, Matching Contributions and Regular

Contributions shall be limited to an amount that will result in all of such deferrals and

contributions being fully deductible under the Internal Revenue Code for the year in which

contributed to the Retirement and 401(k) Savings Plan.

(e) In the event that the players are not, or cease to be considered, collectively

bargained employees under the Internal Revenue Code, the Employee Retirement Income

Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), or the regulations under either, with respect to the

Retirement and 401(k) Savings Plan, then any obligation to maintain and/or make contributions

to the Retirement and 401(k) Savings Plan pursuant to this Agreement shall terminate; provided,

however, that any such termination shall not impair the legally binding effect (if any) of any

other provision of this Agreement. In the event such termination results from any change or

amendment made to the Internal Revenue Code or ERISA or from any regulation (whether final

or temporary) or ruling issued thereunder (or from any judicial or administrative interpretation or

enforcement of any of the foregoing), an alternative benefit or compensation arrangement,

acceptable to both the WNBA and the Players Association, shall be established in lieu of the

Retirement and 401(k) Savings Plan. The cost of such alternative benefit or compensation

arrangement (excluding initial plan design and implementation costs) shall not exceed the annual

cost that the WNBA would have incurred under the Retirement and 401(k) Savings Plan had it

continued to be maintained.

94
Section 4. Life Insurance.

The WNBA shall continue to maintain in effect a group life insurance policy

providing a face policy amount of $100,000 per player. In the event that the policy permits an

individual player to increase the face value with respect to such player by paying additional

funds directly to the carrier without additional expense to the WNBA, nothing herein shall

preclude such increase.

Section 5. Player Programs.

The WNBA shall continue to administer Off-Season player programs that may

include tuition reimbursement for undergraduate education (with respect to players who did not

complete such education prior to joining the WNBA), graduate school or vocational/trade school,

a pre-professional certification program, a career apprenticeship program, a substance abuse

education program, and/or a program to educate players with regard to individual financial

management. The WNBA agrees to contribute an aggregate sum of not less than $75,000 per

year toward such programs. The allocation of such sum among the programs, and the type and

content of, and participants in, such programs, shall be determined each year in consultation with

the Players Association.

Section 6. Administration of Plans.

All decisions with respect to the design, implementation, and administration of

the plans and programs set forth in this Article, including the selection of insurance carriers and

the investment options to be available under the Retirement and 401(k) Savings Plan, will be

made by the WNBA. The Players Association waives any right to participate in the design,

implementation, and administration of the plans and programs, including the selection from time

to time of new insurance carriers and the investment options to be available under the Retirement

95
and 401(k) Savings Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the WNBA shall consult with the

Players Association prior to any substantial changes (e.g., a new carrier), and the Players

Association reserves the right to grieve under the procedures set forth in Article XXII any

alleged failure by the WNBA to provide the benefits that it has agreed to provide under this

Article.

Section 7. Childcare Assistance Program.

Subject to the requirements of Section 129 of the Internal Revenue Code, each

Team will reimburse on a tax-preferred basis eligible childcare expenses as-incurred of up to

$750 per calendar month during which one or more Regular Season games are played (capped at

the Internal Revenue Code maximum of $5,000 per year) per player with one or more dependent

children who are under age thirteen (13) and who, during the Season, are living with such player

either full-time or for a significant amount of time (e.g., not solely visitation) pursuant to a

custody arrangement (court-ordered or otherwise).

Section 8. Family Planning.

For each Season hereunder, beginning with the 2020 Season (with

reimbursements to be provided in the 2020 Season as soon as administratively practicable), the

Teams shall reimburse any player with eight (8) or more Years of Service up to $20,000 for costs

directly related to adoption, surrogacy, oocyte cryopreservation, or fertility or infertility

treatment, provided that the foregoing services are not services covered by the health insurance

offered pursuant to Section 1 above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall (a) the

total benefit received by any player during her WNBA career pursuant to the preceding sentence

exceed $60,000 or (b) the aggregate amount paid by all Teams (or the League, as the case may

be) in any Season pursuant to the preceding sentence exceed $150,000.

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Section 9 Accommodations for Nursing Mothers.

Upon player request, each Team shall identify and make available

(a) accommodations for nursing mothers that provide a comfortable, safe, private place (other

than a bathroom) that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from other players, staff and

the public and (b) access to refrigeration for breastmilk.

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 ARTICLE XI

PLAYER-RELATED EXPENSES

Section 1. Lodging.

(a) During the Regular Season and playoffs, players will be provided with the

following options with respect to housing in the home cities of their WNBA Teams: (i) staying

in housing provided by the Team, or (ii) receiving a monthly housing stipend as set forth below

with respect to each Team. The housing referred to in the foregoing clause (i) shall consist of a

two-bedroom unit if it is provided to any player whose children are under age thirteen (13) and

who, during the Season, are living with such player either full-time or for a significant amount of

time (e.g., not solely visitation) pursuant to a custody arrangement (court-ordered or otherwise).

Team 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

ATL $1,144 $1,173 $1,202 $1,232 $1,263 $1,294 $1,327 $1,360
CHI $1,768 $1,812 $1,858 $1,904 $1,952 $2,000 $2,050 $2,102
CON $1,456 $1,492 $1,530 $1,568 $1,607 $1,647 $1,689 $1,731
DAL $1,560 $1,599 $1,639 $1,680 $1,722 $1,765 $1,809 $1,854
IND $1,144 $1,173 $1,202 $1,232 $1,263 $1,294 $1,327 $1,360
LVA $1,040 $1,066 $1,093 $1,120 $1,148 $1,177 $1,206 $1,236
LAS $2,080 $2,132 $2,185 $2,240 $2,296 $2,353 $2,412 $2,472
MIN $1,248 $1,279 $1,311 $1,344 $1,378 $1,412 $1,447 $1,483
NYL $2,340 $2,399 $2,458 $2,520 $2,583 $2,647 $2,714 $2,782
PHO $1,300 $1,333 $1,366 $1,400 $1,435 $1,471 $1,508 $1,545
SEA $1,716 $1,759 $1,803 $1,848 $1,894 $1,941 $1,990 $2,040
WAS $1,976 $2,025 $2,076 $2,128 $2,181 $2,236 $2,292 $2,349

(b) Neither the WNBA nor any Team may impose restrictions as to who may

visit players in the housing referred to in subsection (a) above. Notwithstanding the foregoing,

nothing herein shall excuse a player from complying with any reasonable training rules

promulgated by the WNBA or a Team or with any reasonable occupancy regulations established

by the owners or lessors (or their designees) of such housing. Any player who elects to stay in

housing provided by the Team may, upon reasonable advance notice and subject to availability,

98
elect to upgrade her unit to a larger unit, provided that such player shall pay to the Team the

difference between the cost of the Team-provided housing and the larger unit.

(c) Any player who, on or before the March 15 immediately preceding any

Season has entered into a Player Contract that is then in effect must notify the Team on or before

the immediately succeeding April 1 whether she elects Team-provided housing or a monthly

housing stipend (and, if she elects team-provided housing, whether such player has a child living

with her as described in subsection (a) above). All other players shall notify the Team of their

housing election within fourteen (14) days of their execution of a Player Contract (and, if she

elects team-provided housing, whether such player has a child living with her as described in

subsection (a) above). On or before the March 15 immediately preceding any Season, the

Players Association may notify the WNBA that it wishes to have one or more of its employees

conduct an inspection of any Team-provided housing, which inspection must be completed prior

to the immediately succeeding April 1 at a reasonable time mutually agreed between the Players

Association and the applicable WNBA Team. The parties agree to engage in reasonable

discussions with respect to any issues with such Team-provided housing that arise as a result of

such inspection.

(d) During training camp, players will be provided, in the sole discretion of

the Team, with either Team-provided housing, a monthly housing stipend (in the same amount as

set forth in subsection (a) above), or individual hotel rooms.

(e) When a Team is playing “on the road,” players traveling with the Team

will be provided with individual hotel rooms in first-class hotel accommodations.

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Section 2. Relocation Expenses.

(a) A player will receive a coach airline ticket from the city where she

permanently resides to the city of her assigned Team for each Season she is under Contract to

play in the WNBA.

(b) A player who is assigned from one Team to another during the Season will

receive a coach airline ticket from her prior Team’s city to the city of her new Team and will be

reimbursed for the actual and reasonable costs of shipping her personal belongings from her prior

Team’s city to the city of her new Team. At the conclusion of such Season, the player will

receive a coach airline ticket from the city of her new Team to the city where she permanently

resides. For players who are assigned prior to the Mid-Point of the Regular Season only,

reimbursement may include up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) for the shipment of one

automobile. No expenses incurred by a player shall be reimbursed pursuant to this Section 2(b)

unless they are pre-approved in writing by the Team.

(c) A player whose Contract is terminated will receive a coach airline ticket

back to the city where she permanently resides.

(d) Notwithstanding subsections (a), (b), and (c) above, where an assignment

or a Contract termination requires travel (from the city where a player permanently resides or a

prior Team’s city, as the case may be) of less than 200 miles, no airline ticket will be provided.

Instead, the player’s actual and reasonable ground travel expenses will be reimbursed provided

such expenses are documented to the appropriate Team.

(e) For purposes of subsections (a), (b), and (c) above, references to a coach

airline ticket shall mean, if available on the Team-chosen flights at the time of booking, a

premium economy (or similar enhanced coach fare).

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Section 3. Meal Expense Allowance.

(a) Players will be provided with a per day meal expense allowance while

playing for their Teams “on the road” and during the training camp period (but only if the Team

does not pay for meals directly), as follows.

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

$81 $82 $83 $84 $85 $86 $87 $88

(b) For purposes of this Agreement, a player shall be considered to be “on the

road” from the time her Team leaves its home city until the Team arrives back at its home city.

(c) When a Team is “on the road” for less than a full day, a partial meal

expense shall be paid based upon the time of departure from or time of arrival in the Team’s

home city, in accordance with the following:

Departure after 9:00 a.m. or arrival before 7:00 a.m., no meal

expense allowance for breakfast.

Departure after 1:00 p.m. or arrival before 11:30 a.m., no meal

expense allowance for lunch.

Departure after 7:00 p.m. or arrival before 5:30 p.m., no meal

expense allowance for dinner.

For purposes of this Section 3, the meal expense allowance for breakfast shall be

deemed to be:

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

$16 $17 $17 $17 $18 $18 $18 $19

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 the meal expense allowance for lunch shall be deemed to be:

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

$25 $25 $26 $26 $26 $27 $27 $27

and the meal expense allowance for dinner shall be deemed to be:

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

$40 $40 $40 $41 $41 $41 $42 $42

Together with each meal expense allowance payment, the Team shall provide the

Players with a written breakdown of the specific meals that are included in each such payment.

(d) For purposes of this Agreement, the “home city” of a WNBA Team shall

be deemed to include only the city in which the facility regularly used by the Team for home

games is located and any other location(s) at which home games are played, provided that such

other location(s) is not more than seventy-five (75) miles from such city.

(e) The parties hereto shall work together to form a “Nutrition Council,” with

appropriate WNBA, WNBPA, Team, player and corporate partner representation, to discuss

(i) proper nutrition to optimize athletic performance and (ii) reasonable guidelines (that consider

cost and other applicable factors) in connection with any training tables that may be provided by

Teams.

Section 4. Air Travel.

All air travel provided by the Team (including, but not limited to, travel between

games) will be, if available on the Team-chosen flights at the time of booking, premium

economy (or similar enhanced coach fare). Teams are required to reimburse players for the

application cost of obtaining Global Entry membership as part of the Trusted Travelers Program

of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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Section 5. Game Tickets.

Each player will receive two (2) complimentary tickets for each home and away

game.

Section 6. Local Transportation.

(a) Teams will not be required to provide players with access to cars and will

have no obligations to provide reimbursement to players who have cars in the Team market.

Teams will have the following options with respect to each player who does not have a car in the

Team market: (i) provide use of one car for every two players; (ii) reimburse the player for the

cost of shipping a car into (and out of) the Team market up to a maximum per-Season

reimbursement of two thousand dollars ($2,000) (prorated as necessary for players who arrive

more than two weeks into the Season or who sign rest-of-season contracts); (iii) reimburse the

player for the cost of renting a car for use in the Team market up to a maximum per-Season

reimbursement of two thousand dollars ($2,000) (prorated as necessary to reflect the number of

days the player is on the active list); or (iv) reimburse players for miles driven (at the per-mile

rate contained within IRS guidelines) for players who have access to a car within five hundred

(500) miles of the Team market. A player may elect (iv) above in accordance with the preceding

sentence even if the car to which the player has access is more than five hundred (500) miles

from the Team market; provided, however, that in no event may the mileage reimbursement for

such player exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000) (prorated as necessary to reflect the number of

days the player is on the active list). In the event that a player requests either (ii), (iii) or (iv)

above by written notice to her Team at least thirty (30) days prior to the start of training camp,

the Team will provide such reimbursement for such Season, provided, however, that if the car to

103
which the player has access is within five hundred (500) miles of the Team market, the player

may not elect (ii) above without the Team’s consent.

(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in subparagraph (a), during

training camp, players without a car in the Team market who are receiving reimbursement

pursuant to clauses (ii), (iii) or (iv) of subparagraph (a) shall be entitled to a maximum

reimbursement of two hundred and fifty dollars ($250). In the event such player makes the

Regular Season roster, the player shall be entitled to receive the balance of the reimbursement

provided for in subparagraph (a) (i.e., up to $1,750). In the event that the player does not make

the Regular Season roster, the Team shall have no further reimbursement obligation to the

player.

(c) In the event that an odd number of players are receiving either access to a

car or reimbursement for rental costs, the Team will provide the extra player with either access to

a car alone or reimbursement for a rental car up to a maximum of four thousand dollars ($4,000),

prorated to reflect any partial Season during which there were an odd number of players

receiving reimbursement for rental costs. In the event that there are an odd number of players

receiving reimbursement for a rental car during training camp, such extra player shall be entitled

to a maximum reimbursement of five hundred dollars ($500). In the event the extra player

makes the Regular Season roster, the extra player shall be entitled to receive the balance of the

reimbursement provided for in this subparagraph c (i.e., $3,500).

(d) Players who enter into rest-of-season contracts after the ninetieth (90th)

day of the Regular Season and players who sign 7-day contracts shall be entitled to a maximum

reimbursement of one hundred dollars ($100) for local transportation.

104
 (e) Teams may only provide reimbursements pursuant to this Section 6 upon

the presentation of valid shipping or rental receipts.

105
 ARTICLE XII

REVENUE SHARING

Section 1. Revenue Sharing Agreement.

(a) If, for any Season during the term of this Agreement (for purposes of this

Article XII, the “Current Season”) beginning with the 2021 Season, “Cumulative League

Revenue” exceeds the “Cumulative Revenue Target” applicable to such Season, then, subject to

the provisions of this Article XII, the players will be paid an amount equal to fifty percent (50%)

of Shared Revenue (as defined below) as follows:

The WNBA shall be obligated to pay an amount equal to twenty-

five percent (25%) of Shared Revenue to all WNBA players who were on a WNBA roster during

the applicable Regular Season. Such payment shall be effectuated and satisfied solely by the

WNBA paying such amount to Teams no later than sixty (60) days following the submission of

the League Revenue Report (as defined below) to the Players Association and causing the Teams

to distribute as soon as practicable such amount on such proportional basis as may be reasonably

determined by the Players Association, less all amounts required to be withheld by any

governmental authority. The Players Association shall provide the WNBA with its proposed

per-player distribution of any such amount within thirty (30) days after the WNBA’s submission

of the League Revenue Report to it.

The minimum amount required to be spent on WNBA Marketing

and Promotional Agreements in the Marketing Period immediately following the Season after the

Current Season shall be increased by twenty-five percent (25%) of Shared Revenue.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the League Revenue Reports are subject to any dispute before

the Arbitrator pursuant to Section 2(c)(v) below, which is not resolved within ninety (90) days

following the submission of the League Revenue Report to the Players Association, any

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minimum amount required to be spent on WNBA Marketing and Promotional Agreements shall

be increased in the Marketing Period immediately following the Season in which such dispute is

resolved, or if such dispute is resolved in an Off-Season, the following Marketing Period.

(b) For purposes of this Article XII:

“League Revenue” for a Season will equal the total revenue

amount, calculated based on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, recorded in the

WNBA, LLC and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Income, less any portion of such total

revenue amount that is attributable to (i) barter transactions; and (ii) expansion or the transfer or

relocation of a Team.

“Cumulative League Revenue” is the sum of League Revenue

from the 2020 Season through the Current Season.

The “Cumulative Revenue Target” for a Season will be calculated,

commencing with the 2021 Season, as follows:

Step 1: Apply an annual compound twenty percent (20%)

increase to 2019 League Revenue through the Current Season.

Step 2: Sum amounts calculated in Step 1 above from 2020

through the Current Season to determine the Current Season’s Cumulative Revenue Target. For

example, if 2019 League Revenue were ten million dollars ($10,000,000), the 2022 Cumulative

Revenue Target would be forty-three million, six hundred and eighty thousand dollars

($43,680,000) ($12,000,000 plus $14,400,000 plus $17,280,000).

The “Cumulative Overage” for any Season is the amount by which

Cumulative League Revenue exceeds the Cumulative Revenue Target.

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 The “Prior Overage” for any Season is the Cumulative Overage

from the Season immediately prior to the Current Season.

The “Net Overage” for any Season is the Cumulative Overage less

the greater of the Prior Overage and zero. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article

XII, if the Net Overage is a negative number for any Season, there shall be no revenue sharing

for such Season.

“Shared Revenue” for any Season is the Net Overage less a thirty

percent (30%) deemed cost of revenue (i.e., the Net Overage multiplied by 0.7).

Section 2. Accounting Procedures.

(a) Within thirty (30) days of the execution of this Agreement, with respect to

the 2019 Season, and within one hundred and twenty (120) days following the 2020 Season and

each Season thereafter covered by this Agreement, the WNBA shall submit a report to the

Players Association setting forth League Revenue for such Season (the “League Revenue

Report”). The League Revenue Report will be prepared based upon the audited amounts

included in the WNBA, LLC and Subsidiaries Consolidated Financial Statements for the

respective fiscal year.

(b) (i) After the submission of each League Revenue Report, the Players

Association shall have the right, with respect to any Season hereunder (including the 2019

Season), to have its own representatives conduct, or to retain its own accountants (the “Players

Association’s Accountants”), at its own expense, to conduct, an audit of the books and records of

the WNBA, provided, however, that such audit shall be limited to revenue.

The Players Association may exercise the right set forth in Section

2(b)(i) above by providing written notice (stating its intention to request such annual review) that

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must be received by the WNBA General Counsel within thirty (30) days of receipt by the Players

Association of the League Revenue Report. If such written notice is not received by the WNBA

within such thirty (30)-day period, then League Revenue for the applicable Season shall be the

amount set forth in the League Revenue Report.

(c) If the Players Association elects to perform a review in accordance with

Section 2(b) above:

The Players Association will sign, and cause its representatives to

sign, a confidentiality agreement in a form reasonably prescribed by the WNBA.

For purposes of validating League Revenue, the Players

Association Accountants shall perform such review procedures during normal business hours

over a period of five (5) days.

The Players Association shall notify designated representatives of

the WNBA of any proposed adjustments to any item contained in the League Revenue Reports

by March 15 of the calendar year following the conclusion of the Current Season and each party

will resolve any proposed adjustment by April 30 of the same calendar year.

If the Players Association exercises its right set forth in Section

2(b) above, any payments pursuant to Section 1(a)(i) above will be due thirty (30) days following

the completion of any adjustments to the League Revenue Report pursuant to the procedures

contained in this Section 2 (whether pursuant to subsection (iii) above or following the

conclusion of any dispute resolved by the Arbitrator pursuant to subsection (v) below).

All disputes with respect to any review of a League Revenue

Report shall be resolved exclusively in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article XXIII.

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 ARTICLE XIII

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY AND WNBA DRAFT

Section 1. Player Eligibility.

(a) Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.

(b) A player is eligible to be selected in the WNBA Draft if she: (i) will be at

least twenty-two (22) years old during the calendar year in which such Draft is held and she

either has no remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces her remaining intercollegiate

eligibility by written notice to the WNBA at least ten (10) days prior to such Draft; (ii) has

graduated from a four-year college or university prior to such Draft, or “is to graduate” from

such college or university within the three (3)-month period following such Draft and she either

has no remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces her remaining intercollegiate eligibility

by written notice to the WNBA at least ten (10) days prior to such Draft or (iii) attended a four-

year college or university, her original class in such college or university has already been

graduated or “is to graduate” within the three (3)-month period following such Draft, and she

either has no remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces her remaining intercollegiate

eligibility by written notice to the WNBA at least ten (10) days prior to such Draft. For purposes

of subsection (b)(ii) above, “is to graduate” shall mean that such player would graduate from the

college or university she is currently enrolled in if she were to successfully complete the

coursework she is enrolled in at the time of such Draft and such course load is commensurate

with the previous course loads she has successfully completed. For purposes of subsection

(b)(iii) above, “is to graduate” shall mean that the majority of the students in such class would

graduate from such college or university upon successful completion of the coursework the

members of such class are enrolled in at the time of such Draft.

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 (c) A player who: (i) is competing in a NCAA season (including any NCAA

Tournament) during the period that begins ten (10) days prior to a Draft; (ii) has remaining

intercollegiate eligibility beyond the season in which she is currently competing; and (iii) is

otherwise eligible for selection in such Draft, may make herself eligible for such Draft by

renouncing her remaining intercollegiate eligibility within the period beginning at the conclusion

of her final NCAA game in the season in which she is currently competing and ending twenty-

four hours thereafter (but in no event later than three (3) hours prior to the Draft).

(d) Notwithstanding Section 1(b) above, an international player is eligible to

be selected in the WNBA Draft if she will be at least 20 years old during the calendar year in

which such Draft is held.

(e) For purposes of this Section 1, an “international player” means any person

born and residing outside the United States who participates in the game of basketball as an

amateur or a professional. An international player who exercises intercollegiate basketball

eligibility in the United States shall be subject to the eligibility rules set forth in Section 1(b)(iii)

above.

(f) No player may sign a Contract or play in the WNBA unless she has been

eligible for selection in at least one (1) WNBA Draft.

(g) No player shall be eligible for selection in more than two (2) WNBA

Drafts.

Section 2. Indemnity.

The WNBA agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Players Association and

each of its respective past, present and future affiliates, agents, employees, successors, designees,

assigns, officers, directors, trustees, attorneys, members, heirs, executors, administrators, and

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representatives, from any and all claims arising from or relating to the player eligibility

requirements set forth in Sections 1(b), 1(c) or 1(d) above, including, without limitation, any

judgments, costs and settlements, provided that the WNBA is immediately notified of any such

claim in writing (and, in no event later than five (5) days from the Players Association’s receipt

thereof), is given the opportunity to assume the defense thereof, and the Players Association uses

its best efforts to defend such claim, and does not admit liability with respect to and does not

settle such claim without prior written consent of the WNBA.

Section 3. Term and Timing of WNBA Draft Provisions.

A WNBA Draft will be held prior to the commencement of each WNBA Season

covered by the term of this Agreement. Each such Draft will be held prior to the May 15

preceding the commencement of the WNBA Season on a date to be designated by the

Commissioner.

Section 4. Number of Choices.

The WNBA Draft shall consist of three (3) rounds, with each round consisting of

the same number of selections as there will be Teams in the WNBA the following Season;

provided, however, that the WNBA, within its discretion, may add one additional selection to

each round of any Draft immediately prior to an Expansion Team’s first Season of operation (or

more than one selection if multiple Expansion Teams are beginning operations in the same

Season, it being understood that the number of additional selections in each round of any Draft

will not exceed the number of Expansion Teams to begin operations in the immediately

succeeding Season) to be exercised (or assigned) by such Expansion Team(s).

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Section 5. Negotiating Rights to Draft Rookies.

(a) A Team that drafts a player, during the period from the date of such

WNBA Draft (hereinafter the “Initial Draft”) to the date of the next Draft (hereinafter the

“Subsequent Draft”), shall be the only Team with which such player may negotiate or sign a

Player Contract, provided that, within seven (7) days following the Initial Draft, such Team has

made a Required Tender to such player. If a Team has made a Required Tender to such player

and the player has not signed a Player Contract within the period between the Initial Draft and

the Subsequent Draft, the Team that drafts the player shall lose its exclusive right to negotiate

with the player and the player will then be eligible for selection in the Subsequent Draft.

(b) A Team that, in the Subsequent Draft, drafts a player who (i) was drafted

in the Initial Draft, (ii) received a Required Tender from the Team that drafted her in the Initial

Draft, and (iii) did not sign a Player Contract with such first Team prior to the Subsequent Draft,

shall be, during the period from the date of the Subsequent Draft to the date of the next WNBA

Draft, the only Team with which such player may negotiate or sign a Player Contract, provided

such Team has made a Required Tender. If such player has not signed a Player Contract within

the period between the Subsequent Draft and the next WNBA Draft with the Team that drafted

her in the Subsequent Draft, that Team shall lose its exclusive right, which it obtained in the

Subsequent Draft, to negotiate with the player, and the player will become a Rookie Free Agent

as of the date of the next WNBA Draft.

(c) If a player is drafted in an Initial Draft and (i) receives a Required Tender,

(ii) does not sign a Player Contract with a Team prior to the Subsequent Draft, and (iii) is not

drafted by any Team in such Subsequent Draft, the player will become a Rookie Free Agent

immediately upon the conclusion of the Subsequent Draft.

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 (d) If a player is drafted by a Team in either an Initial or Subsequent Draft and

that Team does not make a Required Tender to such player, the player will become a Rookie

Free Agent on the eighth (8th) day following such Draft.

(e) A Team may at any time withdraw a Required Tender that it has made to a

player, provided that the player agrees in writing to the withdrawal. In the event that a Required

Tender is withdrawn, the player shall thereupon become a Rookie Free Agent.

(f) A Team that holds the exclusive rights to negotiate with and sign a drafted

player may at any time renounce such exclusive rights, except that, if the Team has made a

Required Tender to the player, a renunciation shall not be permitted during the time the player

has been given to accept the Required Tender. In order to renounce its exclusive rights with

respect to a drafted player, a Team shall provide the WNBA with an express, written statement

renouncing such exclusive rights. The WNBA shall provide a copy of such statement to the

Players Association within three (3) business days following its receipt thereof.

Section 6. Effect of Contracts with Other Professional Teams.

If a player is drafted by a Team in either an Initial or Subsequent Draft and,

during a period in which she may negotiate and sign a Player Contract with only the Team that

drafted her, either (i) is a party to a previously existing player contract with a professional

basketball team not in the WNBA, or (ii) signs such a player contract, then the following rules

will apply:

(a) Subject to subsection (b) below, the Team that drafts the player shall

retain the exclusive WNBA rights to negotiate with and sign her for the period ending one year

from the date the player notifies such Team that she is immediately available to sign a Player

Contract with such Team that covers the then-current or (if the notice is provided between

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Seasons) the immediately-succeeding Season, provided that such notice will not be effective

until the player is under no contractual or other legal impediment to sign and play with such

Team during such Season.

(b) If, by February 1 of any year, the player notifies the Team that has drafted

her that by April 1 of such year she will be under no contractual or other legal impediment to

sign and play with such Team, and provided that on such April 1 the player is in fact under no

such contractual or other legal impediment, then, in order to retain the exclusive WNBA rights to

negotiate with and sign the player as provided in subsection (a), such Team must make a

Required Tender to the player by April 5 of such year.

(c) If the player gives the required notice by February 1 of any year, and the

Team that drafted her fails to make a Required Tender by April 5 of such year, the player shall

thereupon become a Rookie Free Agent.

(d) If, during the one-year period of exclusive WNBA negotiating rights set

forth in subsection (a) above, the player signs another, or remains subject to a, player contract

with a professional basketball team not in the WNBA and (i) the player has not made a bona fide

effort to negotiate a Player Contract with the Team possessing her exclusive WNBA rights or (ii)

such bona fide effort is made and such Team makes a Required Tender to such player in

accordance with subsection (b) above, then such Team shall retain the exclusive WNBA rights to

negotiate with and sign the player for additional one-year periods as measured in and in

accordance with subsection (a).

(e) If, during the one-year period of exclusive WNBA negotiating rights set

forth in subsection (a) above, the player signs another player contract with a professional

basketball team not in the WNBA and (i) the player has made a bona fide effort to negotiate a

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Player Contract with the Team possessing her exclusive WNBA rights, and (ii) such Team fails

to make a Required Tender to such player in accordance with subsection (b) above, then the

player shall thereupon become a Rookie Free Agent.

(f) If, during the one-year period of exclusive WNBA negotiating rights set

forth in subsection (a) above, the Team makes or has made a Required Tender to the player and

the player does not sign a player contract with any professional basketball team, then (i) in the

case of a player who was previously drafted in an Initial Draft, the next WNBA Draft following

such one-year period shall be deemed the Subsequent Draft as to such player, and the rules

applicable to a player who is subject to a Subsequent Draft will apply, or (ii) in the case of a

player who was previously drafted in a Subsequent Draft, such player shall become a Rookie

Free Agent at the end of such one-year period.

(g) Notice under this Section 6 shall be provided in writing by personal

delivery or prepaid certified, registered, or overnight mail sent to the Team’s principal address or

principal office (as then listed in the WNBA’s records), to the attention of the Team’s general

manager. For purposes of this Section 6, a “professional basketball team” shall mean any team

in any country that pays money or compensation of any kind (in excess of a stipend for living

expenses) to a basketball player for rendering services for such team.

Section 7. Application to Players Who Renounce Intercollegiate Eligibility Prior to

Being Drafted or Regain Intercollegiate Eligibility after Being Drafted.

If a person (i) becomes eligible for the WNBA Draft by renouncing her

intercollegiate eligibility pursuant to Section 1(b) above or (ii) regains intercollegiate eligibility

after her eligibility had expired or had been terminated, and such person is selected in the

WNBA Draft after renouncing her eligibility or prior to regaining her eligibility, the following

rules apply:

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 (a) If the player does not thereafter play intercollegiate basketball, then the

applicable rules shall be those set forth in Sections 5 and 6 above.

(b) If the player does thereafter play intercollegiate basketball, then the Team

that drafted her shall retain the exclusive WNBA rights to negotiate with and sign the player for

the period ending one year from the date of the Draft following the date on which such player

finally exhausts or loses her intercollegiate eligibility, provided that such Team makes a

Required Tender to the player within seven (7) days of such Draft. For purposes hereof, the

Draft following the date on which the player finally exhausts or loses her intercollegiate

eligibility will be deemed the Initial Draft as to that player and, at that point, the applicable rules

with respect to such player shall be those set forth in Sections 5 and 6 above.

Section 8. Assignment of Draft Rights.

In the event that the exclusive right to negotiate with a player obtained in any

WNBA Draft is assigned by a Team to another Team, in accordance with WNBA procedures,

the Team to which such right has been assigned shall have the same, but no greater, right to

negotiate with and sign such player as possessed by the Team assigning such right, and such

player shall have the same, but no greater, obligation to the Team to which such right has been

assigned as she had to the Team assigning such right.

Section 9. General.

(a) Nothing contained herein shall prevent the WNBA, in accordance with the

applicable provisions of WNBA League Rules, from prohibiting or otherwise responding to

violations by Teams of the exclusive WNBA rights obtained in any WNBA Draft, as set forth or

referred to in this Article. Other than as specifically agreed to herein, nothing contained in this

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Agreement shall be deemed to be an agreement by the Players Association to any provision of

the WNBA League Rules.

(b) Any claim by a player that a Contract offered as a Required Tender

pursuant to this Article XIII fails to meet one or more of the criteria for a Required Tender shall

be made by written notice to the Team (with copies sent to the WNBA and the Players

Association), no later than ten (10) days after the receipt of such Contract by the Players

Association. Such notice must set forth the specific changes that the player asserts must be made

to the offered Contract in order for it to constitute a Required Tender. Upon receipt of such

notice, if the requested changes are necessary to satisfy the requirements of a Required Tender,

the Team may within five (5) business days offer the player an amended Contract incorporating

the requested changes. If the Team offers such an amended Contract, the player shall be

precluded from asserting that such Contract does not constitute a timely and valid Required

Tender.

(c) A player who knows or reasonably should have known that she has a

physical disability or other condition (including pregnancy) that reasonably would be expected to

render her physically unable to perform the playing services required under a Player Contract the

following season may not validly accept a Required Tender made under this Article XIII, unless

the Team consents after disclosure of such physical disability or other condition. If, after

receiving written notice of such disability or other condition (and, at the election of the Team, a

physical examination of the player to confirm such disability or other condition), the Team

desires to withdraw the Required Tender, such player will remain subject to the Team’s

exclusive negotiating rights.

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 A person who has renounced her intercollegiate eligibility and expressed her

desire to become eligible to be selected in the next WNBA Draft pursuant to Section 1(b) above

shall be entitled to withdraw from such Draft by providing written notice that is received by the

WNBA five (5) days prior to such Draft.

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 ARTICLE XIV

PLAYER CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE

Section 1. Player Obligations.

Players shall at all times conform their conduct to standards of good citizenship,

good moral character, and good sportsmanship and shall not do anything detrimental or

prejudicial to the best interests of the WNBA, their Teams, or the sport of basketball. Without

limiting the foregoing, players shall also be required at all times to comply with all terms and

provisions of this Agreement; to perform all services required under their Standard Player

Contracts or any WNBA or Team Marketing and Promotional Agreements; to comply at all

times with all applicable federal, state, and local laws; to be neatly attired and present a

professional appearance when in public (including all player appearances, travel days, and travel

to and from the arena); and to follow all reasonable rules and regulations of the WNBA and their

Teams promulgated in accordance with this Agreement.

Section 2. Player Discipline.

(a) In addition to any other rights it has under this Agreement and the

Standard Player Contract, the WNBA and/or a Team may impose reasonable discipline on a

player for any act or omission that fails to conform to the requirements set forth in Section 1

above. Such discipline may include reasonable fines and/or suspensions.

(b) The WNBA and the Team shall not discipline a player for the same act or

conduct. The WNBA’s disciplinary action will preclude or supersede disciplinary action by any

Team for the same act or conduct, except the same act or conduct by a player may result in both

a termination of the player’s Standard Player Contract by her Team and the suspension of the

player by the WNBA if the egregious nature of the act or conduct is so lacking in justification as

to warrant such double penalty.

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Section 3. Fine and Suspension Payments.

All fines shall be deducted from a player’s paycheck for the pay period

immediately following the imposition of such fines or as promptly thereafter as is reasonably

possible. When a player is suspended: (i) for a predetermined number of games or for any period

of time during the playoffs, her full Base Salary for the Season in which such suspension occurs

shall be reduced by an amount equal to her full Base Salary multiplied by a fraction, the

numerator of which shall be the number of pre-season, Regular Season, and/or playoff games

missed as a consequence of the suspension, and the denominator of which shall be the number of

pre-season and Regular Season games in such Season; (ii) for a duration of days or an

indeterminate duration not including any period of time during the playoffs, her full base salary

for the Season in which such suspension occurs shall be reduced by an amount equal to her full

Base Salary multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Regular

Season days missed as a consequence of the suspension, and the denominator of which shall be

the total number of days in such Regular Season; provided, however, that the foregoing

calculation shall not result in the reduction of a player’s Base Salary in an amount greater than

such Base Salary. If, at the time the player is fined or suspended, the amount remaining to be

earned under her Standard Player Contract is not sufficient to cover such fine or suspension

amount, the player shall promptly pay such amount directly to the WNBA.

Section 4. Charitable Contributions.

(a) In the event that (i) a fine or suspension is imposed on a player, (ii) such

fine or suspension related Compensation amount is collected by the League, and (iii) the fine or

suspension is not grieved pursuant to Article XXII, then the WNBA shall remit fifty percent

(50%) of the amount collected to a charitable organization selected by the Players Association

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that qualifies for treatment under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as

now in effect or as it may hereafter be amended (a “Section 501(c)(3) Organization”), and that is

approved by the WNBA (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) (both hereinafter,

the “WNBPA Selected Charitable Organization”). The WNBA shall remit the remaining fifty

percent (50%) of the amount collected to a Section 501(c)(3) organization selected by the

WNBA and approved by the Players Association, which approval shall not be unreasonably

withheld.

(b) The remittances made by the WNBA pursuant to this Section 4 shall be

made annually, thirty (30) days following the end of the WNBA Season during which the fine or

suspension related Compensation amount is collected by the WNBA. For purposes of this

Article and all other provisions of this Agreement, any money remitted or paid to a charity or

foundation controlled by or affiliated with the WNBPA shall be used for charitable purposes

only, and not, for example, for any salaries of the organization’s employees or administrative

expenses.

(c) If a timely Grievance is filed under Article XXII challenging a fine or

suspension of the kind designated in Section 4(a) above, and, following the disposition of the

Grievance, the Arbitrator determines that all or part of the fine or suspension-related amount

(plus any accrued interest thereon) is payable by the player to the WNBA, then the WNBA shall

remit the amount collected by it (plus any interest) in accordance with the provisions of Sections

4(a) and (b) above.

Section 5. Gambling.

(a) The Commissioner, in her sole discretion, shall direct the dismissal and

disqualification from any further association with the WNBA of any player found by the

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Commissioner after a hearing to have been guilty of offering, agreeing, conspiring, aiding, or

attempting to cause any WNBA Competition to result otherwise than on its merits.

(b) Each WNBA player shall be required to disclose to a WNBA or Team

official any attempt by any person to give or receive money or anything of value to fix, throw or

otherwise affect the outcome, score or any other aspect of any WNBA Competition other than on

its merits. Any player found by the Commissioner after a hearing to have violated this provision

shall, in the sole discretion of the Commissioner, be subject to a reasonable fine or a suspension

not to exceed ten (10) games.

(c) Any player found by the Commissioner after a hearing to have been guilty

of wagering (directly or indirectly), or of offering or attempting to wager, money or anything of

value on the outcome, score, or any other aspect of any WNBA Competition shall, in the sole

discretion of the Commissioner, be subject to a fine, suspension, and/or dismissal and

disqualification from any further association with the WNBA.

Section 6. Holdouts.

In addition to any fine or suspension that a Team may impose on a player for

failing to report at the start of the Season at the time and place designated by the Team, a Team

may suspend such player for the remainder of such Season if: (a) she notifies the Team in writing

that she will not be playing in the WNBA during such Season (it being understood that a player

providing any such notification to a team shall not be construed to have consented to any fine

imposed on the player for her failure to report); (b) within fourteen (14) days after the start of the

Season, she fails either to report to the Team or to provide written notice to the Team stating that

she intends to report within twenty-one (21) days after the start of such Season; or (c) she fails to

report to the Team within twenty-one (21) days after the start of such Season. In any challenge

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to such suspension brought by the player or the Players Association, the only issue to be resolved

shall be whether, in fact, the player failed to report or provide the requisite written notice, and

neither the player nor the Players Association may otherwise contend that there was not just

cause for the discipline imposed.

Section 7. Fines for Missing Games.

The Team or, if the Team declines, the WNBA may fine any player who misses

Regular Season or playoff games due to basketball-related commitments with another league or

entity as follows: up to two and one half percent (2 ½%) of the player’s Base Salary for each

Regular Season game missed and up to five percent (5%) of a player’s Base Salary for each

playoff game missed. In no event may the aggregate fines imposed on a player by the WNBA or

a Team pursuant to this Section 7 exceed (i) twenty percent (20%) of the player’s Base Salary for

missing Regular Season games in any Season, and (ii) twenty-five percent (25%) of a player’s

Base Salary for missing playoff games in any Season. For clarity, (i) if the WNBA or a Team

imposes a fine pursuant to this Section 7 in respect of missed Regular Season or playoff games,

neither the Team nor the WNBA, as the case may be, shall be permitted to impose an additional

fine on the player for the same missed games, and (ii) nothing in this Section 7 shall be construed

to limit a Team’s right, in circumstances where the WNBA or a Team has imposed 2 ½% or 5%

fines in respect of missed games, to impose a suspension or other discipline on a player for the

same (or other) missed games in accordance with this Agreement (and the 20% and 25% caps

noted above shall not be applicable to any lost salary due to any such suspension).

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 7, the additional fines for missing

Regular Season or playoff games contained in this Section 7 shall not result in a reduction of a

player’s Base Salary in an amount greater than such Base Salary.

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Section 8. Additional Appearances for Missing Training Camp.

In addition to (i) any fine, suspension or other discipline that a Team may impose

on a player for failing to report at the start of the Season at the time and place designated by the

Team in accordance with this Agreement, and (ii) any fine, suspension or other discipline that a

Team may impose on a player for missing any part of training camp in accordance with this

Agreement, the Team or, if the Team declines, the WNBA may require players to make

Additional Unpaid Team Promotional Appearances (as that term is defined in Article XXIV,

Section 1(b)) for missing any part of training camp due to basketball-related commitments with

another league or entity as follows: if the player misses all or any part of the first seven (7) days

of training camp, one Additional Unpaid Team Promotional Appearance; if the player misses all

or any part of the second seven (7) days of training camp, one Additional Unpaid Team

Promotional Appearance; and, if the player misses all or any part of the remainder of training

camp, one Additional Unpaid Team Promotional Appearance.

Section 9. WNBA Prioritization.

(a) Start of Season Requirements (2023 Season).

In addition to any fine or suspension that a Team may impose on a

player for failing to report at the start of any Season at the time and place designated by the

Team in accordance with this Agreement and subject to subsection (d) below, with respect to the

2023 Season, the WNBA shall (i) fine any player under Contract for the Season as of the day

prior to the start of the Season (a “Pre-Training Camp Contracted Player”) who does not report at

the time and place designated by the Team by the start of the 2023 Season one percent (1%) of

the player’s Base Salary for each missed training camp day (“Missed Training Camp Day”); and

(ii) suspend without pay for the entire remainder of the 2023 Season any Pre-Training Camp

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Contracted Player who does not report at the time and place designated by the Team by the start

of the 2023 Regular Season or May 1, 2023, whichever is later.

Subject to subsection (d) below, with respect to the 2023 Season,

the WNBA shall (i) fine any player who is not a Pre-Training Camp Contracted Player, who

subsequently signs a Player Contract during training camp (a “Training Camp Contracted

Player”) and who had not fully completed any Off-Season Playing Obligation prior to the start of

the 2023 Season, one percent (1%) of such Training Camp Contracted Player’s Base Salary for

each Missed Training Camp Day and (ii) shall suspend without pay for the entire remainder of

the 2023 Season any Training Camp Contracted Player who does not report at the time and place

designated by the Team by the start of the 2023 Regular Season or May 1, 2023, whichever is

later. For purposes of the foregoing clause (i), such Training Camp Contracted Player’s Missed

Training Camp Days shall accrue from the start of the 2023 Season and accordingly shall include

any days during which such player was not under Contract.

Subject to subsection (d) below, any player who (i) is not a Pre–

Training Camp Contracted Player, (ii) does not become a Training Camp Contracted Player and

(iii) does not fully complete any Off-Season Playing Obligation prior to the start of the 2023

Regular Season or May 1, 2023, whichever is later, shall not be eligible to sign a Player Contract

covering all, or any part, of the 2023 Season.

(b) Start of Season Requirements (2024-2027 Seasons).

In addition to any fine or suspension that a Team may impose on a

player for failing to report at the start of any Season at the time and place designated by the

Team in accordance with this Agreement and subject to subsection (d) below, with respect to any

Season hereunder after the 2023 Season, the WNBA shall suspend without pay for the entire

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remainder of the Season any Pre-Training Camp Contracted Player who does not report at the

time and place designated by the Team by the start of such Season or May 1 of such Season,

whichever is later.

Subject to subsection (d) below, with respect to any Season

hereunder after the 2023 Season, any player who is not a Pre-Training Camp Contracted Player

and who does not fully complete any Off-Season Playing Obligation prior to the start of any such

Season shall not be eligible to sign a Player Contract covering all, or any part, of such Season.

(c) In-Season Departures (2023-2027 Seasons). In addition to any penalties

to which a player may be subject pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) above, any player who is

under Contract for any Season hereunder who reports to her Team for a Season and then leaves

the Team at any point during such Season (hereafter for purposes of this subsection (c), “Season

One”) (i) to provide basketball-related services for any entity other than the WNBA for any

reason, or (ii) for any personal reason, other than, with respect to each of clauses (i) and (ii), for

the reasons set forth in subsection (d) below, shall be suspended without pay for the remainder of

Season One and shall be ineligible to play in the WNBA during the Season following Season

One (hereafter for purposes of this subsection (c), “Season Two”) (i.e., suspended for Season

Two if she is under Contract for Season Two at the time of the Season One suspension or

ineligible to sign a Player Contract for all, or any part, of Season Two if she is not under

Contract for Season Two at the time of the Season One suspension).

(d) Exceptions to WNBA Prioritization. The WNBA prioritization rules

contained in this Section 9 shall not apply (i) to players with zero (0), one (1) or two (2) Years of

Service as of the end of the preceding Season, or (ii) to the extent that players report late to their

Team for the start of a Season, or leave their Team during a Season, to participate with their

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national team in (including no more than two weeks of training immediately prior to) the FIBA

World Cup or a FIBA continental championship (e.g., the European Championship), provided

that any such player returns to her Team within forty-eight (48) hours after her national team has

completed play in such FIBA competition. In addition, if a player is late for, or leaves during,

the Season due to a significant life event wholly unrelated to an Off-Season Playing Obligation

(e.g., a graduation ceremony or a death in the family), the prioritization rules contained in this

Section 9 shall not apply, provided that the player makes good-faith attempts to provide advance

notice to her Team and reports, or returns to, the Team within twenty-four (24) hours after the

conclusion of her commitments related to the significant life event.

(e) The unearned Base Salary for any player suspended pursuant to this

Section 9 shall be promptly removed from the Team’s Team Salary.

Section 10. Unlawful Violence.

When a player is convicted of (including a plea of guilty, no contest, or nolo

contendere to) a violent felony, she shall immediately be suspended by the WNBA for a

minimum of five (5) games.

Section 11. Counseling for Violent Misconduct.

(a) In addition to any other rights a Team or the WNBA may have by contract

or law, when the WNBA and the Players Association agree that there is reasonable cause to

believe that a player has engaged in any type of off-court violent conduct, the player will (if the

WNBA and the Players Association so agree) be required to undergo a clinical evaluation by a

neutral expert and, if deemed necessary by such expert, appropriate counseling, with such

evaluation and counseling program to be developed and supervised by the WNBA and the

Players Association, unless the player has engaged in acts covered by the Joint WNBA/WNBPA

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Policy on Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse, in which case

the terms of that Policy shall apply. For purposes of this paragraph, “violent conduct” shall

include, but not be limited to, any conduct involving the use or threat of physical violence or the

use of, or threat to use, a deadly weapon, any conduct which could be categorized as a “hate

crime,” and any conduct involving dog fighting or animal cruelty.

(b) Any player who is convicted of (including a plea of guilty, no contest, or

nolo contendere to) a crime involving violent conduct shall be required to attend at least five (5)

counseling sessions with a therapist or counselor jointly selected by the WNBA and the Players

Association, unless the player has engaged in acts covered by the Joint WNBA/WNBPA Policy

on Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse, in which case the

terms of that Policy shall apply. These sessions shall be in addition to any discipline imposed on

the player by the WNBA for the conduct underlying her conviction. The therapist or counselor

who is jointly selected by the WNBA and the Players Association shall determine the total

number of counseling sessions to be attended by the player; provided that in no event shall a

player be required to attend more than ten (10) sessions; provided, further, that the number of

such sessions shall be reduced by the number of any counseling sessions that a player is ordered

by a court to attend and does subsequently attend, even if, notwithstanding the above, such

reduction results in the player attending fewer than five (5) counseling sessions with a therapist

or counselor jointly selected by the WNBA and the Players Association.

(c) Any player who, after being notified in writing by the WNBA that she is

required to undergo the clinical evaluation and/or counseling program authorized by Section

11(a) or 11(b) above, refuses or fails, without a reasonable explanation, to attend or participate in

such evaluation and counseling program within seventy-two (72) hours following such notice,

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shall be fined by the WNBA in the amount of $1,000 for each day following such seventy-two

(72) hours that the player refuses or fails to participate in such program.

Section 12. Firearms and Other Weapons.

(a) Whenever a player is physically present at a facility or venue owned,

operated, or being used by a Team, the WNBA, or any League-related entity, and whenever a

player is traveling on any WNBA-related business, whether on behalf of the player’s Team, the

WNBA, or any League-related entity, such player shall not possess a firearm of any kind or any

other deadly weapon. For purposes of the foregoing, “a facility or venue” includes, but is not

limited to: an arena; a practice facility; a Team or League office or facility; an All-Star or

WNBA playoff venue; and the site of a promotional or charitable appearance.

(b) At the commencement of each Season, and if the player owns or possesses

any firearm, the player will provide the Team with proof that the player possesses a license or

registration as required by law for any such firearm. Each player is also required to provide the

Team with proof of any modifications or additions made to this information during the Season.

(c) Any violation of Section 12(a) or Section 12(b) above shall be considered

conduct prejudicial to the WNBA under Article XIV, Section 1, and shall therefore subject the

player to discipline by the WNBA in accordance with such Article.

Section 13. League Investigations.

(a) Players are required to cooperate with investigations conducted by the

WNBA. Failure to so cooperate, in the absence of a player’s reasonable apprehension of her

own criminal prosecution, will subject the player to reasonable fines and/or suspensions imposed

by the WNBA. Any investigations of alleged misconduct that is covered by the Joint

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WNBA/WNBPA Policy on Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child

Abuse shall be governed by the terms of that Policy.

(b) Except as set forth in Section 13(c) below, the WNBA shall provide the

Players Association with such advance notice as is reasonable in the circumstances of any

interview or meeting to be held (in person or by telephone) between a WNBA representative and

a player under investigation by the WNBA for alleged misconduct, and shall invite a

representative of the Players Association to participate or attend. The failure or inability of a

Players Association representative to participate in or attend the interview or meeting, however,

shall not prevent the interview or meeting from proceeding as scheduled. A willful disregard by

the WNBA of its obligation to notify the Players Association as provided for by this Section

13(b) shall bar the WNBA from using as evidence against the player in a proceeding involving

such alleged misconduct any statements made by the player in the interview or meeting

conducted by the WNBA representative.

(c) The provisions of Section 13(b) above shall not apply to interviews or

meetings: (i) held by the WNBA as part of an investigation with respect to alleged player

misconduct that occurred at the site of a game; and (ii) which take place during the course of, or

immediately preceding or following, such game. With respect to any such interview or meeting,

the WNBA’s only obligation shall be to provide notice to the Players Association that the

WNBA will be conducting an investigation and holding an interview or meeting in connection

therewith. Such notice may be given by telephone at a telephone number or by email at an email

address to be designated in writing by the Players Association.

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Section 14. Motor Vehicles.

At the commencement of each Season, and if the player owns or operates any

motor vehicle, the player will provide the Team with proof that the player possesses a valid

driver’s license, registration documents, and insurance for any such vehicle. For players who

sign Standard Player Contracts during the Season, the player will provide the Team with such

information within fourteen (14) days following the execution of her Standard Player Contract.

Each player is also required to provide the Team with proof of any modifications or additions

made to this information during the Season.

Section 15. Player Convictions Involving Alcohol or Controlled Substances.

In addition to any other discipline imposed by the WNBA for such conduct, any

player who is convicted of (including a plea of guilty, no contest, or nolo contendere to) driving

while intoxicated, driving under the influence, driving under the influence of a controlled

substance (if that controlled substance is not a Prohibited Substance) or any similar crime shall

be required to submit to a mandatory evaluation by the Medical Director of the Anti-Drug

Program. After that mandatory evaluation, the Medical Director may require the player to attend

up to ten (10) substance abuse counseling sessions, provided that the number of such sessions

shall be reduced by the number of any substance abuse counseling sessions that a player is

ordered by a court to attend and does subsequently attend.

Section 16. Player Arrests.

A Team shall not impose discipline on a player solely on the basis of the fact that

the player has been arrested. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) a Team may impose discipline

on a player for the conduct underlying the player’s arrest if it has an independent basis for doing

so, (b) nothing herein shall permit a Team to discipline a player for her failure to cooperate with

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a Team’s investigation of her alleged misconduct if she has a reasonable apprehension of

criminal prosecution, and (c) nothing herein shall prevent a Team from precluding a player from

participating in Team activities without loss of pay to the extent it otherwise has the right to do

so.

Section 17. Joint WNBA/WNBPA Policy on Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual

Assault, and Child Abuse.

The Joint WNBA/WNBPA Policy on Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual

Assault, and Child Abuse is attached as Exhibit 9. Any evaluation, counseling, treatment, and/or

discipline of a player for engaging in acts covered by this Policy shall be governed by the terms

of the Policy.

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 ARTICLE XV

CIRCUMVENTION

Section 1. General Prohibitions.

(a) It is the intention of the parties that the provisions agreed to herein,

including, without limitation, those relating to the Salary Cap, the Exceptions to the Salary Cap,

the Rookie Scale, and free agency, be interpreted so as to preserve the essential benefits achieved

by both parties to this Agreement. Neither the Players Association or the WNBA, nor any Team

(or Team Affiliate) or player (or person or entity acting with authority on behalf of such player),

shall enter into any agreement (including, without limitation, any Player Contract, Team

Marketing and Promotional Agreement, or any amendment or extension thereof), or undertake

any action or transaction (including, without limitation, the assignment or termination of a Player

Contract), which is, or which includes any term that is, designed to serve the purpose of

defeating or circumventing the intention of the parties as reflected by all of the provisions of this

Agreement.

(b) It shall constitute a violation of Section 1(a) above for a Team (or Team

Affiliate) to enter into an agreement or understanding with any sponsor or business partner or

third party under which such sponsor, business partner or third party pays or agrees to pay

compensation for basketball services (even if such compensation is ostensibly designated as

being for non-basketball services) to a player under Contract to the Team. Such an agreement

with a sponsor or business partner or third party may be inferred where: (i) such compensation

from the sponsor or business partner or third party is substantially in excess of the fair market

value of any services to be rendered by the player for such sponsor or business partner or third

party; and (ii) the Compensation in the Player Contract between the player and the Team is

substantially below the fair market value of such Contract.

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 (c) It shall constitute a violation of Section 1(a) above for a Team (or Team

Affiliate) to have a financial arrangement with or offer a financial inducement to any player (not

including retired players) not signed to a current Player Contract, except as permitted by this

Agreement.

Section 2. No Unauthorized Agreements.

(a) At no time shall there be any agreements or transactions of any kind

(whether disclosed or undisclosed to the WNBA), express or implied, oral or written, or

promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent, or

understandings of any kind (whether disclosed or undisclosed to the WNBA), between a player

(or any person or entity controlled by, related to, or acting with authority on behalf of such

player) and any Team (or Team Affiliate):

concerning any future extension or amendment of an existing

Standard Player Contract or Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement, or entry into a new

Standard Player Contract or Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement; or

except as permitted by this Agreement or as set forth in a Standard

Player Contract (provided that the Team has not intentionally delayed submitting such Standard

Player Contract for approval by the WNBA) or Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement,

involving compensation or consideration of any kind or anything else of value to be paid,

furnished or made available by, to, or for the benefit of the player, or any person or entity

controlled by, related to, or acting with authority on behalf of the player; or

except as permitted by this Agreement, involving an investment or

business opportunity to be furnished or made available by, to, or for the benefit of the player, or

any person or entity controlled by, related to, or acting with authority on behalf of the player.

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 (b) In addition to the foregoing, it shall be a violation of this Section 2 for any

Team (or Team Affiliate) or any player (or any person or entity controlled by, related to, or

acting with authority on behalf of such player) to attempt to enter into or to solicit any

agreement, transaction, promise, undertaking, representation, commitment, inducement,

assurance of intent or understanding that would be prohibited by Section 2(a) above.

(c) A violation of Section 2(a) or 2(b) above may be proven by direct or

circumstantial evidence, including, but not limited to, evidence that a Standard Player Contract

or Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement, or any term or provision thereof, cannot

rationally be explained in the absence of conduct violative of Section 2(a) or 2(b). The foregoing

sentence shall not limit the nature or character of the evidence that may be proffered or that,

consistent with any applicable rules of evidence, may be admitted in any proceeding conducted

in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Agreement.

(d) In any proceeding brought before the Arbitrator pursuant to this Section 2,

no adverse inference shall be drawn against the party initiating such proceeding because that

party, when it first suspected or believed that a violation of Section 2 may have occurred,

deferred the initiation of such proceeding until it had further reason to believe that such a

violation had occurred.

(e) A player will not be found to have committed a violation of Section

2(a)(ii) above if the violation is the Team’s intentional delay in submitting a Standard Player

Contract to the WNBA and this was done without the player’s knowledge.

Section 3. Diversity in Coaching Initiative.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 1 and Section 2 above and consistent

with the “WNBA’s Diversity in Coaching Initiative,” it shall not be considered a violation of

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Section 1 or Section 2 above if a Team Affiliate hires a player to perform Off-Season basketball

coaching or basketball operations services for a team not in the WNBA; provided that: (i) the

player has at least eight (8) Years of Service in the WNBA and three (3) Years of Service with

the Team affiliated with the Team Affiliate at the time of the of the agreement between the Team

Affiliate and the player; (ii) the player provides the coaching/basketball operations services on a

full-time basis during the Off-Season; (iii) the agreement between the player and the Team

Affiliate is in no way connected to the signing of any Player Contract (including any amendment

to that Player Contract or Extension of that Player Contract); (iv) the compensation to be

received by the player from the Team Affiliate represents the fair market value of the services to

be performed, as determined by the WNBA, prorated as necessary to reflect the number of

months in the Off-Season when the player will be providing the full-time services; and (v) the

agreement in its entirety is approved by the WNBA within its sole discretion (a “Diversity in

Coaching Initiative Employment Arrangement”). The factors to be considered by the WNBA in

connection with its decision whether or not to approve a Diversity in Coaching Initiative

Employment Arrangement will include, but not be limited to: (i) whether the agreement serves to

frustrate the essential benefits of this Collective Bargaining Agreement, including those related

to the Salary Cap and free agency; (ii) the timing of the agreement and whether the compensation

to be received by the player could in any way be considered to be in lieu of compensation under

a Player Contract and/or an enticement to sign a Player Contract; and (iii) the connection

between the services to be performed, the basketball operations needs of the Team Affiliate, and

the post-playing career aspirations of the player.

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Section 4. Penalties.

(a) If the Arbitrator finds a violation of Section 1 above, the Commissioner

shall be authorized to:

impose a fine of up to $300,000 (50% of which shall be payable to

the WNBA, and 50% of which shall be payable to the Players Association – Selected Charitable

Organization) on any Team found to have committed such violation for the first time;

impose a fine of up to $500,000 (50% of which shall be payable to

the WNBA, and 50% of which shall be payable to the Players Association – Selected Charitable

Organization) on any Team found to have committed such violation for at least the second time;

direct the forfeiture of one first round draft pick;

void any Standard Player Contract or Team Marketing and

Promotional Agreement (or any extension or amendment thereof) between any player and any

Team when both the player (or any person or entity acting with authority on behalf of such

player) and the Team (or Team Affiliate) are found to have committed such violation; and/or

void any other transaction or agreement found to have violated

Section 1 above.

(b) If the Arbitrator finds a violation of Section 2 above, the Commissioner

shall be authorized to:

impose a fine of up to $1,000,000 on any Team found to have

committed such violation (50% of which shall be payable to the WNBA, and 50% of which shall

be payable to the Players Association – Selected Charitable Organization);

direct the forfeiture of draft picks;

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 when both the player (or any person or entity acting with authority

on behalf of such player) and the Team (or Team Affiliate) are found to have committed such

violation, (A) void any Player Contract and/or Team Marketing Promotional Agreement (or any

extension, or amendment thereof) between such player and such Team, (B) impose a fine of up

to $2,000 on any player (50% of which shall be payable to the WNBA, and 50% of which shall

be payable to the WNBA – Selected Charitable Organization, and/or (C) prohibit any future

Player Contract and/or Team Marketing Promotional Agreement (or any extension or

amendment thereof) between such player and such Team;

suspend for up to one (1) year any person (other than a player)

employed by, or otherwise rendering services for, the Team found to have willfully engaged in

such violation; and/or

void any transaction or agreement found to have violated Section 2

above and direct the disgorgement by the player of anything of value received in connection with

such transaction or agreement (except compensation received for services already performed

pursuant to a Player Contract), unless the player establishes by a preponderance of the evidence

that she was unaware of the violation.

(c) In any proceeding before the Arbitrator in which it is alleged that a player

agent or other person or entity acting with authority on behalf of a player has violated Section 2

above, the Arbitrator shall make a specific determination with respect to such allegation and

shall refer such finding to the Players Association. The Players Association shall accept as

binding and conclusive the finding(s) of the Arbitrator that a violation of Section 2(a) or 2(b) has

occurred and shall consider such finding(s) as establishing a violation of the Players

Association’s regulations applicable to such person or entity. The Players Association represents

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that it will impose such discipline as is appropriate under the circumstances on the person or

entity found to have violated Section 2 above, and that it will promptly notify the WNBA of the

discipline imposed; provided, however, that in no event shall the penalty imposed upon a player

agent found to have violated Section 2 above be less than a one (1)-year suspension of that

player agent’s certification by the Players Association.

Section 5. Production of Tax Materials.

In any proceeding to enforce Section 1 or 2 above, the Arbitrator shall have the

authority, upon good cause shown, to direct any Team, Team Affiliate, or player to produce any

tax returns or other relevant tax materials disclosing income figures for the player (non-income

figures may be redacted), or disclosing expense figures by the Team or Team Affiliate (non-

expense figures may be redacted), which materials shall not be released to the general public or

the media and shall be treated as strictly confidential by all parties.

Section 6. Transactions with Retired Players.

(a) If (i) a Team or Team Affiliate enters into a transaction after the date of

this Agreement with a retired player who played for the Team within the five-year (5) period

preceding such transaction and the terms of such transaction provide for the retired player to be

compensated in excess of $10,000 or to be provided with an investment or business opportunity,

and if (ii) the compensation the retired player received from the Team when she was a player was

substantially below the then fair market value of such player’s basketball services, then the

WNBA may challenge the transaction, pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 6(b) below,

on the ground that: (A) the compensation to the retired player substantially exceeds the then fair

market value of the services or other consideration provided by the retired player in the

transaction; or that (B) the amount of the retired player’s investment or the benefit conferred

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upon the retired player as a result of the investment or business opportunity is not commercially

reasonable, given the relative risks and rewards of such investment.

(b) Any challenge under this Section 6 shall be filed in writing with a business

valuation expert jointly selected by the WNBA and the Players Association. In the event that the

parties cannot agree on the identity of a business valuation expert, a business valuation expert

shall be selected in the same manner set forth in Article XXII, Section 4 for the selection of an

arbitrator in the absence of an agreement between the parties. The business valuation expert

shall conduct a hearing in which the player or retired player, the Team and/or Team Affiliate, the

Players Association, and the WNBA are afforded the opportunity to appear and participate. The

WNBA shall have the burden of proof in the proceeding. The business valuation expert may

permit discovery of relevant documents necessary to undertake the valuation, and shall render a

decision within fifteen (15) days following the conclusion of the hearing. Within ten (10) days

of any decision by the business valuation expert, any of the parties may file an appeal with the

Arbitrator, who shall conduct a hearing and render a decision within twenty (20) days of the

filing of the appeal. In any such proceeding, the Arbitrator shall apply an “arbitrary and

capricious” standard of review.

(c) If the WNBA prevails in its challenge under this Section 6, the difference

between (A) the compensation received by the retired player, or the value of the investment or

business opportunity received by the retired player (net of any contribution by the retired player),

and (B) a reasonable estimate of the fair market value of the services or other consideration

provided by the retired player, or a reasonable estimate of the fair market value of the investment

or business opportunity, in each case as determined by the business valuation expert or the

Arbitrator, as the case may be, shall be included in the Team’s Team Salary, subject to the

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Team’s Room and other Salary Cap rules, and further subject to any allocation over time that the

business valuation expert or Arbitrator determines is appropriate. In the event that any amount

required to be included in the Team Salary pursuant to this subsection exceeds the Team’s

Room, the challenged transaction or arrangement shall be rescinded and of no further force and

effect.

(d) If the WNBA prevails in its challenge under this Section 6, and the retired

player and the Team and/or Team Affiliate renegotiate or terminate the transaction, any revised

terms of the transaction shall be promptly disclosed to the WNBA and the Players Association,

and may, at the request of the WNBA, be re-subjected to the procedures of this Section 6.

Any information disclosed to the League Office and the Players Association

pursuant to the procedures of this Section 6 shall be treated strictly confidential, and shall not be

released to the general public or the media.

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 ARTICLE XVI

ANTI-COLLUSION PROVISIONS

Section 1. No Collusion.

Subject to Section 2 below, no WNBA Team, its employees or agents, will enter

into any contracts, combinations or conspiracies, express or implied, with the WNBA or any

other WNBA Team, their employees or agents: (a) to negotiate or not to negotiate with any

Veteran or Rookie; (b) to submit or not to submit an Offer Sheet to any Restricted Free Agent;

(c) to offer or not to offer a Player Contract to any Free Agent; (d) to exercise or not to exercise a

Right of First Refusal; or (e) concerning the terms or conditions of employment offered to any

Veteran or Rookie.

Section 2. Non-Collusive Conduct.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of conduct that shall not be deemed a

violation of Section 1 above:

(a) the formulation and negotiation of collective bargaining proposals;

(b) agreements between Teams necessary to the assignment of a Player

Contract of a Veteran or the assignment of the exclusive negotiating rights to a Draft Rookie,

where such assignment is contingent upon (i) the signing by the Veteran of an extension to an

existing Player Contract, or (ii) the signing by the Draft Rookie of a new Player Contract;

provided, however, that if such contingency is fulfilled by the Veteran entering into an extended

Player Contract or the Draft Rookie entering into a new Player Contract, this subsection shall

only apply if the assignment is actually consummated;

(c) an agreement between Teams concerning the signing of a new Player

Contract by a Veteran Free Agent with her Prior Team, where such agreement is necessary for

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the subsequent assignment of the new Player Contract between the agreeing Teams; provided,

however, that this Section 2(c) shall apply only if the subsequent assignment is consummated.

(d) the conduct authorized by the terms and conditions of the WNBA Draft;

(e) any action taken by the WNBA League Office to exclude from the

WNBA, suspend or discipline any player for any reason authorized or permitted by any

provision of this Agreement (this subsection, however, shall not affect any other rights of any

player or the Players Association to contest such action);

(f) conduct authorized by any provision of this Agreement by the WNBA

League Office, undertaken in good faith, that reflects a reasonable interpretation of this

Agreement or a Player Contract; or

(g) any disapproval by the Commissioner of a Player Contract, Extension or

other amendment.

Section 3. Individual Negotiations.

No WNBA Team shall fail or refuse to negotiate with, or enter into a Player

Contract with, any player who is free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any WNBA

Team, on any of the following grounds:

(a) that the player has previously been subject to the exclusive negotiating

rights obtained by another WNBA Team in a WNBA Draft; or

(b) that the player has become a Restricted Free Agent or an Unrestricted Free

Agent; or

(c) that the Player is or has been subject to a Right of First Refusal.

The fact that a Team has not negotiated with, made any offers to, or entered into

any Player Contracts with players who are free to negotiate and sign Player Contracts with any

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Team, shall not, by itself, be deemed proof that such Team failed or refused to negotiate with,

make any offers to, or enter into any Player Contracts with any players on any of the prohibited

grounds referred to in this Section 3.

Section 4. League Disclosures.

The WNBA League Office shall not knowingly communicate or disclose, directly

or indirectly, to any WNBA Team that another WNBA Team has negotiated with or is

negotiating with any Restricted Free Agent, unless and until an Offer Sheet (as defined in Article

VI, Section 6(b)) shall have been given to the ROFR Team (as defined in Article VI, Section

5(a)), or any Free Agent prior to the execution of a Player Contract with that player.

Section 5. Enforcement of Anti-Collusion Provisions.

(a) Any player, or the Players Association acting on behalf of a player or

players, may bring an action before the Arbitrator alleging a violation of Article XVI, Section 1

of this Agreement. Issues of relief and liability shall be determined in the same proceeding

(including the amount of damages, pursuant to Section 9 below, if any). The complaining party

will bear the burden of demonstrating by a clear preponderance of the evidence that the

challenged conduct was in violation of Article XVI, Section 1 of this Agreement and caused

economic injury to such player(s); provided, however, that the Players Association may, in the

absence of economic injury to any player, bring an action before the Arbitrator claiming a

violation of Section 1 above (which must be proved by a clear preponderance of the evidence)

and seeking only declaratory relief or a direction to cease and desist from the challenged

conduct.

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 (b) The provisions of this Agreement are not intended to create any

substantive rights in any party, other than as provided for herein. This Agreement may be

enforced, and any alleged violations may be remedied, only as provided for herein.

Section 6. Satisfaction of Burden of Proof.

The failure by a Team or Teams to submit Offer Sheets to Restricted Free Agents,

or to make offers or sign Contracts for the playing services of a Free Agent shall not, by itself or

in combination only with evidence about the playing skills of the player(s) not receiving such

offers or contracts, satisfy the burden of proof set forth in Section 5 above. However, such

evidence may support a finding of a violation of Section 1 above, but only in combination with

other evidence that either by itself or in combination with the evidence referred to in the

immediately preceding sentence indicates that the challenged conduct was in violation of Section

1 above and, except in cases where the Players Association seeks only declaratory relief or a

direction to cease and desist from the challenged conduct, caused economic injury to such

player(s).

Section 7. Summary Judgment.

The Arbitrator may, at any time following the conclusion of any permitted

discovery, determine whether or not the complainant’s evidence is sufficient to raise a genuine

issue of material fact capable of satisfying the standards imposed by Sections 5 and 6 above. If

the Arbitrator determines that complainant’s evidence is not so sufficient, he or she shall dismiss

the action. In considering the sufficiency of the complainant’s evidence, the Arbitrator may

consider documentary evidence and affidavits submitted by the parties.

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Section 8. Remedies for Economic Injury.

In the event that an individual player or players, or the Players Association acting

on her or their behalf, successfully proves a violation of Section 1 above that has caused

economic injury, the player or players determined by the Arbitrator to have suffered economic

injury as a result of the violation will have the right:

(a) to terminate her (or their) existing Player Contract(s) at her (or their)

option (however, such termination shall not take effect until the conclusion of a then ongoing

WNBA Season, if any). Such right of termination must be exercised by the player within thirty

(30) days therefrom. If, at the time the Player Contract is terminated, such player would have

been an Unrestricted Free Agent pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, she shall

immediately become an Unrestricted Free Agent. If, at the time the Player Contract is

terminated, such player would have been a Restricted Free Agent pursuant to the provisions of

this Agreement, such player shall immediately become a Restricted Free Agent upon such

termination; however, any such player may choose to reinstate her Player Contract at any time up

until April 15 of that year; and

(b) to recover damages as described in Section 9 below. However, if the

player terminates her Player Contract under subsection (a) above and does not reinstate it

pursuant thereto, she may not recover damages for the period after such termination takes effect.

A player who does not terminate her contract, or who reinstates it pursuant to subsection (a)

above, may recover damages for the entire period of her injury.

Section 9. Calculation of Damages.

Upon any finding of a violation of Section 1 above that has caused economic

injury, compensatory damages (i.e., the amount by which any player has been injured as a result

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of such violation) and non-compensatory damages (i.e., the amount exceeding compensatory

damages) shall be awarded as follows:

(a) Two (2) times the amount of compensatory damages, in the event that all

of the Teams found to have violated Section 1 above have committed such a violation for the

first time. Any Team found to have committed such a violation for the first time shall be jointly

and severally liable for two (2) times the amount of compensatory damages.

(b) Three (3) times the amount of compensatory damages, in the event that

any of the Teams found to have violated Section 1 above have committed such a violation for the

second time. In the event that damages are awarded pursuant to this subsection (b): (i) any Team

found to have committed such a violation for the first time shall be jointly and severally liable

for two (2) times the amount of compensatory damages; and (ii) any Team found to have

committed such a violation for the second time shall be jointly and severally liable for three (3)

times the amount of compensatory damages.

(c) Three (3) times the amount of compensatory damages, plus, for each

Team found to have violated Section 1 above for at least the third time, five hundred thousand

dollars ($500,000), in the event that any of the Teams found to have violated Section 1 above

have committed such violation for at least the third time. In the event that damages are awarded

pursuant to this subsection (c): (i) any Team found to have committed such a violation for the

first time shall be jointly and severally liable for two (2) times the amount of compensatory

damages; (ii) any Team found to have committed such a violation for at least the second time

shall be jointly and severally liable for three (3) times the amount of compensatory damages; and

(iii) any Team found to have committed such a violation for at least the third time shall, in

addition, pay a fine of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).

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Section 10. Payment of Damages.

In the event damages are awarded pursuant to Section 9 above, the amount of

compensatory damages shall be paid to the injured player or players. The amount of non-

compensatory damages, including any fines, shall be paid to the Players Association, which may

use it for any purpose other than to pay it to any player who has received compensatory damages,

except that any such player may receive some portion of a non-compensatory damage award as

part of a proportional distribution to Players Association members.

Section 11. Effect of Damages on Salary Cap.

In the event damages are awarded pursuant to Section 9 above, the amount of

non-compensatory damages, including any fines, will not be included in any of the computations

described in Article VII of this Agreement. The amount of compensatory damages awarded will

be included in such computations.

Section 12. Contribution.

Any Team found liable under Section 1 above shall have the right to seek

contribution from any other Team found liable for the same violation in a proceeding before the

Commissioner who shall determine what contribution, if any, is fair and equitable. The

Commissioner’s determination with regard to contribution shall be final and binding upon and

unappealable by any Team. A contribution determination by the Commissioner may be appealed

by the Players Association to the Arbitrator, except that if such a determination involves fewer

than four (4) Teams found to have committed a violation of Section 1 above and allocates

damages equally among the Teams found liable, there shall be no appeal to the Arbitrator. In the

event of a contribution determination by the Commissioner, the WNBA shall provide the Players

Association with the data and information that the Commissioner used or relied upon in making

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her determination. Any contribution determination appealed by the Players Association to the

Arbitrator shall be upheld unless it is clearly erroneous.

Section 13. No Reimbursement.

Any damages awarded pursuant to Section 9 above must be paid by the individual

Teams found liable and those Teams may not be reimbursed or indemnified by any other Team

or the WNBA, except to the extent of any award of contribution made pursuant to Section 12

above.

Section 14. Costs.

In any action brought for an alleged violation of Section 1 above, the Arbitrator

shall order the payment of reasonable attorneys’ fees by any party found to have brought such an

action or to have asserted a defense to such an action without any reasonable basis for asserting

such a claim or defense.

Section 15. Termination of Agreement.

(a) The Players Association shall have the right to terminate this Agreement

under the following circumstances:

Where there has been a finding or findings of one (1) or more

instances of a violation of Section 1 above with respect to any one WNBA Season which, either

individually or in total, involved four (4) or more Teams and caused injury to four (4) or more

players; or

Where there has been a finding or findings of one (1) or more

instances of a violation of Section 1 above with respect to any two (2) consecutive WNBA

Seasons which, either individually or in total, involved five (5) or more Teams and caused

economic injury to five (5) or more players. For purposes of this Section 15(a)(ii), a player found

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to have been injured by a violation of Section 1 above in each of two (2) consecutive Seasons

shall be counted as an additional player injured by such a violation for each such WNBA Season;

or

Where, in a proceeding brought by the Players Association, it is

shown by clear and convincing evidence that six (6) or more Teams have engaged in a violation

or violations of Section 1 above, causing economic injury to one or more WNBA players. In

order to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this subsection (a)(iii) and subsection (b) below:

the proceeding must be brought by the Players Association;

and

the WNBA and the Arbitrator must be informed at the

outset of any such proceeding that the Players Association is proceeding under this subsection

(a)(iii) for the purpose of establishing its entitlement to terminate this Agreement.

(b) To execute a termination, pursuant to this Section 15, the Players

Association must serve upon the WNBA written notice of termination within thirty (30) days

after the Arbitrator’s report finding the requisite conditions becomes final. In the absence of an

Arbitrator, the Players Association shall have the option to execute such a termination by serving

upon the WNBA written notice of such termination within thirty (30) days after any decision by

a court finding the requisite conditions. In the latter situation, if the finding of the court is

reversed on appeal, the Agreement shall be immediately reinstated and both parties reserve their

rights with respect to any conduct by the other party during the period from the date of service of

the termination notice to the date upon which the Agreement was reinstated. If the Players

Association exercises the right accorded it by this Section 15, this Agreement shall terminate

immediately following the service of the termination notice, unless the service of the termination

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notice occurs during the period February 1 through October 29, in which case this Agreement

shall terminate on the immediately following October 30.

Section 16. Discovery.

(a) In any of the actions described in this Article XVI, the Arbitrator shall

grant reasonable and expedited discovery upon the application of any party where, and to the

extent, he or she determines it is reasonable to do so. Such discovery may include the production

of documents and the taking of depositions.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 16(a) above, the Players Association and the

WNBA shall each have the right to obtain discovery upon request in any three (3) proceedings

brought under this Article XVI during the term of this Agreement. The scope and extent of such

discovery shall be determined by the Arbitrator.

Section 17. Time Limits.

Any action under Section 1 above must be brought within 90 days of the time

when the player or the Players Association knows or reasonably should have known that she had

a claim, or within 90 days of the start of the WNBA Season in which a violation of Section 1

above is claimed, whichever is later. In the absence of an Arbitrator, the complaining party shall

file such claim for breach of this Agreement pursuant to Section 301 of the Labor Management

Relations Act in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Any party

alleged to have violated Section 1 shall have the right, prior to any proceedings on the merits, to

make an initial motion to dismiss any complaint that does not comply with the timeliness

requirement of this Section 17.

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 ARTICLE XVII

TRAINING AND VETERAN CAMPS

Section 1. Training Camp.

(a) Training camps will open on a date specified by the Commissioner that

will not be more than thirty (30) days before the first day of any Regular Season. Prior to each

WNBA Regular Season, the WNBA shall advise the Players Association of the expected start

date (“Expected Start Date”) of the training camp for the following WNBA Regular Season. If

the actual start date for any training camp beginning with the 2021 training camp commences

earlier than the date that is one week prior to the applicable Expected Start Date, then the

Additional Unpaid Team Promotional Appearance penalty for a player missing all or any part of

the first seven (7) days of training camp pursuant to Article XIV, Section 8, shall not be

applicable for such training camp.

Players invited to attend training camp will receive a meal expense allowance as

set forth in Article XI, Section 3, housing accommodations as set forth in Article XI, Section 1,

and reimbursement for any transportation expenses actually incurred from their home cities

(provided such expenses are documented to the Team and are ordinary and reasonable).

Section 2. Veteran Camp.

The WNBA may hold a Veteran skills and conditioning camp during any Off-

Season covered under this Agreement. If such a camp is held, a Veteran may participate on a

voluntary basis if she is invited by the WNBA to do so. The compensation to be provided to

participating players shall be limited to the prior Season’s meal expense allowance during each

day of the camp as set forth in Article XI, Section 3, single hotel accommodations, and

reimbursement for any transportation expenses actually incurred (provided such expenses are

documented to the WNBA and are ordinary and reasonable).

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 ARTICLE XVIII

OFF-SEASON PLAY

Subject to Article XIV, Section 9, a player is free to play competitive basketball

for any other professional basketball league during the Off-Season, provided that: (i) the player’s

Off-Season Playing Obligation does not interfere with any of her playing obligations under her

Standard Player Contract (including any obligation contained in any Exhibit 8), or any of her

other obligations under any WNBA or Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement or this

Agreement; and (ii) the player provides prompt notice to the WNBA and/or her Team (as the

case may be) in writing of her Off-Season Playing Obligation prior to the conclusion of the

Regular Season that precedes the applicable Off-Season or as soon as possible thereafter. All

Off-Season Playing Obligations (or summaries of such Off-Season Playing Obligations

containing all material terms) must be filed with the WNBA League Office prior to the time that

the player renders any services pursuant to such Off-Season Playing Obligations, provided,

however, that the player may redact any financial term from such Off-Season Playing

Obligations.

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 ARTICLE XIX

OFF-SEASON TOURS AND TOURNAMENTS

Section 1. Participation and Compensation.

(a) The WNBA may, during the term of this Agreement, organize a Team or

Teams to participate in Off-Season games, tours or tournaments. A player shall be required to

participate in any such Off-Season games, tours or tournaments if she (x) is invited by the

WNBA to participate, and (y) does not have an Off-Season Playing Obligation that was

disclosed to the WNBA League Office in accordance with Article XVIII and that prevents her

from participating; provided, however, if such player is prevented from participating in such

games, tours or tournaments because of a family emergency or as a result of a bona fide

academic or occupational commitment, that, if missed, would materially impact the player’s

post-WNBA career opportunities, such player will be excused from participation in such games,

tours or tournaments.

(b) Each player will receive the following as compensation for her

participation in any Off-Season games, tours or tournaments: $4,000 for any games, tours or

tournaments that last one week, prorated as necessary to reflect any greater or lesser duration

(provided, however, if such games, tours or tournaments consist of only one game, such

compensation shall be $1,500); the prior Season’s meal expense allowance as set forth in Article

XI, Section 3; individual hotel rooms; and reimbursement for any round-trip transportation

expenses that she actually incurred for travel between her Off-Season residence and the location

of the Off-Season games, tours or tournaments (provided such expenses are documented to the

WNBA and were ordinary and reasonable).

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Section 2. Non-WNBA Entities.

A player may not, without the consent of the WNBA, play in an all-star game,

tour, or tournament sponsored or operated by an entity other than the WNBA (other than a

tournament involving the player’s national team or a team for which a player is playing pursuant

to an Off-Season Playing Obligation).

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 ARTICLE XX

PHYSICAL CONDITION, MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND INJURIES

Section 1. Medical Examination, Supply of Information, and Fitness of Player.

(a) Upon the signing of a Standard Player Contract and during each training

camp, a player shall submit to a complete medical examination by a physician designated by the

Team (the “Physician”). Upon the signing of a Standard Player Contract, and upon the request

of the Team, a player shall provide a complete prior medical history (including medical records).

In addition, a player shall provide a complete prior medical history (including medical records)

related to any injury sustained (or condition aggravated) while performing basketball-related

services in connection with an Off-Season Playing Obligation or for an entity (e.g., national

team) other than the WNBA (an “Other Team/Entity Basketball Injury”). A player shall supply

complete and truthful information in response to questions posed to her with respect to her

physical and mental condition in connection with any medical examinations or requests for

medical information authorized by this Agreement (it being agreed that only questions

reasonable and medically appropriate may be posed). With respect to any pre-season medical

examination, the WNBA shall provide copies to the Players Association of any standard

questionnaires and written testing protocols used by the Physician. In the event that the Players

Association identifies any questions or tests that in its opinion lack probative value given the

purpose of the examination, the parties will select an expert in women’s health and sports

medicine (or, if unable to agree on an expert, the Medical Director) to review the questions

and/or tests in question and advise the WNBA and the Players Association as to the probative

value of the questions and/or tests in question. Neither the Players Association’s review, nor any

review conducted by a women’s health expert or the Medical Director, of a Physician’s standard

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questionnaires and written testing protocols shall delay the administration of any pre-season

physical examination or obviate a player’s obligation to supply complete and truthful

information in response to questions posed to her.

(b) If the Physician determines that a player is not completely and

unqualifiedly fit to perform all basketball-related services required of the player under this

Agreement or her Standard Player Contract for reasons other than an Other Team/Entity

Basketball Injury, the Team shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend such player

without pay until such time as, in the judgment of the Physician, the player is in sufficiently good

physical condition to play skilled basketball. In the event of such suspension, the Base Salary

payable to the player for any WNBA Season during which such suspension occurs shall be

reduced by an amount equal to her full Base Salary multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of

which shall be the number of days of the Regular Season missed as a consequence of the

suspension, and the denominator of which shall be the number of days in such Regular Season;

provided, however, that the foregoing calculation shall not result in the reduction of a player’s

Base Salary in an amount greater than such Base Salary.

(c) If the Physician determines that a player is not completely and

unqualifiedly fit to perform all basketball-related services required of the player under this

Agreement or her Standard Player Contract as a result of an Other Team/Entity Basketball

Injury, the Team shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend such player without pay:

(i) until such time as, in the judgment of the Physician, the player is in sufficiently good physical

condition to play skilled basketball; or (ii) if the Physician determines that such lack of fitness

will last beyond the first forty-two (42) days of the Season (or beyond the first twenty-eight (28)

days of the Season in the event that such lack of fitness is due at least in part to a “Timed

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Medical Treatment”), for the entire upcoming Season. In the event of such suspension, the Base

Salary payable to the player for any WNBA Season during which such suspension occurs shall

be reduced by an amount equal to her full Base Salary multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of

which shall be the number of days of the Regular Season missed as a consequence of the

suspension, and the denominator of which shall be the total number of days in such Regular

Season; provided, however, that the foregoing calculation shall not result in the reduction of a

player’s Base Salary in an amount greater than such Base Salary. Notwithstanding anything to

the contrary herein, any player suspended pursuant to this Section 1(c) shall continue to receive

health benefits pursuant to Article X for the duration of such suspension. For clarity, any dispute

between a Team and a player regarding any suspension imposed pursuant to this Section 1(c)

shall be resolved pursuant to the Grievance and Arbitration procedures contained within Article

XXII, including, if applicable, through an Expedited Hearing. For the purposes of this

subparagraph (c), a “Timed Medical Treatment” is medical treatment undergone by a player, or a

postponement of, or declining to obtain, medical treatment, that is reasonably understood from a

timing standpoint to reflect the player’s prioritization of an Off-Season Playing Obligation or

basketball-related service for an entity (e.g., national team) other than the WNBA over the

playing services required pursuant to such player’s Standard Player Contract.

Section 2. Notice and Treatment.

(a) A player shall promptly notify the Team’s coach, trainer or physician of

any illness, injury or condition contracted or suffered by her which may impair or otherwise

affect her ability to play skilled basketball, including, if known, the time, place, cause and nature

of such illness, injury or condition.

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 (b) Should a player suffer an injury or illness during the term of her Standard

Player Contract, she shall submit to a medical examination and treatment by a physician

designated by the Team, and such rehabilitation activities as such physician may specify. Such

examination and treatment when made at the request of the Team shall be paid for by the Team,

unless such examination and/or treatment is made necessary by some act or conduct of the player

contrary to the terms of this Agreement or her Standard Player Contract.

(c) A player may be subject to reasonable discipline if, without reasonable

justification, she misses any required medical appointment or fails to follow rehabilitation and/or

treatment instructions from a physician designated by the Team.

Section 3. Disclosure of Medical or Health Information.

(a) A Team physician may disclose all relevant medical information

concerning a player to (i) the General Manager, coaches, and trainers of the Team by which such

player is employed, (ii) any entity from which any such Team seeks to procure, or has procured,

an insurance policy covering such player’s life or any disability, injury or illness such player may

suffer or sustain, and (iii) subject to the terms of Section 3(e) below, the media or public on

behalf of the Team.

(b) Should a Team contemplate the assignment of a player’s Standard Player

Contract to one or more WNBA teams, the Team’s physician may furnish to the physicians and

General Manager, coaches, and trainers of such other team or teams (and any entity from which

such other team or teams seeks to procure, or has procured, an insurance policy covering such

player’s life or any disability, injury or illness such player may suffer or sustain) all relevant

medical information relating to the player.

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 (c) Subject to Section 10 below, a player who consults or is treated by a

physician (including a psychiatrist) or a professional providing non-mental-health-related

medical services (e.g., chiropractor, physical therapist) other than such player’s Team physician

or other professional designated by the Team shall give notice of such consultation or treatment

to her Team’s physician and shall provide her Team with all information it may request

concerning any condition that, in the judgment of Team’s physician, may affect such player’s

ability to play skilled basketball. No Team shall discourage a player from seeking such a

consultation.

(d) Subject to subsection (e) below, each Team may make public medical

information relating to the players in its employ, provided that such information relates solely to

the reasons why any such player has not been or is not rendering services as a player.

(e) A player or her immediate family (where appropriate) shall have the right

to approve the substance, terms, and timing of any public release of medical information relating

to any injuries or illnesses suffered by that player that are potentially life- or career-threatening,

or that do not arise from the player’s participation in WNBA games or practices.

(f) If and to the extent necessary to enable or facilitate the disclosure of

medical or health information as provided for by this Section 3, a player shall execute such

individual authorization(s) as may be requested by the WNBA or a Team or Teams or as may be

required by health care providers who examine or treat the player.

(g) A player is entitled to her own medical records and the Team shall use

best efforts to provide such information on or before two (2) business days of a player request.

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Section 4. Insurance.

(a) If a player is injured during the performance of her duties under her

Standard Player Contract and promptly reports that injury to the Team, the Team shall pay the

player’s reasonable hospitalization and medical expenses necessarily incurred as a direct result of

the injury, provided that the hospital and physicians are selected by the Team (or, if selected by

the player, approved in writing by the Team). The Team’s obligation under this paragraph shall

be reduced by any applicable workers’ compensation insurance (which, to the extent permitted

by law, shall be deemed as having been assigned to the Team) and any insurance paid or payable

to the player by reason of such injury.

(b) Each player shall cooperate with the Team and the WNBA regarding all

insurance matters, including, but not limited to, required medical evaluations and worker’s

compensation claim requirements.

Section 5. Health Screenings.

Players shall submit to reasonable screening and baseline testing (e.g., pursuant to

WNBA cardiac and concussion protocols) and, in connection with such screening and testing,

shall accurately and completely answer all reasonable health questions (including, upon request,

providing accurate and complete medical histories).

Section 6. Electronic Medical Records.

The WNBA may, during the term of this Agreement, develop and implement a

new electronic medical records system (“EMR”) that will provide a secure, searchable,

centralized database of player health information. To the extent health information disclosures

are permitted by this Agreement (including the Standard Player Contract), such disclosures may

be made via secure systems within the EMR. In addition, the EMR will: (i) allow for the WNBA

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(but not the Teams) to conduct player health and safety reviews; (ii) allow for authorized

academic researchers to access the data (on a de-identified basis) and conduct studies designed to

improve player health and broaden medical knowledge (provided that the Players Association

will be provided with notice prior to any such access and gives its consent, such consent not to

be unreasonably withheld); and (iii) give players the ability to easily access their own health

information and to grant access to such information to physicians of their choice both during and

after their careers.

Section 7. Concussion Policy/Committee of Physicians.

(a) A concussion policy designed to maximize the neurological health of

players, which was developed in conjunction with a committee of Team (and other) physicians,

was implemented beginning with the 2012 Season.

(b) The concussion policy will be reviewed periodically by the committee in

order to keep it current and consistent with the evolving science of concussion management.

(c) Any committee of physicians utilized by the WNBA to establish or update

any WNBA medical protocols will include at least one physician with experience in women’s

health.

Section 8. Selection of Team Physician and Other Health Care Providers.

Each Team has the sole and exclusive discretion to select any doctors, hospitals,

clinics, health consultants, or other health care providers (“Health Care Providers”) to examine

and/or treat players pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the Standard Player Contract;

provided, however, no Team will engage any Health Care Provider based primarily on a

sponsorship relationship (or lack thereof) with the Team, and without considering the Health

Care Provider’s qualifications (including, e.g., medical experience and credentials) and the goal

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of providing high quality care to all of its players. Each Team’s Health Care Provider’s primary

duty in providing medical care shall be not to the Team but instead to the player‐patient.

Section 9. Requirements for Certain Team Player Health Professionals.

(a) Each Team agrees to secure the services of at least one (1) physician as a

team physician. Beginning with the 2020 Season, each individual hired for the first time to

perform services as a Team physician must be a duly licensed physician who as of the hiring

date: (i) is board certified and fellowship trained in his/her field of medical expertise; (ii) has at

least three (3) years of post-fellowship clinical experience; and (iii) has successfully completed a

fellowship in sports medicine, has a Certification of Added Qualification (CAQ) in sports

medicine, or has other “sports medicine” qualifications as the parties may agree.

(b) Each Team agrees to secure the services of at least one (1) athletic trainer

on a full-time basis. Beginning with the 2020 Regular Season: (i) each individual hired for the

first time to perform services as an athletic trainer for a Team must as of the hiring date: (a) be

certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) or the Canadian Athletic

Therapists Association (CATA) (or a similar organization as the parties may agree), and (b) hold

a current certification in Basic Cardiac Life Support or Basic Trauma Life Support; and (ii) each

individual hired for the first time to perform services as an athletic trainer for a Team must, as of

the hiring date, have at least three (3) years of experience as an athletic trainer since he/she first

received the foregoing NATA/CATA certification.

Section 10. Second Opinion.

(a) In addition to consulting her Team’s physician or other professional

designated by her Team, a player shall have the right to receive a second medical opinion at her

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own expense (to the extent it is not covered under their health insurance or by workers’

compensation) regarding the course of treatment for an injury, illness, or other health condition.

(b) Prior to obtaining a second opinion, a player shall notify the Team in

writing of her decision to seek such second opinion, the name of the physician who will be

performing the evaluation (the “Second Opinion Physician”), and the date and location of the

evaluation. Upon receiving such notice and prior to the player’s evaluation, the Team will make

available to the Second Opinion Physician relevant medical information regarding the player.

(c) In connection with obtaining a second opinion, a player may not be absent

from the Team for an unreasonable period of time or miss any games without authorization of

the Team.

(d) If the Second Opinion Physician provides the Team with a written

opinion, and the player has otherwise complied with Section 3(c) and subsection (b) above, the

Team will be required to consider the second opinion in connection with diagnosis or treatment.

For clarity, nothing in this Section 10 shall be construed to alter or limit in any way the rights of

any Team or the obligation of any player under this Agreement.

Section 11. Fitness-to-Play.

(a) The parties shall create such Fitness-to-Play Panels as are necessary to

determine, as set forth in this Section 11, whether players with potentially life-threatening

injuries, illnesses or other health conditions are medically able and medically fit to practice and

play basketball in the WNBA. Each Fitness-to-Play panel shall consist of one (1) physician

appointed by the WNBA, one (1) physician appointed by the Players Association, and one (1)

physician appointed by agreement of the first two (2) physicians. Each member of each panel:

(i) shall be board certified and fellowship trained in his/her field of medical expertise; (ii) shall

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be a specialist in the subject matter of the applicable Fitness-to-Play Panel; and (iii) shall have at

least eight (8) years of post-fellowship clinical experience. Each panel will operate by majority

vote, including but not limited to its fitness to play determinations. Once appointed, each

physician on a Fitness-to-Play Panel shall be included on such Panel for the duration of this

Agreement, unless either the WNBA or the Players Association has, by October 1 of any year

covered by this Agreement, served written notice to the other party that a physician has been

removed from such Panel. A party may not remove the physician that the other party appointed

to a Fitness-to-Play Panel. In the event that either party removes a physician from a Fitness-to-

Play Panel pursuant to the foregoing, such removal shall be effective immediately, provided that,

unless otherwise agreed to by the parties, a physician will continue to serve on the Fitness-to-

Play panel in respect of any determination on a player’s injury, illness, or medical condition that

has been referred to the panel but for which the panel has not yet issued its written determination.

(b) If the WNBA, a Team, or the Players Association has been advised by a

physician that a player is medically unable and/or medically unfit to perform her duties as a

professional basketball player as a result of a potentially life-threatening injury, illness or other

health condition and/or that performing such duties would create a materially elevated risk of

death for the player, then the WNBA, a Team, or the Players Association may refer the player to

a Fitness-to-Play Panel by making such a referral in writing to the player and to the WNBA,

Team, and Players Association, as applicable. Once so referred, the player will not be permitted

to play or practice in the WNBA until she is cleared to do so by the Panel as set forth below.

(c) (i) Upon the referral described in subsection (b) above, the Panel will

be provided with all medical information in the player’s medical file that any member of the

Panel deems relevant to the injury, illness or other health condition for which the player was

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referred. The Panel will review the player’s injury, illness or other health condition (which

review shall include an in-person examination of the player by each member of the Panel unless

such member determines that an examination by him/her would serve no useful purpose). Upon

conclusion of its review, the Panel shall provide a report to the WNBA, the player’s Team, and

the Players Association setting forth its determination and the reasons therefor.

The determination to be made by the Panel is whether, in the

panel’s reasonable medical judgment and experience, and having considered current medical

knowledge and the best available objective evidence: (x) the player is medically able and

medically fit to perform her duties as a professional basketball player; and (y) performing such

duties would not create a materially elevated risk of death for the player. Where there are

authoritative medical guidelines on fitness for athletic participation and a particular injury,

illness or other health condition (e.g., the American Heart Association/American College of

Cardiology Scientific Statements on Eligibility and Disqualification – Recommendations for

Competitive Athletes with Cardiovascular Abnormalities), the Panel will consider such

guidelines in making its determination.

Subsequent to the player being referred to a Fitness-to Play-Panel,

and prior to the Panel’s review of the player’s injury, illness or other health condition, the player

(on behalf of herself and her heirs and assigns) shall be required to sign a release and covenant

not to sue agreement in the form agreed upon by the parties; provided that this agreement shall

not apply to any claim of medical malpractice against a Team-affiliated physician or any

physician retained by the WNBA/Players Association for the medical evaluation process.

(d) In the event that the Fitness-to-Play Panel determines that the player is

medically able and medically fit to play professional basketball pursuant to the standard in

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subsection (c) above: (i) the player will be required to sign an informed consent and assumption

of risk agreement in the form agreed upon by the parties before she is able to play or practice in

the WNBA; and (ii) upon satisfying the prior clause, shall be deemed at that time medically able

and fit to play basketball in the WNBA and permitted to do so.

(e) If the Fitness-to-Play Panel does not determine that the player is medically

able and medically fit to play professional basketball pursuant to the standard in subsection (c)

above, the WNBA, a Team, or the Players Association may again refer the player to the Fitness-

to-Play Panel beginning on the later of the first day of the Season that begins immediately

following the date on which the Panel issued its report or nine (9) months after such date. The

party making such referral must have been advised in writing by a physician that there have been

materially changed circumstances since the Panel issued its report (e.g., medical advances or a

material change in the player’s medical condition) such that the Panel should reconsider its

determination. If a player is referred under this subsection (e), the Fitness-to-Play Panel shall be

comprised of the same members that reviewed and determined the player’s initial referral,

provided that the physicians on such panel are available.

(f) Nothing in this Section 11 shall obligate a Team to permit a player to play

or practice for the Team, even if a Fitness-to-Play Panel determines that the player is medically

able to do so. If the Team disagrees with the Fitness-to-Play Panel’s conclusion and refuses to

permit the player to play and practice with the Team due to the injury, illness, or other health

condition for which the player was referred to the Fitness-to-Play Panel, then the Team will be

required, within forty (40) days of the Panel’s issuance of its report (the “Evaluation Period”), to

either trade the player, agree to amend the player’s contract in accordance with Article V,

Section 3 of this Agreement, or waive the player pursuant to Article V, Section 6(b); provided,

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however, that the foregoing shall not apply to any player who is in the last year of her Contract

(excluding any option year) at the time that the Panel provides its report to the WNBA, the

player’s Team, and the Players Association pursuant to Section 11(c)(i) above. During the

Evaluation Period, the player, shall cooperate with the Team in connection with the Team’s

efforts to evaluate the player’s injury, illness or other health condition, including by, among

other things, in a prompt and diligent manner supplying all information requested of her,

completing medical forms, and submitting to all examinations, tests and workouts requested of

her by or on behalf of the Team.

(g) If a player referred to a Fitness-to-Play Panel satisfies the waiting period

set forth in Article VII, Section 2(f) of this Agreement at the time of such referral (or any time

thereafter prior to the Panel issuing its report), then the Team may request that such Panel, acting

by majority vote, also serve as the physician described in Article VII, Section 2(f) of this

Agreement, and accordingly provide in the Panel’s report a determination for the purposes of

Article VII, Section 2(f) of this Agreement.

(h) The costs associated with the Fitness-to-Play Panels will be borne equally

by the WNBA and the Players Association.

Section 12. Mental Health.

The parties hereto agree on the importance of providing players with robust

mental health resources and will, among other initiatives, instruct the Medical Director to

develop a list of independent mental health providers in each Team market.

Section 13. Wearables.

The parties hereto agree that use of wearables and other in-game technology

provides a unique opportunity to the WNBA with respect to enhanced broadcasts, differentiated

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fan experiences, player health and revenue generation and will work together to develop a

comprehensive policy regarding wearables and other in-game technologies, including working

toward a request for proposal for an in-game wearable prior to the start of the 2020 Season (or as

soon thereafter as is practicable).

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 ARTICLE XXI

ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM

Section 1. Terms and Provisions of Program.

The terms and provisions of the Anti-Drug Program, as agreed upon by the

WNBA and the Players Association, are set forth in Exhibit 2 of this Agreement.

Section 2. Interpretation.

It is intended that the Anti-Drug Program be in conformance with the Americans

with Disabilities Act and all other applicable state and local laws and, if there is found to be a

conflict, the Program shall be interpreted or applied to conform to such laws.

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 ARTICLE XXII

GRIEVANCE AND ARBITRATION

Section 1. Scope.

Except for disputes involving the interpretation of, application of, or compliance

with Article VI, Article VII, Article XII, Article XIII, Article XV, and Article XVI, which shall

be resolved exclusively in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article XXIII, any dispute

(hereinafter a “Grievance”) involving the interpretation of, application of, or compliance with the

provisions of this Agreement, the provisions of a Standard Player Contract (except as provided in

paragraph 12 of a Player Contract), including a dispute concerning the validity of a Player

Contract, and/or a WNBA or Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement shall be resolved

exclusively in accordance with the procedures contained in this Article.

Section 2. Grievances with Respect to Discipline Imposed for On-Court Conduct.

All Grievances involving the imposition of discipline upon a player with respect

to on-court conduct shall be resolved exclusively as follows:

(a) Exclusive Jurisdiction.

The Commissioner or her designee shall have exclusive jurisdiction over all on-

court conduct. If disciplined for on-court conduct, the player or the Players Association (acting

on her behalf) shall have the right to appeal such discipline only to the Commissioner. The

decision of the Commissioner or her designee shall be final and binding.

(b) Appeal Procedure.

A player who has been disciplined for on-court conduct (or the Players

Association on her behalf) may initiate an appeal from the imposition of such discipline by

delivering a Notice of Appeal by email (with the original promptly sent by mail) or certified or

overnight mail to the WNBA League Office (Attn: Commissioner) within twenty (20) days from

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the date upon which the player received written notice of the discipline. The Notice of Appeal

shall be deemed delivered on the day it is actually received. The Notice of Appeal shall attach a

copy of the written notice received by the player concerning such discipline and briefly set out

why the player believes that the discipline is unwarranted. The delivery of a Notice of Appeal

shall not excuse a player from prompt compliance with such discipline, including the prompt

payment of any fine or serving of a suspension, nor shall it delay, where applicable, the

withholding of Base Salary. If a decision rendered by the Commissioner or her designee directs

the return of any amounts paid by or withheld from the player, such amounts shall be returned to

the player within ten (10) days following such decision.

(c) Hearing.

Following its receipt of the Notice of Appeal, the WNBA League Office shall set

a hearing date and time and communicate such information to the player, the player’s Team, and

the Players Association. All hearings will be held at the WNBA’s League Office in New York

City or, at the player’s option, by telephonic means. Each party shall pay its own travel costs

associated with the hearing (including costs associated with any witnesses it intends to call). The

Hearing Officer shall be the Commissioner or her designee. At the hearing, formal rules of

evidence shall not apply and the Hearing Officer shall have the same discretion as a contract

arbitrator as to which evidence to receive and all rules of procedure. At the conclusion of the

hearing, the Hearing Officer may issue a decision immediately or take the matter under

advisement. In either instance, a written notice of the decision setting forth its rationale shall be

delivered to all parties within ten (10) business days of the hearing. The decision of the Hearing

Officer shall be final and binding.

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Section 3. Grievances Not Involving On-Court Conduct.

All Grievances involving matters other than on-court conduct shall be resolved

exclusively as follows:

(a) Player Discipline Grievances.

Grievances with respect to player discipline not involving on-court conduct (that

exceed the threshold amounts set forth in Section 8 below) shall be resolved pursuant to the

arbitration procedures set forth in Section 4, below.

(b) Grievances Not Involving Player Discipline.

Grievances not involving player discipline may be initiated by the

Players Association, a player, a Team, or the WNBA, as the case may be, by delivering a written

Grievance Notice to the opposing party within thirty (30) days of the date of the occurrence or

non-occurrence upon which the Grievance is based, or within thirty (30) days of the date on

which the facts of the matter became known or reasonably should have become known to the

party initiating the Grievance, whichever is later. Such Grievance Notice shall include the date

and a brief description of the issue in dispute. All Grievance Notices may be delivered by email

(with the original promptly sent by mail) or certified or overnight mail; if delivered to the

WNBA League Office, must be addressed to the attention of the Commissioner; and shall be

deemed delivered when they are actually sent.

Within fourteen (14) days following delivery of the Grievance

Notice, the party initiating the Grievance must request in writing a meeting (in person or by

telephone) (“Grievance Meeting”) with the party or parties against whom the Grievance was

initiated in an attempt to settle it. Unless the parties agree otherwise, a meeting shall be

scheduled within ten (10) days of the written request.

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 If the parties are unable to resolve the Grievance at the Grievance

Meeting, the Players Association, the WNBA, the Team or player(s) may initiate an arbitration

pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 4 below.

Section 4. Arbitration Procedures.

(a) Initiation of an Arbitration.

Player Discipline Grievances.

Player discipline arbitrations may be initiated by the player or the Player’s

Association by the delivery of an Arbitration Notice to the WNBA (addressed to the attention of

the Commissioner) and any Team involved within twenty (20) days of the date upon which the

player first received notice of the discipline, except that the Players Association may not institute

an arbitration without the approval of the player(s) concerned. All Arbitration Notices may be

delivered by email (with the original promptly sent by mail) or certified mail or overnight mail;

and shall be deemed delivered when they are actually sent.

Grievance Not Involving Player Discipline.

Arbitrations not involving player discipline may be initiated by delivering a

Notice of Arbitration to the opposing party (or parties) and the WNBA (addressed to the

attention of the Commissioner) within ten (10) days after the Grievance Meeting. All Arbitration

Notices may be delivered by email (with the original promptly sent by mail) or certified mail or

overnight mail; and shall be deemed delivered when they are actually sent.

(b) Appointment and Replacement of Arbitrator.

The parties to this Agreement shall agree upon the appointment of an Arbitrator,

who shall serve for the duration of this Agreement; provided, however, that as of November 1,

2021, and as of each successive November 1 hereunder, either of the parties to this Agreement

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may discharge the Arbitrator by serving thirty (30) days’ prior written notice upon him or her

and upon the other party to this Agreement; and provided, further, that as of the August 1 of the

last Season covered by this Agreement, either of the parties may discharge the Arbitrator by

serving thirty (30) days’ written notice upon him or her and upon the other party to this

Agreement. An Arbitrator as to whom a notice of discharge has been served shall continue to

have jurisdiction only with respect to (i) Grievances as to which a hearing has been commenced

or scheduled for a date certain and (ii) Grievances filed within the thirty (30) day period

preceding the service of a notice of discharge; provided, however, that a hearing with respect to

Grievances referred to in this subsection (ii) must commence no later than thirty (30) days

following the effective date of the Arbitrator’s discharge. If the Arbitrator is discharged (or

resigns), the parties shall agree upon a successor Arbitrator. In the absence of such agreement,

the parties shall jointly request the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution

(the “CPR Institute”) (or such other organization(s) as the parties may agree upon) to submit to

the parties a list of eleven (11) attorneys, none of whom shall have, nor whose firm shall have,

represented within the past five (5) years any professional athletes; agents or other

representatives of professional athletes; labor organizations representing athletes; sports leagues,

governing bodies, or their affiliates; sports teams or their affiliates; or owners in any professional

sport. If, within seven (7) days from the receipt of such list, the parties fail to agree upon the

selection of an Arbitrator from among the names on such list, they shall return that list, with up

to five (5) names deleted therefrom by each party, to the CPR Institute (or such other

organization as the parties may have agreed upon), and the CPR Institute (or such other

organization) shall choose a new Arbitrator from the names remaining on such list.

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 (c) Hearing Date.

Upon at least thirty (30) days’ written notice to the other side, the

WNBA and the Players Association may arrange to have a hearing scheduled on a date that is

mutually convenient to the parties to the dispute, the WNBA, the Players Association, and the

Arbitrator; provided, however, that if the WNBA and the Players Association cannot agree on a

hearing date, the Arbitrator shall set a reasonable hearing date that follows the expiration of the

30-day notice period. Only the WNBA and the Players Association may schedule hearings

before the Arbitrator.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 4(c)(i) above, during

each Salary Cap Year covered by this Agreement, the Players Association and the WNBA shall

each have the right, upon a showing of need, to have two (2) Grievances scheduled for hearing

on or after the seventh business day following service of the notice provided for by Section

4(c)(i) above (an “Expedited Hearing”); provided that, if either party has exhausted its two (2)

Expedited Hearings for the relevant Salary Cap Year, such party shall be entitled to a third

Expedited Hearing, solely with respect to a dispute (involving one or more players) arising under

Article XIV, Section 9.

If a Grievance is scheduled for hearing under this Section 4(c) and

the hearing date is thereafter postponed at the request of either the WNBA or the Players

Association, the postponement fee (if any) of the Arbitrator will be borne by the party requesting

the postponement unless that party objects and the Arbitrator finds that the request for such

postponement was for good cause. Should good cause be found, the parties will share any

postponement fee equally.

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 In any Grievance matter, neither the WNBA nor the Players

Association may request or be granted more than one (1) postponement of a hearing previously

scheduled. If a party which has been granted a postponement of a hearing fails to attend a

subsequently scheduled hearing in the same Grievance matter, the Grievance shall be deemed to

have been decided against that party.

If a hearing of a Grievance has not been scheduled to take place

within one (1) year of the filing of the Grievance, or, in the circumstance where the initial date

set for the hearing has been postponed, if a hearing in that Grievance is not scheduled to take

place within two (2) years from initiation of the filing of the Grievance, then the Grievance shall

be dismissed with prejudice.

For purposes of computing time under this Section 4, the time shall

be tolled during any period when there is no Arbitrator or when the grieving party has been

unable to schedule a hearing (after making reasonable efforts to do so) because the Arbitrator is

unavailable.

(d) Procedure.

Hearings before the Arbitrator shall be held in New York (alternating between the

WNBA and Players Association offices). Hearings shall be conducted in accordance with the

Labor Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association.

(e) Costs.

Subject to Section 4(c)(iii) above, the fees and expenses of the Arbitrator shall be

borne equally by all parties to the arbitration, but all other costs (travel, etc.), including costs

associated with witnesses, shall be paid by the party incurring such costs.

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Section 5. Arbitrator’s Decision and Award.

(a) The Arbitrator shall issue a written decision (to be delivered to all parties)

within thirty (30) days following the conclusion of the hearing (or thirty (30) days after the filing

of the last post-hearing brief). The decision and award (if any) of the Arbitrator will constitute

full, final and complete disposition of the Grievance and will be binding upon the player, the

Players Association, the player’s Team, and the WNBA.

(b) With respect to the provisions of this Article XXII, in addition to such

other limitations as may be imposed on the Arbitrator by this Agreement, the Arbitrator shall

have jurisdiction and authority only to: (i) interpret, apply, or determine compliance with the

provisions of this Agreement; (ii) interpret, apply or determine compliance with the provisions of

Standard Player Contracts and WNBA or Team Marketing and Promotional Agreements; (iii)

determine the validity of Standard Player Contracts; (iv) award damages in connection with a

proceeding provided for in Section 6 below; (v) resolve controversies or claims arising out of or

relating to the License Agreement; (vi) award declaratory relief in connection with a proceeding

initiated by the WNBA to determine whether it may properly terminate a Player Contract and

what, if any, liability it would incur as a result of such termination; and (vii) resolve disputes

arising under Article XXI and Exhibit 2 of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing or

any other provision of this Agreement or the Standard Player Contract, the Arbitrator shall not

have jurisdiction or authority to add to, detract from, or alter in any way the provisions of this

Agreement (including the provisions of this subsection), the License Agreement, any Standard

Player Contract, or any WNBA or Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement.

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Section 6. Disputes with Respect to Players Under Contract Who Withhold Playing
Services.

In addition to any other rights the WNBA and/or a Team may have under contract

or law, including those under paragraph 12 of a Standard Player Contract, the WNBA and/or a

Team may recover damages in a proceeding before the Arbitrator when a player who is party to a

Player Contract fails or refuses to render the services called for under such Player Contract. In

any such proceeding, where the Arbitrator determines that damages are continuing to accrue at

the time of the hearing, the Arbitrator shall award such damages (if any) as the WNBA and/or a

Team has by then sustained, and the hearing shall remain open to enable the submission of proof

on the issue of continuing damages.

Section 7. Injury Grievances.

(a) If a party to a dispute arising under Article XX, Section 1(c) of this

Agreement so elects, the WNBA and the Players Association shall agree upon a neutral

physician or (in the absence of such agreement) jointly request that the President of the

American College of Orthopedic Surgeons (or such other similar organization as the WNBA and

the Players Association agree may be most appropriate to the issues in dispute) designate a

physician who has no relationship with any party covered by this Agreement who shall, for

purposes of the dispute, serve as an independent medical expert and consultant to the Arbitrator;

it being understood that any such election made in connection with an Expedited Hearing, may

result in a slight delay (as determined by the Arbitrator) to the Expedited Hearing date. Such

independent medical expert shall conduct a physical examination of the player; review such

medical records and reports relating to the player that bear on the issues in dispute; and prepare a

written report of the player’s medical condition, which report shall address any specific medical

questions submitted to the independent medical expert by joint agreement of the parties or by the

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Arbitrator. Any reports, opinions, or conclusions of the independent medical expert shall be

provided in writing to the parties in advance of any hearing scheduled pursuant to Section 4(c)

above. The opinions and conclusions of the independent medical expert shall be accorded such

weight as the Arbitrator deems appropriate. The fees and costs of the independent medical

expert shall be borne equally by both sides.

(b) During the course of any arbitration proceeding, the Arbitrator may, by

appropriate process, require any person (including, but not limited to, a Team and a Team

physician, and a player and any physician consulted by such player) to provide to the player or

that player’s Team, as the case may be, all medical information in the possession of any such

person relating to the subject matter of the arbitration.

Section 8. Threshold Amounts.

No player discipline Grievance shall be subject to arbitration unless: (i) in the

case of player discipline administered by a Team, the player has been fined, or suspended with a

loss of Base Salary of, more than $300; or (ii) in the case of player discipline administered by the

WNBA, the player has been fined, or suspended with a loss of Base Salary of, more than $550.

Except as provided in Section 2 and 3, all other Team or WNBA-administered player discipline

shall be final and binding at the time administered.

Section 9. Other.

(a) Each of the time limits set forth herein may be extended by mutual

agreement of the WNBA and the Players Association.

(b) In any meeting or hearing provided for by this Article, a player may be

accompanied by a representative of the Players Association and/or a legal representative, who, in

each case, may participate in any such meeting or hearing and represent the player. In any

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meeting or hearing, the WNBA and any Team involved may attend and be accompanied by a

representative who may participate in such meeting or hearing and represent the WNBA and any

such Team.

(c) The parties recognize that a player may be subjected to disciplinary action

for just cause by the WNBA or the player’s Team. Therefore, in Grievances regarding

discipline, the issue to be resolved shall be whether there has been just cause for the penalty

imposed.

(d) Nothing contained herein shall excuse the player from prompt compliance

with any discipline imposed upon her. If discipline imposed upon a player is determined to be

improper by a final disposition under this Article XXII, the player shall promptly be made

whole.

(e) Nothing contained in this Article XXII shall be deemed to limit or impair

the right of the WNBA or any Team to impose discipline upon a player(s) or to take any other

action not inconsistent with the provisions of a Player Contract or this Agreement.

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 ARTICLE XXIII

PROCEDURES FOR THE RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES

UNDER ARTICLES VI, VII, XII, XIII, XV, AND XVI

Section 1. Authority of Arbitrator.

Disputes involving the interpretation of, application of, or compliance with

Article VI, Article VII, Article XII, XIII, Article XV, and Article XVI shall be resolved by the

Arbitrator appointed pursuant to the provisions of Article XXII, Section 4(b), exclusively in

accordance with the procedures set forth in this Article XXIII.

Section 2. Initiation.

(a) Either the WNBA or the Players Association may initiate a proceeding

under this Article by filing a written notice thereof with the Arbitrator and serving a copy of such

notice on the other party. Except as otherwise provided by Article XVI, Section 5, a proceeding

under this Article may be initiated only by the WNBA or the Players Association.

(b) A proceeding under this Article must be initiated within ninety (90) days

from the date of the act or omission upon which the claim asserted is based, or within ninety (90)

days from the date upon which such act or omission became known or reasonably should have

become known to the party initiating the proceeding, whichever is later.

Section 3. Procedures.

(a) All matters before the Arbitrator under this Article shall be heard and

determined in an expedited manner, provided that such expedition is reasonable under the

circumstances. A proceeding under this Article may be commenced upon seventy-two (72)

hours’ written notice (or upon shorter notice if ordered by the Arbitrator) served upon the party

against whom the proceeding is brought and filed with the Arbitrator. All such notices and all

orders and notices issued and directed by the Arbitrator shall be served on the WNBA, counsel

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for the WNBA, the Players Association, counsel for the Players Association, and any counsel

appearing for individual WNBA players or individual WNBA Teams.

(b) In proceedings under this Article, the Arbitrator shall make findings of

fact and award appropriate relief including, without limitation, damages and specific

performance. The Arbitrator shall render an award as soon as practicable, and the award shall be

accompanied by a written opinion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Arbitrator determines

that expedition so requires, the Arbitrator shall accompany the award with a written summary of

the grounds upon which the award is based, and a full written opinion may follow within a

reasonable time thereafter. In no event shall the award and written opinion be issued more than

thirty (30) days following the date upon which the record of the proceeding is closed (or, where

applicable, the date designated by the Arbitrator for the submission of post-hearing briefs).

(c) In proceedings under this Article, the Arbitrator shall have authority to

order the production of documents, the conduct of pre-hearing depositions, and the attendance of

witnesses at the hearing with respect to the WNBA and the Players Association, and/or any

player or Team. The Arbitrator shall have the authority to compel the attendance of witnesses

and the production of documents at any hearing within the jurisdiction of the Arbitrator in

accordance with the New York C.P.L.R.

(d) An award of the Arbitrator under this Article shall, upon its issuance,

constitute the full, final and complete disposition of the dispute and shall be binding upon the

parties to this Agreement and upon any player(s) or Team(s) involved.

(e) The Arbitrator shall not have jurisdiction or authority to add to, detract

from, or alter in any way the provisions of this Agreement or any Player Contract.

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Section 4. Special Procedure for Disputes with Respect to a Players Association Review
of a League Revenue Report.

(a) Notwithstanding any of the other provisions of this Agreement, at the

request of either the WNBA or the Players Association, and irrespective of which party may

commence the proceeding, the procedures set forth in this Section 4 shall apply to the resolution

of any disputes with respect to a Players Association review of a League Revenue Report in

accordance with Article XII. If in connection with any such dispute, there is any conflict

between the procedures set forth in this Section 4 and those set forth elsewhere in this

Agreement, the procedures set forth in this Section shall control.

(b) With respect to a Players Association review of a League Revenue Report,

a proceeding before the Arbitrator shall be commenced, in the manner provided for by Section

2(a) of this Article XXIII, no more than twenty (20) days following the April 30 of the calendar

year following the conclusion of the Season that was the subject of the review.

(c) A party’s failure to commence a proceeding before the Arbitrator within

the time period provided for by subsection (b) above shall forever bar that party from asserting or

seeking relief of any kind with respect to a Players Association review of a League Revenue

Report for the applicable Season.

(d) In proceedings commenced pursuant to this Section 4, the Arbitrator shall

conduct the hearing within fifteen (15) days from the commencement of the proceeding and shall

render an award and issue a written decision as soon as possible, but in no event later than ten

(10) days following the close of the hearing.

(e) No dispute shall proceed to a hearing under this Section 4 unless the

amount of League Revenue in dispute would create a Net Overage (as those terms are defined in

Article XII, Section 1(b)).

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Section 5. Costs.

(a) The compensation of the Arbitrator and the costs and expenses incurred in

connection with any proceeding brought before the Arbitrator under this Article shall be borne

equally by the parties to this Agreement; provided, however, that each participant in such

proceeding shall bear its own attorneys’ fees and litigation costs.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5(a) above, if a matter is

scheduled for hearing under this Article XXIII, and the hearing date is thereafter postponed at the

request of either the WBNA or the Players Association, the postponement fee (if any) of the

Arbitrator will be borne by the party requesting the postponement unless the party objects and

the Arbitrator finds that the request for such postponement was for good cause. Should good

cause be found, the parties will share any postponement fee equally.

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 ARTICLE XXIV

PROMOTIONAL APPEARANCES AND MEDIA

Section 1. General.

(a) In addition to the appearances required under Article XXVI of this

Agreement, a player may be required to make a reasonable number of promotional appearances

on behalf of the Team or the WNBA during any Season and immediately succeeding Off-

Season. These promotional appearances, as to which the player will be given reasonable

advance notice, may include, but shall not be limited to, youth organization visits, award shows,

public service or charitable events, clinics, autograph signing sessions, or hospitality or

promotional events involving or relating to WNBA Competitions. No such promotional

appearance shall be made on behalf of a commercial sponsor; nor shall such appearance require a

player to endorse or give a testimonial for any product or service. Any such promotional

appearances during the Off-Season will be scheduled at times and locations agreeable to the

player and the Team or the WNBA. A Team or WNBA representative shall be present for the

duration of all appearances required under this Article XXIV and Article XXVI of this

Agreement to monitor such appearances. Players will be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses

actually incurred in connection with required appearances, provided such expenses are

documented to the Team or the WNBA, result directly from the appearances and are ordinary

and reasonable.

(b) A player shall not be compensated for any of the first ten (10) promotional

appearances made by such player on behalf of a Team during any Season and the immediately

succeeding Off-Season. Beginning with the eleventh (11th) such appearance, the player shall be

paid $750.00 for every third (3rd) such appearance (i.e., the player shall be paid for appearance

number eleven (11), fourteen (14), seventeen (17), etc.). In the event that additional unpaid

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Team promotional appearances are assigned to a player by the WNBA pursuant to Article XIV,

Section 8, (“Additional Unpaid Team Promotional Appearances”), such Additional Unpaid Team

Promotional Appearance shall delay any payments accordingly (e.g., if one Additional Unpaid

Team Promotional Appearance is assigned, the player shall be paid $750.00 for every third (3rd)

appearance beginning with appearance number twelve (12)).

(c) No player may be paid more than $3,000 by a Team during any Season

and immediately succeeding Off-Season for promotional appearances made pursuant to this

Article XXIV (i.e., no player may be required to make more than twenty (20) appearances during

any Season and immediately succeeding Off-Season pursuant to this Article XXIV if the player

has not been assessed any Additional Unpaid Team Promotional Appearances).

(d) The following guidelines shall apply to appearances required under this

Article XXIV and Article XXVI of this Agreement:

The players understand the importance of player accessibility to

the business of the league and will continue to enthusiastically participate in the various

marketing programs of the league and Teams. The league and Teams understand that it is

important to prioritize the use of players off the court and to maximize the efficiency of player

appearances (by, for instance, scheduling appearances to last an appropriate amount of time

based on the circumstances, including the nature of the appearance).

Each player shall be afforded at least two (2) days during each

month occurring during a Season (excluding any month that has fewer than twenty (20) days of

the Season in such month) in which the player will not be required by a Team to make any

appearances required under this Article XXIV or Article XXVI of this Agreement.

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 No player shall be required to make appearances required under

this Article XXIV or Article XXVI of this Agreement on more than four (4) consecutive days;

provided, however, that any appearance by a player in connection with the WNBA All-Star

Game or the NBA All-Star Game or activities related to such games shall not count as an

appearance for purposes of this subsection (d)(iii);

No player shall be required to make both a pre-game and post-

game appearance on the same day on more than six (6) days during any Season; and

No player may be asked by a Team to do more than ten (10)

promotional appearances during any Season and succeeding Off-Season unless four (4) other

players on such Team have been asked to do at least three (3) promotional appearances during

such Season and succeeding Off-Season.

The player shall be given written notice (including via electronic

means) as to whether an appearance is promotional or commercial.

(e) A player shall not be compensated for any of the first three (3)

promotional appearances made by such player on behalf of the WNBA during any Season and

the immediately succeeding Off-Season. Beginning with the fourth (4th) such promotional

appearance the player shall be paid $750.00 for every other such appearance (i.e. the player shall

be paid for appearance number four (4), six (6), eight (8), etc.).

(f) The foregoing provisions shall not apply to: (i) any appearance in

connection with a game that is scheduled to take place within two hours before or two hours after

such game (e.g., pre- and post-game autograph sessions) (the “Window”), but shall apply to any

appearance scheduled to take place outside of the Window; (ii) any appearance by a Rookie in

connection with any WNBA Draft; (iii) any appearance by a player at an award presentation

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ceremony at which the player is (or has been nominated) to receive an award; and (iv) any

cooperation with the media in accordance with subsection (g) below.

(g) Players shall cooperate with all reasonable requests of the news media.

Such cooperation by players shall include, but not be limited to, making themselves available for

interviews conducted at reasonable times, including interviews before, during, or after WNBA

Competitions (whether in specially designed interview rooms, interview areas or elsewhere), and

for interviews conducted during off-days or during the Off-Season. Any such interviews during

the Off-Season will be scheduled at times and locations agreeable to the player and the WNBA.

Section 2. Liaisons.

The WNBA, on the one hand, and the Players Association, on the other hand,

shall each appoint, from its employees, a representative to serve as a primary contact (a

“Liaison”) regarding player appearances. Through the Liaisons, the parties shall conduct

meetings (in person or telephonically) monthly during the Season, or at such other intervals as

the parties may agree, to discuss any issues that arise relating to player appearances. The

meetings may be attended by staff members and advisors of the WNBA and the Players

Association.

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 ARTICLE XXV

PLAYER PROGRAMS

Section 1. Mandatory Programs.

WNBA players shall be required to attend and participate in educational programs

designated as “Mandatory Programs” by the WNBA and the Players Association. Such

Mandatory Programs shall include a Rookie orientation program and such other programs (e.g.,

financial literacy, diversity and inclusion) as the WNBA and the Players Association may agree

upon. During the term of this Agreement, all such programs shall be administered by the

WNBA, which shall, however, consult with the Players Association concerning the structure and

content thereof.

Section 2. NBA G League Jobs Database.

The WNBA shall make available access to an existing database of NBA G

League, and NBA G League team, job openings to current and former players who have

expressed interest in such positions. In the event that the database ceases to exist for any reason,

the obligation in this Section 2 shall terminate.

Section 3. Offseason Employment.

With respect to the Off-Season following the 2020 Season, the WNBA will use

reasonable efforts to secure thirty (30) job opportunities (each, an “Off-Season Employment

Opportunity” and, collectively, the “Off-Season Employment Threshold”) with, for example,

League partners, League sponsors and teams in leagues other than the WNBA; provided that,

with respect to any Off-Season (for the purposes of this Section 3, “Off-Season One”) for which

the WNBA meets, and players accept fewer Off-Season Employment Opportunities than, the

Off-Season Employment Threshold, the Off-Season Employment Threshold for the next Off-

Season shall be reduced to reflect the number of Off-Season Employment Opportunities players

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accepted in Off-Season 1. The adjustment described in the preceding sentence shall continue, if

necessary, with respect to each Off-Season hereunder. With respect to each Off-Season

following the 2023 Season, the WNBA shall use best efforts to secure ten (10) Off-Season

Employment Opportunities (or, if fewer than ten (10), the number of Off-Season Employment

Opportunities that comprise the then-current Off-Season Employment Threshold) at an average

salary of $25,000; and shall use reasonable efforts to secure the number of Off-Season

Employment Opportunities, if any, that comprise the balance of the then-current Off-Season

Employment Threshold. The WNBA shall offer Off-Season Employment Opportunities to

players under Contract for the relevant Off-Season at the time the offer is made. The WNBA

shall encourage (i) Teams located in cities where players’ Off-Season Employment

Opportunities are located to make available their playing or practice facilities to such players

during the terms of their Off-Season Employment Opportunities; and (ii) employers providing

Off-Season Employment Opportunities to include access to, or reimbursement for, workout

facilities as part of the terms of such Off-Season Employment Opportunities. Such employers

also shall be permitted to provide housing to players as part of the terms of their Off-Season

Employment Opportunities.

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 ARTICLE XXVI

LICENSING, PLAYER MARKETING,

COMMERCIAL APPEARANCES,
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION MARKETING,
PICTURES AND APPAREL

Section 1. Licensing Rights.

The Players Association, on behalf of present and future WNBA players, agrees

that:

(a) The WNBA and/or WNBA Enterprises have the right to use the Player

Attributes of each WNBA player as such term is defined and for such group licensing purposes

as are set forth in the agreement between WNBA Enterprises and the Players Association, dated

January 17, 2020 (the “Licensing Agreement”);

(b) The WNBA and/or WNBA Enterprises have the worldwide right to use or

license in a group of three (3) or more players the Player Attributes of all such players (including

the right to make individual use, or license the individual use, of a player’s Player Attributes in a

series of three (3) or more players) solely in combination with the use of any or all WNBA and

Team names, logos, trademarks, trade dress, uniforms or other form of WNBA intellectual

property: (i) in any form of trade or consumer promotion, marketing or advertising; and (ii) in

any advertising, marketing or collateral materials or public service or marketing programs

conducted by the WNBA, WNBA Enterprises, or any Team that, without regard to whether such

use includes sponsor identification, is intended to (y) promote (A) a Team, the WNBA, players,

the sponsor, the sport of basketball and/or women’s empowerment, (B) any game or competition

in which a Team or group of players participates, or (C) any telecast or broadcast of such a game

or competition and/or (z) further the development, popularity or growth of the WNBA and/or the

sport of basketball (e.g., in connection with basketball clinics, “grass roots” programs and similar

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non-commercial activities) (the materials and programs described in clause (ii) above

collectively referred to as “League Materials and Programs”); and

(c) In order to both attract new sponsor investment in the WNBA and elevate

player brands and increase future player endorsement opportunities by associating players with

marquee marketing partners, the WNBA and/or WNBA Enterprises will have the worldwide

right to use or license the Player Attributes of individual players solely in combination with the

use of any or all WNBA and Team names, logos, trademarks, trade dress, uniforms or other form

of WNBA intellectual property: (i) in any form of trade or consumer promotion, marketing or

advertising; and (ii) in any advertising, marketing or collateral materials or public service or

marketing programs conducted by the WNBA, WNBA Enterprises, or any Team that, without

regard to whether such use includes sponsor identification, is intended to (y) promote (A) a

Team, the WNBA, players, the sponsor, the sport of basketball and/or women’s empowerment,

(B) any game or competition in which a Team or group of players participates, or (C) any

telecast or broadcast of such a game or competition and/or (z) further the development,

popularity or growth of the WNBA and/or the sport of basketball (e.g., in connection with

basketball clinics, “grass roots” programs and similar non-commercial activities). With respect

to any individual use of players in sponsor marketing or advertising pursuant to this subsection

(c) only: (i) the player will be provided with at least seven (7) days’ advance written notice of

such usage (with a copy to the Players Association) and may opt out of such usage in writing

within three (3) days of receipt of such notice; (ii) such usage will not be in the footwear, apparel

or sports drink category; (iii) such usage will not be in a sponsor or product category in which

the player has a Bona Fide Exclusive Endorsement Agreement with a conflicting sponsor during

the term of such Bona Fide Exclusive Endorsement Agreement; and (iv) such usage will be used

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or licensed on a year-to-year basis (i.e., will only be extended beyond one year if the player

continues not to have a competing Bona Fide Exclusive Endorsement Agreement). In making

individual usage of players pursuant to this subsection (c), the WNBA and/or WNBA Enterprises

shall take into consideration the diversity of the player population and shall use commercially

reasonable efforts to coordinate with the Players Association’s preferred social media partner

when such usage involves sponsor-related social media posts.

Section 2. Player Marketing Rights.

(a) A player will not license her Player Attributes: (i) for use during any

Season to any entity (other than a WNBA Sponsor) that competes in a Designated Sponsor

Category, or (ii) for use in connection with any product or service pursuant to an agreement that

would preclude or interfere with the full and complete exercise by WNBA Enterprises or the

WNBA (or any of its Teams) of the rights granted in this Article XXVI, or paragraph 6 of the

Standard Player Contract or the Licensing Agreement.

(b) WNBA Enterprises shall provide the Players Association with a list of up

to four (4) Designated Sponsor Categories on or before the March 15 prior to each Season and

shall promptly notify the Players Association of additions, deletions and modifications to such

lists.

(c) Any sponsorship, endorsement or licensing agreement (including any

agreement with regard to footwear) entered into by a player during the term of her Standard

Player Contract must expressly provide that any provisions of such agreement that conflict or are

inconsistent with any provisions of either this Agreement or the player’s Standard Player

Contract shall be of no force or effect.

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 (d) No player may (i) permit any entity (other than a WNBA licensee) to

manufacture a product bearing any of her Player Attributes or (ii) appear in any form of trade or

consumer promotion or advertising on behalf of any entity (other than a WNBA Sponsor or a

WNBA licensee identified in the Licensing Agreement), if such product, premium, promotion, or

advertising (as the case may be): (x) creates an association between the WNBA (or any of its

Teams) and the manufacturer of such product or premium or the entity for which the player is

appearing in the promotion or advertising (e.g., through the use or reference to any form of

WNBA intellectual property (including Team colors) or any WNBA arena, WNBA practice

facility or WNBA basketball); or (y) violates any provision of this Agreement or the player’s

Standard Player Contract.

(e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Article XXVI

(including Section 2(a) above), a player shall have the right to have the identification of a

WNBA Sponsor removed from advertising, premiums, and point-of-sale displays that contain

her Player Attributes on an individual basis as part of a series if she has a Bona Fide Exclusive

Endorsement Agreement with a conflicting sponsor that expressly prohibits the player’s likeness

from being used in connection with such activities by companies (other than the conflicting

sponsor) engaged in the type of business for which the player is obligated to perform

endorsement services under such Bona Fide Exclusive Endorsement Agreement. The right of the

player contained in the preceding sentence shall exist only during the term of such Bona Fide

Exclusive Endorsement Agreement.

(f) The rights granted to the WNBA and WNBA Enterprises and the

obligations undertaken by the players and Players Association under Section 1 above do not

include, and should not be construed to include, any right to use Player Attributes in a manner

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that creates an endorsement or testimonial for any product or service by any player or group of

players. WNBA Enterprises shall not license any WNBA Sponsor to use individually a player’s

Player Attributes in a series pursuant to Section 1(b)(i) above in a manner that features,

highlights or individually promotes such Player to a greater degree relative to the other players in

the series. WNBA Enterprises shall use reasonable efforts to cause any license agreement

providing a WNBA Sponsor with rights to use individually a player’s Player Attributes in a

series pursuant to Section 1(b)(i) to use at least five (5) Players in such series.

(g) The Players Association acknowledges that WNBA Enterprises or the

WNBA may enter into corporate sponsorship agreements with respect to League awards and

achievements (“Awards”) and (i) that any player named a recipient of any such Award shall be

required to accept such Award notwithstanding the terms of any Bona Fide Exclusive

Endorsement Agreement or conflict between a Player’s Bona Fide Licensee and the Award

sponsor, (ii) that such Award sponsor shall be entitled to reasonably announce the fact that the

player won the Award in the promotion of its Award sponsorship (e.g., in a congratulatory

advertisement), and (iii) that, in connection with such announcement and promotion, the Award

sponsor shall be entitled to make reasonable use of the player’s Player Attributes and the Player

Attributes of any other players nominated for such Award. WNBA Enterprises shall not,

pursuant to the rights granted to it pursuant to Section 1(b) above, authorize any sponsor in such

a corporate sponsorship agreement to use a player’s Player Attributes in a manner that would

constitute an endorsement or testimonial for any product or service by such player.

Section 3. Commercial Appearances.

(a) A Player may, during each Season and the immediately succeeding Off-

Season covered by a Standard Player Contract to which she is a party, be required to make up to

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six (6) commercial appearances on behalf of WNBA Sponsors or licensees, at the request of the

WNBA or its designees upon at least seven (7) days’ prior notice in each instance. Such

commercial appearances, unless otherwise agreed to by the player, shall (i) occur between April

1 and the last day of the immediately succeeding Off-Season, and (ii) not conflict with the

contractual obligations of the Player under any then-current Bona Fide Exclusive Endorsement

Agreement of the Player, and (iii) be subject to the appearances guidelines set forth in Section

1(d) of Article XXIV of this Agreement. Any such appearances not scheduled to take place

during the Season shall be scheduled at times and locations agreeable to the player and the

WNBA or its designee. The Player shall be paid $750 for each appearance that she makes

pursuant to this Section 3(a). Players will also be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses actually

incurred in connection with appearances required pursuant to this Section 3(a), provided such

expenses are documented to the WNBA, result directly from the appearance and are ordinary and

reasonable.

(b) In addition to the commercial appearances called for by Section 3(a)

above, a player may, during each Season and the immediately succeeding Off-Season covered by

a Standard Player Contract to which she is a party, be required to make up to three (3)

appearances on behalf of sponsors designated by her Team, upon at least seven (7) days’ prior

notice in each instance. Such appearances shall be subject to the appearances guidelines set forth

in Section 1(d) of Article XXIV of this Agreement. The Player shall receive no payment for

such Team sponsor appearances; provided, however, that the player will be reimbursed for out-

of-pocket expenses actually incurred in connection with such required appearances, provided

such expenses are documented to the Team, result directly from the appearance and are ordinary

and reasonable. Any such appearances during the Off-Season will be scheduled at times and

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locations agreeable to the Player and the Team. The player may be paid by the Team for each

commercial appearance she makes during a Season and succeeding Off-Season in excess of the

three (3) appearances described above, provided that a player shall not receive more than $750

for any such appearance and no Team may pay a player a total of more than $3,000 for all

commercial appearances performed by the player during any Season and immediately

succeeding Off-Season under this Section 3(b) meaning that no player may be required to make

more than seven (7) commercial appearances during any Season and immediately succeeding

Off-Season pursuant to this Article XXVI (it being understood that the $3,000 limitation set forth

above shall not apply to commercial appearances performed by the player pursuant to a Team

Marketing and Promotional Agreement).

Section 4. Players Association Marketing.

The Players Association agrees that it will not engage in or conduct (or permit or

license any third party to engage in or conduct) any form of trade or consumer promotion,

marketing or advertising that uses or refers to WNBA intellectual property (including Team

colors), to any WNBA arena, WNBA practice facility or WNBA basketball or that otherwise

creates an association between the WNBA (or any of its Teams) and a third party.

Section 5. Pictures.

The Players Association, on behalf of present and future WNBA players, agrees

that (i) the WNBA, WNBA Enterprises, and the Team shall have the right to take or create (or

have taken or created) Pictures or likenesses of players at any WNBA Competition or WNBA or

Team sponsored event; and (ii) players shall be available to have their Picture taken or likeness

created, individually or with other players in the WNBA, at such times and places as WNBA or

the Team shall reasonably designate. All rights in such Pictures or likenesses shall belong

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exclusively to the WNBA. The WNBA shall have the worldwide exclusive right to use,

distribute or license any such Pictures (or excerpts or portions thereof) or likenesses in League

Materials and Programs.

Section 6. Apparel.

A player shall wear all apparel, and only such apparel, supplied by her Team or

the WNBA for all WNBA Competitions, practices and press conferences, and shall not alter the

appearance of such apparel or cover (in whole or in part) any name, logo, symbol or emblem on

such apparel. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, a player may wear manufacturer logo-

identified shoes during WNBA Competitions, practices and press conferences as long as such

manufacturer has been designated by WNBA Enterprises as an authorized WNBA footwear

supplier and the player has a Qualifying Shoe Deal with such manufacturer. If the player has a

Qualifying Shoe Deal with a manufacturer that is not an authorized footwear supplier, then the

player may wear such manufacturer’s shoes during WNBA Competitions, practices and press

conferences but without any visible manufacturer logo or other manufacturer identification. If

the player does not have a Qualifying Shoe Deal, then the player shall wear during WNBA

Competitions, practices and press conferences the shoes supplied by a supplier designated by the

WNBA. If the player does not have a Qualifying Shoe Deal and advises the WNBA that the

shoes supplied by the WNBA designated supplier do not fit her properly, the WNBA shall in

good faith request that the manufacturer of such shoes provide a better fitting pair of shoes.

Section 7. Player Content Creation.

Players shall be required to comply with reasonable content creation and social

media distribution requests (e.g., by using their social media accounts to provide behind-the-

scenes access to, and images of, WNBA events) of the WNBA or their Teams that are designed,

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among other things, to market the League, the Team, the player, the sport of basketball and

women’s empowerment, and to generate WNBA and Team revenue (e.g., as part of a sponsor

pitch deck).

Section 8. Co-Branded Events.

The parties hereto agree to discuss the creation of a limited number of WNBA and

Players Association co-branded and, where appropriate, co-funded initiatives.

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 ARTICLE XXVII

BROADCAST AND TELECAST RIGHTS

Section 1. WNBA Rights.

During the term of this Agreement, the Players Association agrees that the

WNBA and its designees shall have the exclusive right to use, distribute, or license any

performance rendered by the players (or excerpts or portions thereof) under this Agreement, and

any associated Pictures, for (a) any form of broadcast or telecast, including over-the-air

television, cable television, pay television, or direct broadcast satellite television, (b) any form of

cassette, cartridge, or disk system (other than as incorporated into a retail product that would

require a group license from players (e.g., a video game but not a home video)) or (c) other

means of distribution known or unknown.

Section 2. No Suit.

The Players Association, for itself and present and future WNBA players,

covenants not to sue (or finance any suit against) WNBA Enterprises, the WNBA, any WNBA

Team, or their respective past, present and future affiliates, agents, employees, successors,

designees, assigns, licensees, owners (direct and indirect), officers, directors, trustees, attorneys,

general or limited partners, members, heirs, executors, administrators and representatives, with

respect to the use, distribution, or license, for any form of broadcast or telecast, including over-

the-air television, cable television, pay television, or direct broadcast satellite television, and any

form of cassette, cartridge, or disk system, or other means of distribution known or unknown, of

any performances by any player rendered under this Agreement, and any associated Pictures,

during any period up to and including the day following the last playoff game of the final

WNBA Season covered by this Agreement.

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 ARTICLE XXVIII

MUTUAL RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

Upon the expiration or termination of this Agreement, no person shall be deemed

to have waived, by reason of the entry into or effectuation of this Agreement, any other

collective bargaining agreement, or any Standard Player Contract, or Marketing and Promotional

Agreement, or any terms of any of them, or by reason of any practice or course of dealing, their

respective rights under law with respect to any issues or their ability to advance any legal

argument.

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 ARTICLE XXIX

TEAM RULES

Section 1. Establishment of Team Rules.

WNBA Teams may maintain or establish rules with which its players shall

comply at all times, whether on or off the court; provided, however, that such rules are in

writing, are reasonable, and do not violate the provisions of this Agreement or the Standard

Player Contract.

Section 2. Notice.

Any rule(s) established by a Team pursuant to Section 1 above shall be provided

to the Players Association prior to the distribution of such rule(s) to that Team’s players.

Section 3. Grievances Challenging Team Rules.

The Players Association may file a Grievance challenging the reasonableness of a

rule established by a Team pursuant to Section 1 above, and the Team’s imposition of discipline

on a player for a violation of such rule, within thirty (30) days from the date upon which the

imposition of such discipline on the player became known or reasonably should have become

known to the player. No ruling by the Arbitrator finding a Team rule unreasonable may be

applied retroactively as to any player other than the player on whose behalf the Grievance was

filed.

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 ARTICLE XXX

RIGHT OF SET-OFF

Section 1. General.

When a WNBA Team terminates a Standard Player Contract (“First Contract”) in

circumstances where the Team, following such termination, continues to be liable for the Base

Salary called for by such Contract, the Team’s liability for such Base Salary shall be reduced, to

the extent provided for in this Article XXX, by any compensation earned by the player (for

services as a player) from any professional basketball team or teams (the “Subsequent Team(s)”)

during the Season(s) covered by the terminated Contract (including, but not limited to,

compensation earned but not paid during such period). The reduction in the Team’s liability for

each Season (or partial Season) covered by the First Contract shall be calculated for each Season

(or partial Season) as follows:

Step 1: Calculate the total compensation earned by the player (for services as a player)
from the Subsequent Team(s) during the Salary Cap Year encompassing the relevant
Season (or partial Season).

Step 2: Subtract the Minimum Player Salary applicable to players with three (3) or
more Years of Service, less ten thousand dollars ($10,000) from the result in Step 1.

Step 3: If the result in Step 2 is a negative amount, there is no reduction in the Team’s
liability for the relevant Season (or partial Season). If the result in Step 2 is a positive
amount, the reduction in the Team’s liability for the relevant Season (or partial Season)
shall equal 50% (fifty percent) of that amount.

In the event that the formula above results in the player receiving more than ten

thousand dollars ($10,000) above the Maximum Player Salary applicable to any Season from

both the Subsequent Team(s) and the First Contract, the reduction in the Team’s liability for each

Season (or partial Season) covered by the First Contract shall be increased so that the player

receives only ten thousand dollars ($10,000) above the Maximum Player Salary from both the

Subsequent Team(s) and the First Contract.

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Section 2. Definitions.

For the purposes of this Article, a “professional basketball team” shall mean any

team in any country that pays money or compensation of any kind to a basketball player for

rendering playing services to such team (other than a reasonable stipend limited to basic living

expenses). For purposes of this Article, “compensation” earned by a player from a Subsequent

Team shall include: (i) in the case of a WNBA Team, the player’s Base Salary only; and (ii) in

the case of a non-WNBA team, all forms of cash and non-cash compensation other than benefits

comparable to the type of benefits (e.g., medical and dental insurance) provided to a WNBA

player in accordance with Article X above, travel and moving expenses, and any car and housing

provided temporarily by the team to the player during the period of time for which the player

renders services to the team.

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 ARTICLE XXXI

SAVINGS CLAUSE

In the event that any provision hereof is found to be inconsistent with the Internal

Revenue Code (or the rules and regulations issued thereunder), the National Labor Relations Act,

any other federal, state, provincial or local statute or ordinance, or the rules and regulations of

any other government agency, or is determined to have an adverse effect upon the right of the

WNBA (or any affiliated or successor entity) to a tax exemption under Section 501(c)(6) of the

Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or any successor section of like import), then the parties hereto

agree to make such changes as are necessary to avoid such inconsistency or to obtain or maintain

such exemption retaining, to the extent possible, the intention of such provision.

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 ARTICLE XXXII

PLAYER AGENTS

Section 1. Negotiation of Player Contracts.

A Team shall not enter into any Standard Player Contract or Team Marketing and

Promotional Agreement, and the WNBA shall not enter into a WNBA Marketing and

Promotional Agreement, with a player unless such player: (i) is represented in the negotiations

with respect to such Standard Player Contract and/or Marketing and Promotional Agreement by

an agent or representative authorized to represent her and duly certified by the Players

Association in accordance with the Players Association’s Agent Regulation Program; or (ii) acts

on her own behalf in negotiating such Standard Player Contract and/or Marketing and

Promotional Agreement.

Section 2. Indemnity.

The Players Association agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the WNBA, its

Teams and each of its and their respective past, present and future affiliates, agents, employees,

successors, designees, assigns, licensees, owners (direct and indirect), officers, directors,

trustees, attorneys, general or limited partners, members, heirs, executors, administrators and

representatives, from any and all claims of any kind arising from or relating to (i) the Players

Association’s Agent Regulation Program, and (ii) the provisions of this Article, including,

without limitation, any judgments, costs and settlements, provided that the Players Association is

immediately notified of any such claim in writing (and, in no event later than five (5) days from

the receipt thereof), is given the opportunity to assume the defense thereof, and the WNBA uses

its best efforts to defend such claim, and does not admit liability with respect to and does not

settle such claim without the prior written consent of the Players Association.

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Section 3. Agent Lists.

The Players Association agrees to provide the WNBA League Office with a list

of: (i) all agents certified under the Players Association’s Agent Regulation Program, and (ii) the

players represented by each such agent. Such list shall be updated once a month from the day

after the WNBA Championship Series to the first day of the next succeeding Regular Season and

shall be updated once every two (2) months at all other times.

Section 4. Confirmation by the Players Association.

If the WNBA or a Team has reason to believe that an agent representing a player

in Contract negotiations is not a certified agent or is not the agent authorized to represent such

player, the WNBA may, at its election, request in writing from the Players Association

confirmation as to whether such agent is in fact the player’s certified representative. If within

three (3) business days of the date the Players Association receives such written request, the

WNBA does not receive a written response from the Players Association stating that such agent

is not the player’s certified representative, then the WNBA and any Team shall be free to act as

if the agent is the player’s confirmed certified agent.

Section 5. WNBA Player as Agent.

No WNBA player may represent (or otherwise act as an agent for) any other

WNBA player.

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 ARTICLE XXXIII

EXPANSION, CONTRACTION,
ROSTERS, NUMBER OF GAMES, SEASON FOOTPRINT

Section 1. Number of Teams.

(a) The WNBA and Players Association agree that the WNBA has the

absolute right and discretion to determine the number and location of Teams that will participate

in the WNBA during any Season, including, without limitation, the right and discretion to

increase or decrease the number of Teams in the WNBA at any time. The WNBA and the

Players Association further agree that the WNBA and each WNBA Team has the absolute right

and discretion to cease operations at any time.

(b) The parties agree that nothing in this Agreement shall prejudice the

WNBA’s position that the rights referred to in subsection (a) above constitute non-mandatory

subjects of bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act.

Section 2. Expansion Draft.

In the event that the WNBA decides to expand the number of Teams in the

WNBA, it may also decide in its discretion to have existing Teams make available for

assignment to any Expansion Team the Player Contracts of and certain negotiating rights to the

existing Teams’ players. With respect to any expansion draft conducted by the WNBA, the

WNBA shall be authorized to permit the Expansion Team to acquire the Player Contracts of

players under Contract, the exclusive negotiating rights to Reserved Players, the rights of first

refusal with respect to Restricted Free Agents and, with respect to one (1) Unrestricted Free

Agent, the right to designate such player as a Core Player; provided, however, that the Expansion

Team shall only be permitted to designate such Unrestricted Free Agent as a Core Player for two

consecutive Seasons beginning with the season immediately following her selection in an

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expansion draft (it being understood that nothing in this Section 2 is intended to limit the

maximum allowable term of a Contract between a Team and a player designated as a Core Player

by such Team as provided for in Article V, Section 12 and subject to the maximum allowable

times a player may be designated a Core Player pursuant to Article VI, Section 7(b)). In the

event an entire Team roster is transferred to an Expansion Team pursuant to Article XXXIII,

Section 3(a) below, the WNBA shall be authorized to permit the Expansion Team to acquire all

of the Player Contracts and all of the negotiating rights (e.g., exclusive negotiating rights, rights

of first refusal and rights to designate certain players as a Core Player) of the prior Team. In

order to implement the foregoing, the procedures for the assignment of players and rights to

players to any Expansion Team, including the use of an expansion draft, shall be within the sole

discretion of the WNBA after consultation with the Players Association.

Section 3. Dispersal Draft or Transfer of Playing Roster.

(a) In the event that the WNBA decides to decrease the number of Teams in

the WNBA or one or more WNBA Teams decides to cease operations, the WNBA may also

decide in its discretion (i) to have any Contracting Team make available for assignment to the

remaining Teams the Player Contracts of and negotiating rights to (as provided for below) the

Contracting Team’s players; or (ii) to have any Contracting Team transfer to any Expansion

Team the Player Contracts of and the negotiating rights to (as provided for below) the

Contracting Team’s players. With respect to any dispersal draft conducted by the WNBA, the

WNBA shall be authorized to permit the remaining Teams to acquire the Player Contracts of

players under Contract, the exclusive negotiating rights to Reserved Players and the rights of first

refusal with respect to Restricted Free Agents. When an entire Team roster is transferred to an

Expansion Team, the WNBA shall be authorized to permit the Expansion Team to acquire all of

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the Player Contracts and all of the negotiating rights (e.g., exclusive negotiating rights, rights of

first refusal and the right to designate certain players as Core Players) of the prior Team. In

order to implement the foregoing, the procedures for the assignment or transfer of players and

rights to players from any Contracting Team, including the use of a dispersal draft, shall be

within the sole discretion of the WNBA after consultation with the Players Association.

(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, (including,

but not limited to, Article V, Sections 3(b), 5 and 7) any Player Contract (including but not

limited to Exhibit 2 to any such Contract), or any Marketing and Promotional Agreement, in the

event that (i) the WNBA decides to decrease the number of Teams in the WNBA or one or more

WNBA Teams decides to cease operations, and (ii) one or more Player Contract(s) to which a

Contracting Team is a party is not assigned or transferred to any remaining WNBA Team or

Expansion Team pursuant to Section 3(a) above, then (x) such Player Contract(s) shall

immediately terminate, become null and void and of no further force and effect, and all

obligations of the Contracting Team, including obligations under any Marketing and Promotional

Agreement and obligations to pay Base Salary, shall cease, except the obligation of the

Contracting Team to pay the player’s earned Base Salary to the date of termination, and (y) no

player who was a party to any such Contract or Marketing and Promotional Agreement shall

have any claim against any other WNBA Team or the WNBA. In the event of such termination,

the players who are parties to such Contracts shall become Unrestricted Free Agents.

Section 4. Rosters.

Each Team may maintain up to a maximum of twelve (12) players on its roster

during each Season covered by this Agreement (barring the granting by the WNBA of a roster

hardship exception). The minimum number of players on a Team roster is eleven (11). If for

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any reason the roster of a Team falls below eleven (11) players, the Team shall, within seventy-

two (72) hours of the date on which the roster of such Team fell below eleven (11) players, add a

player or players to restore the Team’s roster to eleven (11) players.

Section 5. Number of Games.

The WNBA shall have the discretion to (i) increase or decrease the number of

games to be played by Teams during the pre-season, Regular Season, and/or the playoffs and (ii)

after consultation with the Players Association, change the playoff format (including the number

of teams that qualify for the playoffs) provided, however, that: (x) the number of pre-season

games in any Season covered by this Agreement (which, for clarity, shall not include any games

that are part of a special competition or tournament even if such games count toward the Team’s

Regular Season record) shall not exceed four (4) per Team; (y) the number of Regular Season

games in any Season covered by this Agreement (which, for clarity, shall not include any games

that are part of a special competition or tournament even if such games count toward the Team’s

Regular Season record) shall not exceed forty-four (44) per Team; and (iii) in any Season of this

Agreement, if the maximum number of possible playoff games increases over the maximum

number of possible playoff games in the immediately preceding Season and any such increase

results in a maximum possible number of playoff games that is greater than the maximum

number of possible playoff games in any prior Season covered hereunder, the merit bonuses

related to playoff achievement of a Team set forth in Article IX hereof shall be increased by ten

(10) percent.

Section 6. Special Competitions and Tournaments.

The WNBA shall have the discretion to, in consultation with the Players

Association, create and schedule special competitions or tournaments during training camp, the

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Regular Season and/or the playoffs. Any such special competitions or tournaments shall include

a minimum aggregate player prize pool of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 2020 Season

and seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) for each subsequent Season hereunder.

Section 7. Season Schedule.

(a) Each Season hereunder shall begin no earlier than April 1 and end no later

than October 31, subject to reasonable adjustments made by the WNBA in its sole discretion

related to FIBA competitions occurring adjacent to, or during, such Season.

(b) Prior to the WNBA’s public announcement of the Regular Season game

schedule each year, the WNBA shall provide the Players Association with an initial draft of such

schedule (no later than the date that such draft is provided to all WNBA teams), and the Players

Association shall have an opportunity to provide the WNBA with comments (within at least as

many days as WNBA teams are given by the WNBA to provide such comments). The WNBA

shall consider, but shall have no obligation to make any changes in respect of, the Players

Association’s comments. The Players Association shall keep the draft schedule confidential,

including by maintaining the confidentiality of any differences between the final schedule

publicly announced by the WNBA and the draft schedule previously received by the Players

Association.

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 ARTICLE XXXIV

MARKETING AND PROMOTIONAL AGREEMENTS

Section 1. WNBA Marketing and Promotional Agreements.

The WNBA and any player may enter into a WNBA Marketing and Promotional

Agreement, provided that such Marketing and Promotional Agreement will terminate (and all

WNBA and player obligations thereunder will cease) upon the termination of such player’s

Standard Player Contract. The particular marketing and promotional services, the Additional

Marketing and Promotional Compensation, and the payment schedule applicable to such

compensation shall be specified in such WNBA Marketing and Promotional Agreement. The

WNBA shall spend an aggregate of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) plus any additional

amounts as set forth in Article XII, Section 1(a)(ii) (the “WNBA Marketing Minimum”) on

WNBA Marketing and Promotional Agreements during each Marketing Period hereunder. Such

WNBA Marketing and Promotional Agreements shall be with players chosen, and at amounts

determined, within the sole discretion of the WNBA (provided that no WNBA Marketing and

Promotional Agreement shall provide for compensation in excess of two hundred and fifty

thousand dollars ($250,000) per Marketing Period) and shall cover services to be performed

beginning on the day following the last game of such Season and continuing through the last

game of the following Season (each, a “Marketing Period;” e.g., the 2020 Marketing Period shall

commence on the day after the last game of the 2020 Finals and end on the day of the last game

of the 2021 Finals). The WNBA and any player may also agree, on a case-by-case basis, to a

WNBA sponsor’s use of such player’s Player Attributes individually and/or the player’s

participation in content creation and social media distribution on behalf of such sponsor, in

exchange for compensation mutually agreed between the WNBA and such player. The amount

of such compensation shall count towards the WNBA Marketing Minimum for the relevant

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Marketing Period. In the event that that the WNBA does not spend the WNBA Marketing

Minimum in any Marketing Period hereunder, the shortfall amount shall be added to the WNBA

Marketing Minimum in the following Marketing Period and any or all of such shortfall that

remains at the conclusion of such subsequent Marketing Period shall be added to the next

Marketing Period (the “Third Marketing Period”). If, at the end of the Third Marketing Period

(or, if sooner, upon the expiration or termination of this Agreement), any or all of such shortfall

remains, the WNBA shall be obligated to pay it to all WNBA players who were on a WNBA

roster during the Regular Season covered by the Third Marketing Period. Any such shortfall

obligation shall be effectuated and satisfied solely by the WNBA paying such shortfall to Teams

no later than sixty (60) days following the end of the Third Marketing Period and causing the

Teams to distribute the shortfall as soon as practicable to such players on such proportional basis

as may be reasonably determined by the Players Association, less all amounts required to be

withheld by any governmental authority. The Players Association shall provide the WNBA with

its proposed per-player distribution of any such shortfall within thirty (30) days after the end of

the Third Marketing Period.

Section 2. Team Marketing and Promotional Agreements.

A Team and any player under a Player Contract with such Team may enter into a

Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement, provided that: (i) the term of such Team

Marketing and Promotional Agreement may not extend beyond the term of such player’s

Standard Player Contract, and (ii) such Marketing and Promotional Agreement will terminate

(and all Team and player obligations thereunder will cease) upon the termination of such player’s

Standard Player Contract or the assignment of such player to a new Team. The particular

marketing and promotional services, the Additional Marketing and Promotional Compensation,

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and the payment schedule applicable to such compensation shall be specified in such Team

Marketing and Promotional Agreement. A Team may include access to its own playing or

practice facilities or third-party workout facilities (or reimbursement for such facilities) as part of

the terms of any Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement. The maximum amount that any

Team can pay to its players in aggregate during each of the 2020 through 2022 Marketing

Periods is one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), and the maximum amount that any Team

can pay to its players in aggregate during each of the 2023 through 2027 Marketing Periods is

one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) (each, the “Team Marketing Maximum”);

provided that any compensation earned by a player under a Diversity in Coaching Initiative

Employment Arrangement (as defined in Article XV, Section 3) with a Team Affiliate shall not

count towards the Team Marketing Maximum of the affiliated Team. No player may be paid at a

rate of more than four thousand dollars ($4,000) per week during the period she is in the Team

market and providing services pursuant to a Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement. The

minimum amount that any Team must pay to its players in aggregate during each Marketing

Period beginning with the 2021 Marketing Period is fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) (the “Team

Marketing Minimum”). With respect to the Team Marketing Minimum: (i) any compensation

earned by a player under a Player Contract with the Team in connection with an Off-Season

Employment Opportunity shall count toward the Team Marketing Minimum during the relevant

Marketing Period; (ii) any compensation earned by a player under a Diversity in Coaching

Initiative Employment Arrangement with a Team Affiliate shall count toward the Team

Marketing Minimum of the affiliated Team during the relevant Marketing Period; (iii) any

compensation earned by a player pursuant to a Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement for

a Marketing Period during which she also receives compensation from a WNBA Marketing and

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Promotional Agreement shall not count toward the Team Marketing Minimum during the

relevant Marketing Period; and (iv) the value of any housing or workout-facility access received

by the player shall not count toward the Team Marketing Minimum. In the event that any Team

does not satisfy the Team Marketing Minimum in any Marketing Period beginning with the 2021

Marketing Period, the shortfall amount shall be added to the Team Marketing Minimum in the

following Marketing Period and any or all of such shortfall that remains at the conclusion of such

subsequent Marketing Period shall be added to the Third Marketing Period. If, at the end of the

Third Marketing Period (or, if sooner, upon the expiration or termination of this Agreement), any

or all of such shortfall remains, the WNBA shall cause such Team to make payments equal to the

shortfall to be disbursed to the players on such Team roster during the Regular Season covered

by the Third Marketing Period no later than sixty (60) days following the end of the Third

Marketing Period and on such proportional basis as may be reasonably determined by the Players

Association, less all amounts required to be withheld by any governmental authority. The

Players Association shall provide the WNBA with its proposed per-player distribution of any

such shortfall within thirty (30) days after the end of the Third Marketing Period.

Section 3. Binding Effect.

No agreement concerning additional marketing rights and obligations shall be

binding upon the player or the WNBA or a Team until a Marketing and Promotional Agreement

embodying such rights and obligations has been duly executed by the parties, and neither the

WNBA nor the Players Association shall contend to the contrary.

Section 4. Reporting.

The WNBA shall provide to the Players Association complete copies of all new

WNBA and Team Marketing and Promotional Agreements on a weekly basis.

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 ARTICLE XXXV

PROVISIONS WITH RESPECT TO CANADIAN EMPLOYMENT

Section 1. WNBA Team in Canada.

If at any time during the term of this Agreement a WNBA Team is based in

Canada, the following provisions will apply to all players employed by any such team:

(a) To the extent practicable, the terms of the WNBA 401(k) Plan shall permit

participation by players with respect to employment in Canada on a tax-effective basis under

Canadian income tax laws. If the WNBA and the Players Association determine that the 401(k)

Plan cannot be provided on a tax-effective basis under Canadian income tax law, an alternative

arrangement relating to employment in Canada, which is acceptable to both the WNBA and the

Players Association, shall be established in lieu of the 401(k) Plan.

(b) The bases upon which a player may be disciplined or discharged or a

Player Contract terminated, as set forth in this Agreement and/or in the Standard Player Contract,

shall constitute just and reasonable cause within the meaning of any applicable Canadian statute

(federal or provincial).

(c) During the term of this Agreement, the WNBA and the Players

Association shall consult regularly about issues relating to the workplace which affect the parties

or any player bound by this Agreement.

(d) (i) If and to the extent Sections 48 and 49 of the Ontario Labour

Relations Act (or other statutes of like import in other Canadian provinces) are or may be found

applicable to this Agreement, the parties agree that the provisions thereof shall apply only to

disputes between a WNBA Team located in Ontario (or such other province(s) as the case may

be) and players employed by such Team(s).

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 If and to the extent Section 84(2) of the British Columbia Labour

Relations Code (or other statutes of like import in other Canadian provinces) is or may be found

applicable to this Agreement, the parties agree that the provisions thereof shall apply only to

disputes between a WNBA Team based in British Columbia (or such other province(s) as the

case may be) and players employed by such Team.

(e) The parties acknowledge and agree that a player employed pursuant to the

provisions of a Standard Player Contract, Rest-of-Season Contract, 7-Day Contract, or a

Replacement Contact is and/or shall be deemed to be an employee hired “on the basis that her

employment is to terminate on the expiry of a definite term or the completion of a specific task”

within the meaning of paragraph 1 of Section 2(1) of Ontario Regulation 288/01, made under the

Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 (or other statutes or regulations of like import in other

Canadian provinces) and an “employee employed for a definite term” within the meaning of

Section 65(1)(b) of the British Columbia Employment Standards Act (or other statutes of like

import in other Canadian provinces), so as to render inapplicable to WNBA players the

provisions of Sections 54-62 of the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Sections 63

and 64 of the British Columbia Employment Standards Act (or other statutes of like import in

other Canadian provinces).

(f) The parties acknowledge and agree that the severance benefits provided to

players pursuant to this Agreement (i.e., the provisions of Player Contracts that may provide, in

certain circumstances, for the continued payment of Base Salary to a player following the

termination of a Player Contract) constitute and/or shall be deemed to constitute a settlement

binding on the player within the meaning of Section 6 of the Ontario Employment Standards Act,

2000 (or other statutes of like import in other Canadian provinces) and/or “an amount paid to an

220
employee for loss of employment under a provision of the employment contract based upon

length of employment, length of service or seniority” within the meaning of Section 65(8)2 of

the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 (or other statutes of like import in other Canadian

provinces), so as to render inapplicable to WNBA players the provisions of Section 63-66 of

such Act (or other statutes of like import in other Canadian provinces).

(g) Upon the WNBA’s request, the Players Association shall cooperate with

the WNBA in a reasonable manner in connection with any effort the WNBA may make to seek

an exemption from any Canadian (federal or provincial) law or regulation affecting the

employment relationship that is inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement or any other

agreement between the Players Association and the WNBA.

(h) The parties hereby specifically exclude the operation of subsections (2)

and (3) of Section 50 of the British Columbia Labour Relations Code (and other statutes of like

import in other Canadian provinces).

(i) All players employed by a WNBA Team shall be paid in U.S. dollars,

regardless of where the Team by which such player is employed is based.

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 ARTICLE XXXVI

PLAYER ADVISORY PANEL

Section 1. Purpose.

The WNBA shall establish a Player Advisory Panel for the purposes of discussing

issues relating to the operations of the WNBA, improving relations between players and the

WNBA, and fostering the growth and success of the WNBA.

Section 2. Structure.

The Player Advisory Panel shall consist of the following members: five (5)

WNBA players, the Executive Director of the Players Association (or his or her designee), the

Commissioner (or her designee), and up to three (3) representatives of Teams. The respective

players and Team representatives will be selected, and the length of their terms fixed, under such

rules as the WNBA and the Players Association separately establish; the initial members of the

Panel will be selected within thirty (30) days following the execution of this Agreement. The

Panel will hold regular face-to-face meetings at least once each year during the Off-Season on a

date and at a site mutually agreeable to the WNBA and the Players Association. The meetings

may be attended by staff members of the WNBA and Players Association.

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 ARTICLE XXXVII

INTEGRATION, ENTIRE AGREEMENT,

INTERPRETATION AND CHOICE OF LAW

Section 1. Integration, Entire Agreement.

This Agreement, together with the exhibits hereto, constitutes the entire

understanding between the parties and all understandings, conversations and communications,

proposals, and counterproposals, oral and written (including any draft of this Agreement)

between the WNBA and the Players Association, or on behalf of them, are merged into and

superseded by this Agreement and shall be of no force or effect, except as expressly provided

herein. No such understandings, conversations, communications, proposals, counterproposals or

drafts shall be referred to in any proceeding by the parties. Further, no understanding contained

in this Agreement shall be modified, altered or amended, except by a writing signed by the party

against whom enforcement is sought.

Section 2. Interpretation.

The WNBA and Players Association recognize that this Agreement is separate

and distinct from the collective bargaining agreement now in effect between the National

Basketball Association (“NBA”) and the National Basketball Players Association (“NBPA”),

and intend for this Agreement to be interpreted without reference to the NBA/NBPA collective

bargaining agreement (or to any other current, prior or future agreement between the NBA or

NBA Properties, Inc., on the one hand, and the NBPA on the other), to any Uniform Player

Contract entered into pursuant to the current or any prior or future collective bargaining

agreement between the NBA and the NBPA, to any of the provisions of such agreements or

Contracts, to any judicial, arbitral, or administrative decision interpreting any of the foregoing, or

to the fact that a subject was not or is not covered by or included in any such agreements or

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Contracts. Accordingly, the parties agree that they will make no reference to any such

agreements, Contracts, or decisions, or to the fact that a particular provision was not or is not

included in any such agreement or Contract, or to any practice or policy of the NBA (or NBA

Properties, Inc.) or the NBPA, in any arbitral, judicial, administrative, or other proceeding,

including, without limitation, proceedings brought under Articles XXII and XXIII of this

Agreement. The parties further agree that no such agreement, Contract, provision (or absence of

provisions), decision, practice, or policy may be relied upon by any decision maker in such

proceedings.

Section 3. Choice of Law.

This Agreement (including all Exhibits hereto) is made under and shall be

governed by the internal law of the State of New York, except where federal law may govern.

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 ARTICLE XXXVIII

TERM OF AGREEMENT

Section 1. Expiration Date.

This Agreement shall be effective from January 17, 2020 and shall continue in

full force and effect through October 31, 2027 or, if later, on the day following the final playoff

game of the 2027 Season; provided that the WNBA and the Players Association shall each have

the option, exercisable by providing written notice on or before November 1, 2024, to terminate

this Agreement effective on October 31, 2025 or, if later, on the day following the final playoff

game of the 2025 Season.

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 ARTICLE XXXIX

NO-STRIKE AND NO-LOCKOUT PROVISIONS

Section 1. No Strike.

During the stated term of this Agreement, neither the Players Association nor its

members shall engage in any strikes, cessations or stoppages of work, or any other similar

interference with the operations of the WNBA or any of its Teams.

Section 2. No Lockout.

During the stated term of this Agreement, neither the WNBA nor any Teams shall

engage in any lockouts, cessations or stoppages of work or any other similar interference with

the employment of WNBA players.

Section 3. No Breach of Player Contracts.

The Players Association agrees that it will not engage in any concerted activities

to breach, induce the breach of, or threaten to breach or induce the breach of, any Standard

Player Contract or Marketing and Promotional Agreement.

Section 4. Best Efforts of Players Association.

The Players Association will use its best efforts: to prevent each player from

rendering, or threatening to render, services as a professional basketball player for another

professional basketball league during each Season covered by a Standard Player Contract

between such player and a WNBA Team; to prevent each player from refusing, or threatening to

refuse, to participate in any WNBA Competition; to prevent each player from otherwise

breaching, or threatening to breach, a Standard Player Contract or Marketing and Promotional

Agreement; and to prevent each player from making any demand upon the WNBA or a Team,

including, but not limited to, a demand that any Standard Player Contract or Marketing and

Promotional Agreement be renegotiated during the term thereof.

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Section 5. Player’s Threat to Withhold Services.

The WNBA and the Players Association agree that a player who publicly

demands a renegotiation of her Standard Player Contract or Marketing and Promotional

Agreement, and who threatens to withhold the services she has agreed to render under such

Standard Player Contract or Marketing and Promotional Agreement, or to perform at a level

below her full capabilities unless such renegotiation takes place, shall be considered to have

engaged in conduct impairing the faithful and thorough discharge of the player obligations under

Article VI, Section 3.

Section 6. No Discrimination.

Neither the WNBA, any Team nor the Players Association shall discriminate in

the interpretation or application of this Agreement against or in favor of any Player because of

religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status or activity or lack of activity on

behalf of the Players Association.

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 ARTICLE XL

OLYMPIC HIATUS

The following rules shall apply to any Season for which the WNBA, in its sole

discretion, elects to adjust the Regular Season schedule of games to permit players to participate

in the Olympic Games:

(a) The WNBA shall determine, within its sole discretion, the period of time

during such Regular Season that shall not include any WNBA games (a “Hiatus”);

(b) Players not participating in the Olympic Games shall be entitled to a

vacation of seven (7) consecutive days (the “Vacation Period”) to commence either: (i) the first

day following such player’s last game before a Hiatus or, if such game is on the road, the first

day back in the Team’s home city (the “Early Vacation”); or (ii) the fifth (5th) day following

such player’s last game before a Hiatus (the “Late Vacation”). Approximately half of the players

on a Team will take the Early Vacation and the remaining players will take the Late Vacation.

The determination as to which players will take the Early Vacation and which players will take

the Late Vacation will be made prior to the conclusion of the training camp held for the Regular

Season that includes a Hiatus by the Team in consultation with its players;

(c) Teams and players may voluntarily negotiate marketing agreements that

would require players to remain in the Team’s home city during all or part of the player’s

Vacation Period and perform marketing-related services for the Team (e.g., player appearances),

provided that (i) the compensation to be paid to the player pursuant to such marketing agreement

must be at least $125 per day but may not exceed $300 per day and (ii) any appearances made by

the player pursuant to such marketing agreement will not count as an appearance pursuant to

Article XXIV or Article XXVI of this Agreement (a “Hiatus Marketing Agreement”);

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 (d) During a Hiatus, Teams may not hold more than seven (7) practices per

week and no such practice may exceed three (3) hours in length, or four (4) hours in length if

such practice includes film or conditioning activities;

(e) Except during a Vacation Period, Teams shall be required to pay players a

daily per diem of fifty-five dollars ($55) during a Hiatus. In addition, players who have agreed

to remain in the Team’s home city during a Vacation Period pursuant to a Hiatus Marketing

Agreement shall receive a daily per diem of fifty-five dollars ($55) during the term of such

Hiatus Marketing Agreement.

(f) The Mid Point of any Regular Season during which there is a Hiatus shall

be calculated by dividing the total number of calendar days in such Regular Season (not

including the Hiatus) by two (2) and adding that number to the first day of such Regular Season.

If the number that results from dividing the number of days in the Regular Season by two (2) is

not a whole number, the number used to calculate the Mid Point shall be determined by rounding

up to the nearest whole number;

(g) The Minimum Player Salary for Rest-of-Season Contracts will be the

Minimum Annual Salary called for under Article V, Section 7 multiplied by a fraction, the

numerator of which is the total number of days left in the Regular Season less (i) the number of

days in the Hiatus for Contracts entered into prior to the commencement of the Hiatus, (ii) the

number of days remaining in the Hiatus for Contracts entered into during the Hiatus, or (iii) zero

(0) for Contracts entered into after the Hiatus, and the denominator of which is the number of

days in the Regular Season (not including the Hiatus);

(h) The Maximum Player Salary for Rest-of-Season Contracts will be the

Maximum Player Salary called for under Article V, Section 8 multiplied by a fraction, the

229
numerator of which is the total number of days left in the Regular Season less (i) the number of

days in the Hiatus for Contracts entered into prior to the commencement of the Hiatus, (ii) the

number of days remaining in the Hiatus for Contracts entered into during the Hiatus, or (iii) zero

(0) for Contracts entered into after the Hiatus, and the denominator of which is the number of

days in the Regular Season (not including the Hiatus);

(i) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Article XXIV of this

Agreement, one (1) promotional appearance made by each player during a Hiatus shall not count

as an appearance under Article XXIV or Article XXVI of this Agreement, and no player shall be

required to participate in more than one (1) promotional appearance during a Hiatus that exceeds

four (4) hours in length (excluding travel time);

(j) All players will be paid their Base Salary in nine (9) equal, semi-monthly

installments in any Season that includes a Hiatus, beginning on or about June 1 and ending on or

about September 30; and

(k) In the event that no All-Star Game is held during any Season that includes

a Hiatus, the WNBA and the Players Association shall agree in good faith on how to re-allocate

the bonus money that would have been paid (e.g., by increasing the First and Second Team All-

WNBA bonuses for that year) to players named to the All-Star team (but not to players who may

have earned All-Star-related bonuses such as those related to any skills competition).

230
 ARTICLE XLI

OTHER

Section 1. No Ownership Interest.

No WNBA player shall either directly or indirectly hold any ownership interest in

the WNBA or any WNBA Team. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the WNBA will consider, at

some appropriate point in the future, discussions that could potentially lead to the possibility of

players being provided with a limited opportunity to invest in the WNBA. Nothing herein shall

obligate the WNBA in any way to permit player investment or ownership (directly or indirectly)

in the WNBA or any WNBA Team, and the potential waiver or modification of the first sentence

in this Section 1 shall be within the sole discretion of the WNBA.

Section 2. Playing Rules and Officiating.

(a) Up to three (3) representatives of the Players Association, two (2) of

whom shall be active or recently retired players selected by the Players Association, shall be

permitted to attend the meetings of the WNBA Competition Committee with respect to issues

relating to the WNBA playing rules and officiating. The representatives of the Players

Association shall collectively have one (1) vote (the same number as the representatives of a

Team collectively) with respect to any recommendations regarding playing rules and officiating.

(b) Upon a request from the Players Association, representatives of the

WNBA Basketball Operations and Referee Operations Departments shall meet (no more

frequently than annually) with the Player Association and/or players to discuss issues relating to

WNBA playing rules and officiating. The WNBA may request that representatives from the

National Basketball Referees Association, including current referees, attend any such meeting.

231
Section 3. WNBA All-Star Game Participants.

The League shall provide to each player selected as an All Star and playing in any

All-Star Game held during a Season (a) one (1) first-class roundtrip flight, if available on the

League-chosen flights (or standard commercial carrier flights selected by the player with similar

arrival times) at the time of booking, (b) hotel accommodations for the days during which such

players are providing services to the League in connection with their participation in such All-

Star Game and (c) four (4) complimentary tickets in the lower bowl of the arena for such All-

Star game and any skills competitions.

Section 4. Inspection Rights.

On or before the March 15 immediately preceding any Season, the Players

Association may notify the WNBA that it wishes to have one or more of its employees conduct

an inspection of any Team practice or playing facilities, which inspection must be completed

prior to the immediately succeeding April 1 at a reasonable time mutually agreed between the

Players Association and the applicable WNBA Team. The parties agree to engage in reasonable

discussions with respect to any issues with such Team practice or playing facilities that arise as a

result of such inspection.

Section 5. Implementation of Agreement.

(a) The WNBA and the Players Association will use their respective best

efforts and take all reasonable steps to have WNBA Teams and players comply with the terms

and provisions of this Agreement.

(b) The WNBA and the Players Association shall use their respective best

efforts and take all reasonable steps to cooperate and defend the enforceability of this Agreement

against any challenge thereto.

232
 EXHIBIT 1

STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT

Women’s National Basketball Association

Standard Player Contract

The parties to this Contract are ____________________________ (the “Team”),

a member of the Women’s National Basketball Association (the “WNBA” or “League”), and

_____________________________________ (the “Player”).

The Team wishes to employ Player, and Player wishes to serve, as a skilled

basketball player for the Team, subject to the terms and conditions of this Contract.

The parties agree as follows:

1. Term of Contract

The term of this Contract shall commence on __________ ____, _____ and end

on May 15, _____ (or, if earlier, the first day of training camp following the final Season covered

hereunder).

2. Player Services

(a) During the term of this Contract, the Player shall: (i) attend and play all

games in which the Team is scheduled to play (including pre-season, Regular Season, and

playoff games); (ii) attend and participate in all practices, training and conditioning sessions,

shoot-arounds, and meetings scheduled by the Team during the Season; (iii) attend and play, if

selected, in the WNBA’s All-Star Game and in associated games and skills competitions and

every event conducted in association with such All-Star Game (including, but not limited to, a

reasonable number of media sessions); (iv) attend and play, if invited (and if such attendance is

required pursuant to Article XIX of the Collective Bargaining Agreement currently in effect

between the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (“WNBPA”)

Exhibit 1 - 234
(hereinafter referred to as the “CBA”)), in any tours or exhibitions scheduled by the WNBA;

(v) attend and participate in any mandatory programs scheduled by the WNBA in accordance

with the CBA; (vi) serve as a spokesperson for and promote the Team, the WNBA and the sport

of basketball and devote reasonable time to the performance of such duties; (vii) cooperate with

all reasonable requests of the news media and, upon the request of the Team or the WNBA,

consent to and make herself available for interviews conducted at reasonable times, including

interviews before, during or after WNBA Competitions (whether in specially designated

interview rooms, interview areas or elsewhere), and for interviews conducted during off-days or

during the Off-Season (it being understood that any interviews conducted during the Off-Season

shall be conducted at times mutually agreeable to the player and the Team or WNBA); and (viii)

upon the reasonable request of the Team, the WNBA, or a League-Related Entity, consent to the

wearing of a wireless microphone during games and/or practices (and the broadcast of such

recording).

(b) The Player shall perform her duties and responsibilities at such place or

places and at such times as may be reasonably designated by the Team or WNBA consistent with

the terms of the CBA.

3. Compensation

(a) As full compensation for her services under this Contract and the rights

granted to the Team and the WNBA under this Contract, the Player shall receive the Base Salary

set forth in Exhibit 1, which shall be payable in U.S. dollars in equal, semi-monthly installments

beginning on or about June 1 (but in no event more than two weeks after the start of the Regular

Season) and ending on or about September 15.

Exhibit 1 - 235
 (b) The Player shall be eligible to receive certain bonuses (related to

individual and/or Team performance) during the term of the CBA in accordance with Article IX

of the CBA as well as any bonus, if applicable, contained in Exhibit 8 and/or Exhibit 9.

4. Termination

This Contract is subject to the termination provisions provided for in Article V,

Section 6 of the CBA.

5. Promotional Appearances

The Player will make herself available for the promotional appearances required

under Article XXIV of the CBA.

6. Licensing and Marketing

(a) The Player hereby grants to WNBA Enterprises the right to use her Player

Attributes in the manner set forth in Article XXVI of the CBA and in the agreement between

WNBA Enterprises and the WNBPA, made as of January 17, 2020 (the “License Agreement”), a

copy of which will, upon her request, be furnished to the player. The player agrees to adhere to

the terms of Article XXVI of the CBA and of the License Agreement.

(b) The Player agrees that the WNBA, WNBA Enterprises, and/or the Team

may use the Player’s name, nickname, and/or the Player’s Player Attributes as such Player

Attributes may be captured in game action footage or photographs, in any advertising, marketing

or collateral materials or public service or marketing programs conducted by the WNBA, WNBA

Enterprises or the Team that, without regard to whether such use includes sponsor identification,

is intended to (i) promote (x) the Team, the WNBA, players and/or the sport of basketball, (y)

any game or competition in which the Team or a group of players participates or (z) any telecast

or broadcast of such game or competition and/or (ii) further the development, popularity or

Exhibit 1 - 236
growth of the WNBA, the Team and/or the sport of basketball (e.g., in connection with

basketball clinics, “grass roots” programs and similar activities). WNBA Enterprises, the

WNBA or the Team shall be entitled to use the Player’s Player Attributes individually pursuant

to the preceding sentence and shall not be required to use the Player’s Player Attributes in a

group or as one of multiple players; provided, however, that no such use made by WNBA

Enterprises, the WNBA or the Team shall constitute an endorsement or testimonial by the Player

of any product or service.

(c) The Player agrees that WNBA Enterprises, the WNBA and/or the Team

shall have the right to take and use her Pictures in accordance with the provisions of Article

XXVI of the CBA.

(d) The Player hereby assigns to the WNBPA and its licensing affiliates, if

any, the exclusive right to use and to grant to persons, firms, or corporations (collectively

“WNBPA licensees”) the right to use her Player Attributes in group licensing programs. Group

licensing programs are defined as those licensing programs in which a WNBPA licensee utilizes

a total of four (4) or more WNBA player images on products that are sold at retail or used as

promotional or premium items. The Player retains the right to grant permission to a licensee to

utilize her image if that licensee is not concurrently utilizing the images of three (3) or more

other WNBA players on products that are sold at retail or are used as promotional or premium

items. If the Player’s inclusion in a particular WNBPA group licensing program is precluded by

an individual exclusive endorsement agreement, and the Player provides the WNBPA with

timely written notice of that preclusion, the WNBPA will exclude the Player from that particular

program. In consideration for this assignment of rights, the WNBPA will use the revenues it

receives from group licensing programs to support the objectives as set forth in the By-laws or

Exhibit 1 - 237
Resolutions of the WNBPA. The WNBPA will use its best efforts to promote the use of WNBA

Player Attributes in group licensing programs, to provide group licensing opportunities to all

WNBA players, and to ensure that no entity utilizes the group licensing rights granted to the

WNBPA without first obtaining a license from the WNBPA. The assignment in this paragraph

shall expire on December 31 of the later of (a) the third year following the execution of this

contract, or (b) the year in which this contract expires. Neither the Team nor the WNBA is a

party to the terms of this paragraph, which is included herein solely for the administrative

convenience and benefit of the Player and the Players Association, and any breach of this

paragraph by the Player or the Players Association shall not affect the contractual relationship

between the Team and the Player. The WNBPA shall indemnify and hold harmless the Team,

the WNBA, and WNBA Enterprises and its or their respective owners, directors, officers, agents,

affiliates, successors, assigns and licensees from and against all liability and costs (including

attorneys’ fees) arising out of any alleged breach of this paragraph 6(d), any WNBPA group

licensing program or the acts and omissions of WNBPA licensees. The terms of this

subparagraph apply unless, at the time of execution of this contract, the Player indicates by

striking out this subparagraph (d) and marking her initials adjacent to the stricken language

indicating her intention to not participate in any WNBPA group licensing program. Nothing in

this subparagraph shall be construed to supersede, or otherwise alter in any way whatsoever the

rights of the Team, WNBA Enterprises and the WNBA pursuant to this Contract, License

Agreement or Article XXVI of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Exhibit 1 - 238
 7. Representations and Warranties

The Player represents, warrants, covenants and agrees as follows:

(a) that she is not obligated to play basketball in or for any entity other than

the Team during any WNBA Season during the term of this Contract (including any Option

Year);

(b) that she is free to enter into and perform this Contract in accordance with

its terms and, by doing so, she is not (and will not) violate any other agreement to which she is a

party or by which she is bound;

(c) that as of the date of her execution of this Contract she is physically able

to perform the services hereunder, and is not aware of any condition that may result in her

becoming physically unable to perform the services hereunder (or, if she is not physically able to

perform the services hereunder or is aware of a condition that may result in her becoming

physically unable to perform the services hereunder, she has disclosed the foregoing to the

Team); and

(d) that she has disclosed and submitted all sponsorship, endorsement and

licensing agreements (including all agreements with respect to footwear with any financial terms

redacted) to which she is a party in existence as of the date of her execution of this Contract and

that copies of all such pre-existing agreements are attached to Exhibit 6 of this Contract.

8. WNBA Anti-Drug Program

The Player agrees to adhere to the requirements of the WNBA Anti-Drug

Program set forth in Article XXI of the CBA, and recognizes that failure to adhere to those

requirements may result in discipline, including fines and/or suspensions. The Player

acknowledges that this Contract may be terminated in accordance with the express provisions of

Exhibit 1 - 239
the Anti-Drug Program, and that any such termination will result in the Player’s immediate

dismissal and disqualification from any employment by the WNBA and any or its teams.

Notwithstanding any terms or provisions of the Contract (including any amendment hereto), in

the event of such termination, all obligations of the Team, including obligations to pay Base

Salary, shall cease, except the obligation of the Team to pay the Player’s earned Base Salary to

the date of termination.

9. Conduct

The Player agrees to adhere to the requirements set forth in Article XIV of the

CBA, and recognizes that the failure to adhere to those requirements may result in reasonable

discipline.

10. Hazardous Activity and Other Sports

The Player and the Team acknowledge and agree that the Player’s participation in

other sports or hazardous activities may impair or destroy her ability and skill as a basketball

player. Accordingly, the Player agrees that she will not, without the written consent of the Team,

engage in any sport or activity that a reasonable person would recognize as involving or

exposing the participant to a substantial risk of bodily injury (including, but not limited to,

motorcycling, auto racing, sky-diving, bungee-jumping, hang-gliding, in-line skating, skiing,

boxing, wrestling, football, soccer, baseball, field or ice hockey, or lacrosse). Nothing contained

in this Contract shall require the Player to obtain the written consent of the Team in order to

participate in the sport of basketball in accordance with Article XVIII of the CBA or, as an

amateur, in the sport of golf, tennis, handball, swimming, weight training, aerobics, distance

running, hiking, biking, softball or volleyball, and other similar sports that a reasonable person

Exhibit 1 - 240
would not recognize as involving or exposing the participant to a substantial risk of bodily

injury.

11. Release

The Player hereby releases and waives every claim she may have, or that may

arise, against the Team, the WNBA, every other WNBA Team, and all of their related entities,

against all of their respective directors, officers, owners, stockholders, trustees, partners,

employees, successors and assigns (excluding persons employed as players by a WNBA Team)

and their related entities, against any person retained by the WNBA and/or the Players

Association in connection with the Anti-Drug Program, and against the Arbitrator and any other

arbitrator or expert retained by the WNBA and/or the Players Association under the terms of the

CBA, howsoever caused or arising and whether or not by negligence, arising out of or in

connection with (i) any injury that is subject to the provisions of Article XX of the CBA, (ii) any

fighting or other form of violent and/or unsportsmanlike conduct occurring during the course of

any practice and/or any pre-season, Regular Season, and/or playoff game (on or adjacent to the

playing floor or in or adjacent to any facility used for practices or games) or during the Player’s

performance of any of the services under this Contract, (iii) the testing procedures or the

imposition of any penalties set forth in paragraph 8 hereof and in the Anti-Drug Program, or

(iv) any injury suffered in the course of her employment as to which she has or would have a

claim for workers’ compensation benefits. The foregoing shall not apply to any claim of medical

malpractice against a physician or other medical personnel.

12. Unique Skills

The Player represents and agrees that she has extraordinary and unique skill and

ability as a basketball player, that the services to be rendered by her under this Contract cannot

Exhibit 1 - 241
be replaced or the loss thereof adequately compensated for in money damages, and that any

breach by the Player of this Agreement will cause irreparable injury to the Team and its

assignees and the WNBA. Therefore, if it is alleged by the Team that the Player: (i) is playing,

attempting or threatening to play, or negotiating for the purpose of playing basketball for any

person, firm or organization other than the Team (a “Third Party”) during any WNBA Season

during the term of this Contract; (ii) negotiating or attempting to negotiate an agreement that

would preclude the Player from playing for the Team during any WNBA Season during the term

of this Contract; or (iii) has agreed or has entered into an agreement that would preclude the

Player from playing for the Team during any WNBA Season during the term of this Contract,

then, in each case, the Team and its assignees or the WNBA (in addition to any other remedies

that may be available to them under this Contract or applicable law) shall have the right to obtain

from any court or arbitrator having jurisdiction such equitable relief as may be appropriate,

including a decree enjoining the Player from playing basketball for any Third Party during any

WNBA Season during the term of this Contract. In any suit, action, or arbitration proceeding

brought to obtain such relief, the Player hereby waives her right, if any, to trial by jury, and, to

the extent permitted by applicable law, waives her right, if any, to interpose any counterclaim or

set-off for any cause whatsoever.

13. Dispute Resolution

In the event of any dispute arising between the Player and the WNBA or the

Team relating to any matter arising under this Contract, or concerning the performance or

interpretation thereof (except for a dispute arising under paragraph 12 hereof) such dispute shall

be resolved in accordance with the grievance and arbitration or dispute resolution procedures set

forth in the CBA.

Exhibit 1 - 242
 14. Validity and Filing

(a) This Contract shall be valid and binding upon the Team and the Player

immediately upon its execution.

(b) The Team agrees to file a copy of this Contract, and/or any amendment(s)

thereto, with the Commissioner as soon as practicable by email and overnight mail, but in no

event may such filing be made more than forty-eight (48) hours after the execution of this

Contract and/or amendment(s).

(c) If pursuant to league rules or the WNBA/WNBPA Collective Bargaining

Agreement, the Commissioner disapproves this Contract (or amendment) within ten (10) days

after the receipt of a complete copy thereof in her office by overnight mail, this Contract (or

amendment) shall thereupon terminate and be of no further force or effect and the Team and the

Player shall thereupon be relieved of their respective rights and liabilities thereunder. If the

Commissioner’s disapproval is subsequently overturned in any proceeding brought under the

arbitration provisions of the WNBA/WNBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement (including any

appeals), the Contract shall again be valid and binding upon the Team and the Player, and the

Commissioner shall be afforded another ten-day period to disapprove the Contract (based on the

Team’s Room at the time the Commissioner’s disapproval is overturned) as set forth in the

foregoing sentence. The WNBA will promptly inform the Players Association if the

Commissioner disapproves this Contract.

15. Assignment

The Team shall have the right to assign this Contract to any other WNBA team

and the Player agrees to accept such assignment and to faithfully perform and carry out this

Exhibit 1 - 243
contract with the same force and effect as if it had been entered into by the Player with the

assignee team instead of with the Team.

16. General Matters

(a) With the exception of any Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement,

this Contract (including any Exhibits hereto) contains the entire agreement between the parties

and, except as provided in the WNBA/WNBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, sets forth all

components of the Player’s compensation from the Team or any Team Affiliate, and there are no

other agreements or transactions of any kind (whether disclosed or undisclosed to the WNBA),

express or implied, oral or written, or promises, undertakings, representations, commitments,

inducements, assurances of intent, or understandings of any kind (whether disclosed or

undisclosed to the WNBA): (i) concerning any future Extension or other amendment of this

Contract or the entry into any new Player Contract, or (ii) involving compensation or

consideration of any kind (including, without limitation, an investment or business opportunity)

to be paid, furnished, or made available to the Player, or any person or entity controlled by,

related to, or acting with authority on behalf of the Player, by the Team or any Team Affiliate.

(b) The Parties agree and acknowledge that this Contract is subject to all of

the CBA’s terms and provisions, and that all capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined in

this Contract shall be defined in accordance with the definitions set forth in Article I of the CBA.

Exhibit 1 - 244
EXAMINE THIS CONTRACT AND ALL
EXHIBITS CAREFULLY BEFORE SIGNING

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:

The Player:

Signature:

Full Name (print):

Street Address:

City, State and Zip Code:

Social Security No.:

Telephone No.:

Email Address: _______________________

The Team:

By:

Title:

Exhibit 1 - 245
 AGENT CERTIFICATION

(To be completed only if Player was represented by an agent who negotiated the terms of this
Contract.)

I, the undersigned, having negotiated this Contract on behalf of __________________________,

do hereby swear and certify, under penalties of perjury, that the terms of Paragraph 16(a) of this
Contract are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

________________________________
Player Representative

________________________________
Print or Type Name of Player Representative

State of ____________

County of __________

On __________________, before me personally came _______________________ and

acknowledged to me that she/he had executed the foregoing Agent Certification.

____________________________________
Notary Public

Exhibit 1 - 246
 STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT
Exhibit 1 — Base Salary

Player:

Date:

Season Base Salary

Initialed:

__________ ___________

Player Team

Exhibit 1 - 247
 STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT
Exhibit 2 — Base Salary Protection

Player:

Date:

Season Type of Protection Amount of Protection Additional Conditions or Limitations

Initialed:

__________ ___________

Player Team

Exhibit 1 - 248
 STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT
Exhibit 3 — Prior Injury Exclusion

Player:

Date:

The Player’s right to receive her Base Salary as set forth in Article V, Sections 6(a)(i) and
6(c) of the CBA or otherwise is limited or eliminated with respect to the following reinjury of the
injury or aggravation of the condition set forth below:

Describe injury or condition:

Describe extent to which liability for Base Salary is limited or eliminated:

Initialed:

__________ ___________

Player Team

Exhibit 1 - 249
 STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT
Exhibit 4 — Rookie Option

The Team shall have the option to extend the term of this Contract for one (1)

twelve (12) month period beyond its initial term. Such option shall be exercisable by the Team,

in its sole discretion, by written notice to the Player or her representative on or before the May

15 following the second WNBA Season covered by this Contract. If the Team decides to

exercise the option pursuant to this Exhibit 4, the terms and conditions of the Contract for the

Option Year will be the same as those for the third year of the Contract, except that the Base

Salary paid to the Player for the Option Year (x) shall be increased by an amount equal to fifteen

percent (15%) of the Player’s Base Salary for the second year of the Contract above the Player’s

Base Salary for the third year of the Contract and (y) shall be fully protected for lack of skill and

injury or illness upon the Team’s exercise of the option. The exercise of this option by the Team

shall in no way guarantee that the Player will make the Team during the Option Year.

Initialed:

__________ ___________

Player Team

Exhibit 1 - 250
 STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT
Exhibit 5 – Physical Exam

Player:

Team:

Date:

The Player and the Team agree that this Contract will be invalid and of no further force
and effect unless the Player passes, in the sole discretion of a physician designated by the Team,
a physical examination conducted in accordance with Article V, Section 14(i) of the CBA that is
(i) conducted within three (3) business days of the execution of this Contract, and (ii) the results
of which are reported by the Team to the Player within six (6) business days of the execution of
this Contract. The Player agrees to supply complete and truthful information in response to all
questions posed to her in connection with any such examinations (it being agreed that only
questions reasonable and medically appropriate may be posed).

Initialed:

__________ ___________

Player Team

Exhibit 1 - 251
 STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT
Exhibit 6 — Pre-existing Sponsorship, Endorsement and Licensing Agreements

Agreements with the following entities are attached to this Contract:

Exhibit 1 - 252
 STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT
Exhibit 7 – Sign and Trade

Player:

Team:

Date:

The Player and Team agree that this Contract will be invalid and of no force and effect
unless the Contract is traded to the [assignee team] within forty-eight (48) hours of its execution,
and all conditions to such trade are ultimately satisfied.

Initialed:

__________ ___________

Player Team

Exhibit 1 - 253
 STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT
Exhibit 8 – Time Off Bonus

Player hereby agrees not to enter into one or more contracts or obligations to Play Professional
Basketball (as that term is defined in Article V, Section 17 of the CBA) applicable to the Off-
Season following the Season(s) listed below with a duration longer than the maximum number of
days listed next to such Season(s). Any Time Off Bonus earned pursuant to this Exhibit 8 (as
determined by the player’s compliance with the Time Off Bonus limitations set forth herein and
in Article V, Section 17 of the CBA) shall be paid to the player on the May 1 following the
applicable Off-Season.

Maximum # of Days Amount of

Season (Cannot be higher than 90) Time Off Bonus

Initialed:

__________ ___________

Player Team

Exhibit 1 - 254
 STANDARD PLAYER CONTRACT
Exhibit 9 – Trade Payments

Player:

Team:

Date:

In the event this Contract is traded by the Team executing the Contract to another WNBA Team,
the Player shall be entitled to receive from the assignor Team, within thirty (30) days of the date
of such trade, the following payment:

Initialed:

__________ ___________

Player Team

Exhibit 1 - 255
 EXHIBIT 2

WNBA ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM

Section 1. Definitions.

As used herein the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) “Agreement” means the Collective Bargaining Agreement entered into

between the WNBA and the Players Association on January 17, 2020.

(b) “Authorization for Testing” shall mean a notice issued by the Independent

Expert pursuant to the provisions of Section 5 below in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit A.

(c) “Come Forward Voluntarily” shall mean that a player has directly

communicated to the Medical Director her desire to enter the Program and seek treatment for a

problem involving the use of a Drug of Abuse or Marijuana. Such communication may be

facilitated by a representative of the WNBA or the Players Association (e.g., by arranging a

conference call among the player, the Medical Director, and such representative in which this

communication occurs). A player may not Come Forward Voluntarily if, prior to her direct

communication to the Medical Director, she has been notified that her most recent drug test was

positive for a Drug of Abuse or Marijuana. A player may not Come Forward Voluntarily for the

use of a SPED.

(d) “Counselors” or “Anti-Drug Counselors” shall mean the persons, if any,

selected by the Medical Director to provide counseling and other treatment to players in the

Program.

(e) “Diuretics” shall mean any of the substances listed as diuretics on Exhibit

B annexed hereto.

(f) “Drugs of Abuse” shall mean any of the substances listed as drugs of

abuse on Exhibit B annexed hereto.

 (g) “Drugs of Abuse Program” shall mean (i) the testing program for Drugs of

Abuse set forth in this Exhibit 2, and (ii) the education, treatment, and counseling program for

Drugs of Abuse established by the Medical Director (after consultation with the WNBA and the

Players Association), which may contain such elements — including, but not limited to, urine,

blood, breath, or other testing for Prohibited Substances other than SPEDs — as may be

determined by the Medical Director in his or her professional judgment.

(h) “First-Year Player” shall mean a player who is a party to a Standard

Player Contract and who, prior to the then-current Season, has not been on the roster of a WNBA

Team following the first game of a Regular Season.

(i) “HGH Blood Testing” shall mean the collection and testing of blood

samples for Human Growth Hormone.

(j) “In-Patient Facility” shall mean such treatment center or other facility as

may be selected by the Medical Director and agreed upon by the WNBA and the Players

Association.

(k) “Independent Expert” or “Expert” shall mean the person selected by the

WNBA and the Players Association in accordance with Section 2(b) below.

(l) “Marijuana Program” shall mean (i) the testing program for marijuana set

forth in this Exhibit 2, and (ii) the education, treatment, and counseling program for marijuana

established by the Medical Director (after consultation with the WNBA and the Players

Association), which program may contain such elements — including, but not limited to urine,

blood, breath, or other testing for Prohibited Substances other than SPEDs — as may be

determined by the Medical Director in his or her professional judgment.

Exhibit 2 - 257
 (m) “Medical Director” shall mean the person selected by the WNBA and the

Players Association in accordance with Section 2(a) below.

(n) “Off-Season” shall mean, for any given player, the period beginning on

the day after the last game of that player’s Team’s Season and ending the day before the first day

of that player’s Team’s training camp.

(o) “Prohibited Substance” shall mean any of the substances listed on Exhibit

B annexed hereto and any other substance added to such Exhibit under the provisions of Section

15 below.

(p) “Program” shall mean this Anti-Drug Program, and shall include the

Drugs of Abuse Program, the Marijuana Program, and the SPED Program.

(q) “Prohibited Substances Committee” shall mean the committee selected by

the WNBA and the Players Association in accordance with Section 2(d) below.

(r) “SPED” shall mean any of the steroids, performance-enhancing drugs and

masking agents listed on Exhibit B annexed hereto.

(s) “SPED Program” shall mean (i) the testing program for SPEDs set forth in

this Exhibit 2, and (ii) the education, treatment, and counseling program for SPEDs established

by the Medical Director (after consultation with the WNBA and the Players Association), which

may contain such elements — including, but not limited to, urine, blood, breath or other testing

for SPEDs and Diuretics (but not for any other Prohibited Substance) — as may be determined

by the Medical Director in his or her professional judgment.

(t) “Tender” shall mean an offer of a Standard Player Contract, signed by the

Team, that is either personally delivered to the player or her representative or sent by prepaid

Exhibit 2 - 258
certified, registered, or overnight mail to the last known address of the player or her

representative.

(u) “Veteran Player” shall mean any player who is not a First-Year Player.

All other capitalized terms shall be defined in accordance with the definitions set

forth in the Agreement.

Section 2. Administration.

(a) The WNBA and the Players Association shall jointly select a Medical

Director who shall be a person experienced in the field of testing and treatment for substance

abuse. The Medical Director shall have the responsibility, among other duties, for selecting and

supervising any Counselors and other personnel necessary for the effective implementation of

the Program, for evaluating and treating players subject to the Program, and for otherwise

managing and overseeing the Program, subject to the control of the WNBA and the Players

Association.

(b) The WNBA and the Players Association shall jointly select an

Independent Expert who shall be a person experienced in the field of substance abuse detection

and enforcement and shall be authorized to issue Authorizations for Testing in accordance with

Section 5 below.

(c) The Medical Director and the Independent Expert shall each serve for the

duration of the Agreement, unless either the WNBA or the Players Association has, by March 1

of any year covered by the Agreement, served written notice of discharge upon the other party

and, as appropriate, the Medical Director and/or the Independent Expert. Such notice of

discharge shall be effective as of the immediately following March 31; provided, however, that if

the parties do not reach agreement by such March 31 as to who shall serve thereafter as the

Medical Director and/or the Independent Expert, as the case may be, each party shall, by the

Exhibit 2 - 259
immediately following April 1, appoint a person who shall have no relationship to or affiliation

with that party. Such persons shall then have until the immediately following May 1 to agree on

the appointment of a new Medical Director and/or Independent Expert. Until a new Medical

Director and/or Independent Expert has been appointed, the previous Medical Director and/or

Independent Expert shall continue to serve.

(d) (i) The WNBA and the Players Association shall form a Prohibited

Substances Committee, which shall be comprised of one representative from the WNBA,

one representative from the Players Association, and three individuals jointly selected by

the WNBA and the Players Association who shall be experts in the field of testing and

treatment for drugs of abuse and performance-enhancing substances. The members of

this Committee shall serve for the duration of the Agreement, unless the WNBA and the

Players Association agree otherwise.

(ii) The members of the Prohibited Substances Committee shall meet

(either in person or by conference call) at least once each Season and once each Off-

Season (the “Annual Meetings”). The Annual Meetings shall be scheduled by the

WNBA after consultation with the Players Association. At the Annual Meetings, the

Committee shall review the Program’s list of Prohibited Substances, and discuss general

anti-doping issues (including, but not limited to, advances in drug testing science and

technology, and modifications to relevant anti-doping policies of other sports

organizations). The Committee shall also make recommendations to the WNBA and

Players Association for changes to the list of Prohibited Substances (including the

determination of laboratory analysis cutoff levels).

Exhibit 2 - 260
 (iii) As of March 1, 2020, and as of each successive March 1, either of

the parties to this Agreement may discharge any jointly-selected member of the

Prohibited Substances Committee by serving thirty (30) days’ prior notice upon him and

upon the other party to this Agreement. In the case of such discharge, or in the event a

Committee member resigns, and if the parties are unable to agree on a replacement

Committee member within thirty (30) days, then the parties shall request a list of seven

(7) names of potential replacements prepared by the Medical Director and any remaining

jointly-selected Committee members, and, within seven (7) days, shall select the

necessary replacement by alternately striking names from the list until only one (1)

remains.

(e) Unless specifically stated otherwise herein, all costs of the Program in

excess of those covered by any insurance plan provided for players by the WNBA, including the

fees and expenses of the Medical Director, the Independent Expert, and the Prohibited

Substances Committee, and the fees and expenses incurred in conducting testing pursuant to

Sections 5, 6, 7, or 15 below shall be assumed by the WNBA.

(f) Any and all disputes arising hereunder shall be resolved in accordance

with Article XXII of the Agreement; provided, however, that in any challenge to a decision,

recommendation, or other conduct of the Medical Director, Independent Expert, or Prohibited

Substances Committee, or in any challenge to an action or process over which the Medical

Director has supervision, the Arbitrator shall apply an “arbitrary and capricious” standard of

review; and provided further that nothing in this Section 2(f) shall limit or otherwise affect

Paragraph 11 of the Standard Player Contract.

Exhibit 2 - 261
Section 3. Confidentiality.

(a) Other than as reasonably required in connection with the suspension or

disqualification of a player, the WNBA, WNBA Teams, and the Players Association, and all of

their members, affiliates, agents, consultants, and employees, are prohibited from publicly

disclosing information about the diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, test results, compliance, or the

fact of participation of a player in the Program (“Program Information”). If a player is

suspended or disqualified for conduct involving a Drug of Abuse, Diuretic or marijuana, the

WNBA shall not publicly disclose the particular Prohibited Substance involved, absent the

agreement of the Players Association or the prior disclosure of such information by the player (or

by a person authorized by the player to disclose such information). If a player is suspended or

disqualified for conduct involving a SPED, the particular SPED shall be publicly disclosed along

with the announcement of the applicable penalty.

(b) The Medical Director and the Counselors and all of their affiliates, agents,

consultants, and employees, are prohibited from publicly disclosing Program Information;

provided, however, that the Medical Director shall not be prohibited from disclosing such

information to the WNBA and the Players Association.

(c) The Independent Expert is prohibited from publicly disclosing any

information supplied to him or her by the WNBA or the Players Association pursuant to Section

5 below.

(d) Members of the Prohibited Substances Committee are prohibited from

publicly disclosing any information obtained by them in connection with their duties as

Committee members. If a jointly-selected member of the Committee violates this Section 3(d),

he or she shall be immediately discharged from the Committee.

Exhibit 2 - 262
 (e) Any Program Information that is publicly disclosed (i) under Section 3(a)

above, (ii) by the player, (iii) with the player’s authorization, or (iv) through release by sources

other than the WNBA, WNBA Teams, the Players Association, the Medical Director, the

Counselors, the Independent Expert, or the Prohibited Substances Committee, or any of their

members, affiliates, agents, consultants, and employees, will, after such disclosure, no longer be

subject to the confidentiality provisions of this Section 3.

(f) Other than as reasonably required by the Reasonable Cause Testing

procedure set forth in Section 5 below, neither the WNBA nor the Players Association shall

divulge to any other person or entity (including their respective members, affiliates, agents,

consultants, employees, and the player and such player’s Team):

(i) that it has received information regarding the use, possession, or

distribution of a Prohibited Substance by a player;

(ii) that it is considering requesting, has requested, or has had a

conference with the Independent Expert concerning the suspected use, possession, or

distribution of a Prohibited Substance by a player;

(iii) any information disclosed to the Independent Expert; or

(iv) the results of any conference with the Independent Expert.

(g) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 3 (a)-(f)

above, the WNBA and the Players Association shall promptly advise and make available to each

other all information either of them may have in their possession, custody, or control that

provides cause to believe that a player is engaged in the use, possession, or distribution of a

Prohibited Substance.

Exhibit 2 - 263
 (h) Nothing contained in this Section 3 shall prohibit an employee of a

WNBA Team from providing to the WNBA information concerning whether a player is engaged

in the use, possession, or distribution of a Prohibited Substance. For clarity, this Section 3(h)

does not permit a Team to provide information to the WNBA in violation of Section 17(d)

below.

Section 4. Testing.

(a) Testing conducted pursuant hereto, whether by the WNBA or the Medical

Director, shall be conducted in compliance with scientifically accepted analytical techniques.

Such testing shall also comply with the collection procedures described in Exhibit C annexed

hereto (for urine collections) and such additional procedures and protocols as may be established

by the WNBA (after consultation with the Players Association) or the Medical Director (after

consultation with the WNBA and the Players Association). The WNBA (after consultation with

the Players Association) and the Medical Director (after consultation with the WNBA and the

Players Association) are each authorized to retain such consultants and support services as are

necessary and appropriate to administer and conduct such testing.

(b) If a player is selected for random drug testing pursuant to Section 6 below

on a day she is scheduled to play a game, the following additional procedures will apply: (i) any

blood testing (if implemented pursuant to Section 14 below) must occur after the game; and

(ii) for urine testing of a visiting team scheduled at game-day shoot-arounds, tests will be

scheduled to occur before the shoot-around for that team commences, and for any tests that are

not completed by the time the visiting team bus is scheduled to leave the arena or practice

facility after the shoot-around is completed, the team will provide alternate transportation to the

team hotel for any player who must remain at the arena or practice facility to complete the

Exhibit 2 - 264
testing process and will ensure that a Team staff member remains with the affected player(s) and

accompanies her or them back to the Team’s hotel.

(c) All tests conducted pursuant hereto shall be analyzed by laboratories

selected by the WNBA and the Players Association, approved by the Medical Director, and

certified by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA), or the International Olympic Committee.

(d) Any test conducted pursuant hereto will be considered “positive” for a

Prohibited Substance under the following circumstances:

(i) If the test is for a Prohibited Substance other than a SPED or

Diuretic and it is confirmed by laboratory analysis at the levels set forth in Exhibit D

annexed hereto.

(ii) If the test is for a SPED, and it is confirmed by laboratory analysis

at the levels set forth in Exhibit E annexed hereto.

(iii) If a player refuses to submit to a test or cooperate fully with the

testing process, without a reasonable explanation satisfactory to the Medical Director;

provided, however, that the WNBA will use its best efforts (A) to have the drug testing

collectors immediately notify the WNBA when any player refuses to submit to a test or

cooperate fully with the testing process, and (B) to provide such information to the

Players Association as soon as possible thereafter; and provided, further, that (C)

following any player’s refusal to submit to a test or failure to cooperate fully with the

testing process, the drug testing collector shall wait ninety (90) minutes at the collection

site, and (D) if the player submits to the test and cooperates fully with the testing process

Exhibit 2 - 265
 within such additional time, then her earlier refusal or failure to cooperate shall be

excused and the test shall not be deemed positive under this Section 4(d).

(iv) If the player fails to submit to a scheduled test without a reasonable

explanation satisfactory to the Medical Director.

(v) If the player attempts to substitute, dilute, or adulterate a specimen

sample or in any other manner alter a test result (other than by testing positive for a

Diuretic).

(vi) If the test is positive for a Diuretic, and it is confirmed by

laboratory analysis at any detectable level.

(e) The WNBA shall promptly notify the Players Association of any positive

test conducted by the WNBA, and shall thereafter notify the player. The Medical Director shall

promptly notify the WNBA and the Players Association of any positive test conducted by the

Medical Director; provided, however, that if the positive test will result in a penalty to be

imposed on the player, the Medical Director shall notify the WNBA and the Players Association

of the positive test result and the WNBA shall thereafter notify the player of such result and such

penalty.

(f) Any player who is notified of a positive test pursuant to Section 4(e)

above may, within five (5) business days of such notification, inform the WNBA and the Players

Association that she requests testing of the split or “B” sample of her specimen. The test of the

“B” sample will be performed at a laboratory other than the laboratory that performed the test on

the original or “A” sample. Any such test shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 4 and

shall be sent to the laboratory for testing within ten (10) business days of the player’s request.

Exhibit 2 - 266
 (g) Any positive test pursuant to Sections 4(c)(i), (ii), or (vi) above shall be

reviewed by the Medical Director. If the Medical Director determines, in his or her professional

judgment, that there is a valid alternative medical explanation for such positive test result, then

the test shall be deemed negative.

(h) If the test result for any player is reported by the laboratory as “invalid” or

“endogenous steroids abnormally low or absent,” the WNBA shall promptly notify the Players

Association, and shall thereafter notify the player. In the event of such a test result, the player

shall be required to submit to another test on a date determined by the WNBA that is not more

than thirty (30) days after the date of the original test (the “Re-Test”). If the Re-Test results in

(i) a positive test for a Drug of Abuse or a positive test under Section 4(d)(iii), (iv) or (v) above,

the player shall be immediately be dismissed and disqualified from any association with the

WNBA or its Teams in accordance with the provisions of Section 11(a) below; (ii) a positive test

for marijuana, the player shall suffer the applicable consequences set forth in Section 8 below;

(iii) a positive test for a SPED, the player shall suffer the applicable consequences set forth in

Section 9 below; or (iv) a positive test for a Diuretic, the player shall be deemed to have tested

positive for a SPED and shall suffer the applicable consequences set forth in Section 9 below.

The original test will not be counted towards the number of tests to be administered to that player

for that Season under Section 6 (Random Testing) below.

Section 5. Reasonable Cause Testing or Hearing.

(a) In the event that either the WNBA or the Players Association has

information that gives it reasonable cause to believe that a player is engaged in the use,

possession, or distribution of a Prohibited Substance, including information that a First-Year

Player may have been engaged in such conduct during the period beginning three (3) months

prior to her entry into the WNBA, such party shall request a conference with the other party and

Exhibit 2 - 267
the Independent Expert, which shall be held within twenty-four (24) hours or as soon thereafter

as the Expert is available. Upon hearing the information presented, the Independent Expert shall

immediately decide whether there is reasonable cause to believe that the player in question has

been engaged in the use, possession, or distribution of a Prohibited Substance. If the

Independent Expert decides that such reasonable cause exists, the Expert shall thereupon issue an

Authorization for Testing with respect to such player in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto.

(b) In evaluating the information presented to him or her, the Independent

Expert shall use his or her independent judgment based upon his or her experience in substance

abuse detection and enforcement. The parties acknowledge that the type of information to be

presented to the Independent Expert is likely to consist of reports of conversations with third

parties of the type generally considered by law enforcement authorities to be reliable sources,

and that such sources might not otherwise come forward if their identities were to become

known. Accordingly, neither the WNBA nor the Players Association shall be required to divulge

to each other or to the Independent Expert the names (or other identifying characteristics) of their

sources of information regarding the use, possession, or distribution of a Prohibited Substance,

and the absence of such identification of sources, standing alone, shall not constitute a basis for

the Expert to refuse to issue an Authorization for Testing with respect to a player. In conferences

with the Independent Expert, the player involved shall not be identified by name until such time

as the Expert has determined to issue an Authorization for Testing with respect to such player.

(c) Immediately upon the Independent Expert’s issuance of an Authorization

for Testing with respect to a particular player, the WNBA shall arrange for such player to

undergo testing for Drugs of Abuse (if the Authorization for Testing was based on information

regarding the use, possession, or distribution of a Drug of Abuse), for marijuana (if the

Exhibit 2 - 268
Authorization for Testing was based on information regarding the player’s use, possession, or

distribution of marijuana), or for SPEDs (if the Authorization for Testing was based on

information regarding the player’s use, possession, or distribution of a SPED) no more than four

(4) times during the six-week period commencing with the issuance of the Authorization for

Testing. Such testing may be administered at any time, in the discretion of the WNBA, without

prior notice to the player.

(d) In the event that the player tests positive for a Drug of Abuse pursuant to

this Section 5, or tests positive pursuant to Section 4(d)(iii), (iv) or (v) above in connection with

testing conducted pursuant to this Section 5, she shall immediately be dismissed and disqualified

from any association with the WNBA or any of its Teams in accordance with the provisions of

Section 11(a) below. If the player tests positive for marijuana or a SPED pursuant to this Section

5, she shall enter the Program and suffer the applicable consequences set forth in Sections 8 or 9

below, as the case may be. If a player tests positive for a Diuretic, she shall suffer the applicable

consequences of a positive test for the Prohibited Substance for which the Authorization for

Testing was issued.

(e) In the event that either the WNBA or the Players Association determines

that there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that, within the previous year, a player has

engaged in the use, possession, or distribution of a Prohibited Substance, or has received

treatment for use of a Prohibited Substance other than in accordance with the terms hereof, it

may, in lieu of requesting the testing procedure set forth in Section 5 (a)-(d) above, request a

hearing on the matter before the Arbitrator. If the Arbitrator concludes that, within the previous

year, the player has used, possessed, or distributed a Prohibited Substance, or has received

treatment other than in accordance with the terms hereof, the player shall immediately be

Exhibit 2 - 269
dismissed and disqualified from any association with the WNBA or any of its Teams in

accordance with the provisions of Section 11(a) below, notwithstanding the fact that the player

has not undergone the testing procedure set forth in this Section 5; provided, however, that if the

Arbitrator concludes that the player has used or possessed marijuana or a SPED, she shall enter

the Program and suffer the applicable consequences set forth in Sections 8 or 9, as the case may

be.

Section 6. Random Testing.

(a) In addition to the testing procedures set forth in Section 5 above, a Player

shall be required to undergo testing for Prohibited Substances at any time, without prior notice to

the player, no more than three (3) times each Season and no more than one (1) time during each

Off-Season. For purposes of this Section 6, the last day of a Season for a player shall be the day

before that player’s Off-Season begins. The scheduling of testing and collection of urine

samples will be conducted according to a random player selection procedure by a third-party

organization, and neither the WNBA, the Players Association, any Team or any player will have

any involvement in selecting the players to be tested or will receive prior notice of the testing

schedule; provided, however, that it shall not be a violation of the foregoing for the third-party

organization (or a specimen collector for the same) to provide advance notice of a scheduled

collection to an WNBA Team Security Representative, so long as such notice does not identify

the player(s) who will be tested and seeks merely to facilitate access of the collector to the

testing location. Urine samples collected during the Season will be tested for all Prohibited

Substances; urine samples collected during the Off-Season will be tested for SPEDs and

Diuretics only and may not under any circumstances be tested with respect to any other

Prohibited Substances.

Exhibit 2 - 270
 (b) (i) In the event that a First-Year Player tests positive for a Drug of

Abuse pursuant to this Section 6, she shall immediately be dismissed and disqualified

from any association with the WNBA or any of its Teams for a period of one (1) year, her

Player Contract (and any Marketing and Promotional Agreement to which she may be a

party) shall be rendered null and void and of no further force or effect; and she shall enter

Stage 1 of the Drugs of Abuse Program. Such dismissal and disqualification shall be

mandatory and may not be rescinded or reduced by the player’s Team or the WNBA;

provided that such dismissal and disqualification, may be reduced or rescinded by an

Arbitrator in accordance with Section 18 below.

(ii) During any period while a First-Year Player is dismissed and

disqualified from the WNBA under Section 6(b)(i) above, and so long as such player is in

compliance with her in-patient or aftercare obligations under the Program (as determined

by the Medical Director), she shall receive from her Team a reasonable and necessary

living expense stipend to be agreed upon by the WNBA and the Players Association

which (A) shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the Base Salary that the player

would otherwise have been entitled to earn for the period of her dismissal and

disqualification and (B) shall not be payable for more than one (1) year from the date of

such dismissal and disqualification (but in no event following the expiration of the

Agreement).

(iii) Any First-Year Player who tests positive for marijuana or a SPED

pursuant to this Section 6, shall suffer the applicable consequences set forth in Sections 8

or 9 below, as the case may be. Any First-Year Player who tests positive for a Diuretic

Exhibit 2 - 271
 pursuant to this Section 6 shall be deemed to have tested positive for a SPED and shall

suffer the applicable consequences set forth in Section 9 below.

(c) In the event that a Veteran Player tests positive for a Drug of Abuse

pursuant to this Section 6, she shall immediately be dismissed and disqualified from any

association with the WNBA or any of its teams in accordance with the provisions of Section

11(a) below; provided that such dismissal and disqualification may be reduced or rescinded by

an Arbitrator in accordance with Section 18 below. If the player tests positive for marijuana or a

SPED pursuant to this Section 6, she shall enter the Program and suffer the applicable

consequences set forth in Sections 8 or 9 below, as the case may be. If the player tests positive

for a Diuretic pursuant to this Section 6, she shall be deemed to have tested positive for a SPED

and shall suffer the applicable consequences set forth in Section 9 below.

(d) In the event that any player tests “positive” pursuant to Section 4(d)(iii),

(iv) or (v) above in connection with testing conducted pursuant to this Section 6, that positive

test result shall be considered a positive test result for a Drug of Abuse, and the player shall

immediately be dismissed and disqualified from any association with the WNBA or any of its

Teams in accordance with the provisions of Section 11(a) below.

Section 7. Drugs of Abuse Program.

(a) Voluntary Entry.

(i) A player may enter the Drugs of Abuse Program voluntarily at any

time by Coming Forward Voluntarily for a problem involving the use of a Drug of

Abuse; provided, however, that a player may not Come Forward Voluntarily (A) until she

has signed a Standard Player Contract and has been selected in a WNBA Draft or invited

to a training camp; (B) during any period in which an Authorization for Testing as to that

player remains in effect pursuant to Section 5 above; (C) during any period in which she

Exhibit 2 - 272
remains subject to in-patient or aftercare treatment in Stage 1 of the Drugs of Abuse

Program; (D) after she has reached Stage 2 of the Drugs of Abuse Program; or (E) after

the WNBA has notified the Players Association in writing (including via email) that an

original or “A” sample provided by such player has tested positive for a Prohibited

Substance.

(ii) If a player who has not previously entered the Drugs of Abuse

Program Comes Forward Voluntarily for a problem involving the use of a Drug of

Abuse, she shall enter Stage 1 of the Drugs of Abuse Program.

(iii) If a player who has not previously entered Stage 2 of the Drugs of

Abuse Program, but who has been notified by the Medical Director that she has

successfully completed Stage 1 of that Program, Comes Forward Voluntarily for a

problem involving the use of a Drug of Abuse, she shall enter Stage 2 of the Drugs of

Abuse Program.

(iv) No penalty of any kind will be imposed on a player as a result of

having Come Forward Voluntarily for a problem involving the use of a Drug of Abuse.

The foregoing sentence shall not preclude the imposition of a penalty under Section

7(c)(iv) below as a result of the player’s entering Stage 2 of the Drugs of Abuse Program,

or any penalty called for hereunder as a result of conduct by the player that occurs after

she has Come Forward Voluntarily.

(b) Stage 1.

(i) Any player who has entered Stage 1 of the Drugs of Abuse

Program shall be required to submit to an evaluation by the Medical Director, provide (or

cause to be provided) to the Medical Director such relevant medical and treatment

Exhibit 2 - 273
records as the Medical Director may request, and commence the treatment and testing

program prescribed by the Medical Director.

(ii) If a player, within ten (10) days of the date on which she was

notified that she had entered Stage 1 of the Drugs of Abuse Program and without a

reasonable excuse, fails to comply (in the professional judgment of the Medical Director)

with any of the obligations set forth in Section 7(b)(i) above, she shall be suspended until

such time as the Medical Director determines that she has fully complied with Section

7(b)(i) above. If such noncompliance continues without a reasonable excuse (in the

professional judgment of the Medical Director) for thirty (30) days from the date on

which the player was notified that she had entered Stage 1 of the Drugs of Abuse

Program, the player shall, following notice of the player’s non-compliance by the

Medical Director to the WNBA and then by the WNBA to the player’s Team

(notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3 above) (A) advance to Stage 2 of the Drugs

of Abuse Program, or (B) the player’s Team may, notwithstanding any term or provision

in or amendment to the player’s Standard Player Contract or any Marketing and

Promotional Agreement to which she may be a party, elect to terminate such Contract

and/or Agreement without any further obligation to pay any Base Salary or Additional

Marketing and Promotional Compensation, except to pay the Base Salary and any

Additional Marketing and Promotional Compensation that may have been earned by the

player prior to the date of termination.

(iii) Except as provided herein, no penalty of any kind will be imposed

on a player while she is in Stage 1 of the Drugs of Abuse Program and, provided she

complies with the terms of her prescribed treatment, she will continue to receive her Base

Exhibit 2 - 274
Salary during the term of her treatment for a period of up to two (2) months of care in an

In-Patient Facility and such aftercare as may be required by the Medical Director.

(c) Stage 2.

(i) Any player who has entered Stage 2 of the Drugs of Abuse

Program shall be required to submit to an evaluation by the Medical Director, provide (or

cause to be provided) to the Medical Director such relevant medical and treatment

records as the Medical Director may request, and commence the treatment and testing

program prescribed by the Medical Director.

(ii) If a player, within thirty (30) days of the date on which she was

notified that she had entered Stage 2 of the Drugs of Abuse Program and without a

reasonable excuse, fails to comply (in the professional judgment of the Medical Director)

with any of the obligations set forth in Section 7(c)(i) above, she shall immediately be

dismissed and disqualified from any association with the WNBA or any of its Teams in

accordance with the provisions of Section 11(a) below.

(iii) A player in Stage 2 of the Drugs of Abuse Program shall be

suspended during the period of her in-patient treatment and for at least the first three (3)

months of her aftercare treatment. The player shall remain suspended during any

subsequent period in which she is undergoing treatment that, in the professional judgment

of the Medical Director, prevents her from rendering the playing services called for by

her Standard Player Contract.

(iv) Any subsequent use, possession, or distribution of a Drug of Abuse

by a player in Stage 2, even if voluntarily disclosed, or any conduct by a player in Stage 2

that results in her advancing one Stage in the Drugs of Abuse Program, shall result in the

Exhibit 2 - 275
 player being immediately dismissed and disqualified from any association with the

WNBA or any of its Teams in accordance with the provisions of Section 11(a) below.

(d) Treatment and Testing Program.

A player who enters the Drugs of Abuse Program shall be required to comply

with such in-patient and aftercare program as may be prescribed and supplemented from time to

time by the Medical Director. Such program may include random testing for Prohibited

Substances other than SPEDs, and for alcohol, and such non-testing elements as may be

determined in the professional judgment of the Medical Director.

Section 8. Marijuana Program.

(a) Voluntary Entry.

(i) A player may enter the Marijuana Program voluntarily at any time

by Coming Forward Voluntarily; provided, however, that a player may not Come

Forward Voluntarily for a problem involving the use of Marijuana (A) until she has

signed a Standard Player Contract and has been selected in a WNBA Draft or invited to a

training camp; (B) during any period in which an Authorization for Testing as to that

player remains in effect pursuant to Section 5; (C) during any period in which she

remains subject to in-patient or aftercare treatment in the Marijuana Program; or (D) after

the WNBA has notified the Players Association in writing (including via email) that an

original or “A” sample provided by such player has tested positive for a Prohibited

Substance.

(ii) If a player who has not previously entered the Marijuana Program,

or a player who has been notified by the Medical Director that she has successfully

completed that Program, Comes Forward Voluntarily for a problem involving the use of

marijuana, she shall enter the Marijuana Program.

Exhibit 2 - 276
 (iii) No penalty of any kind will be imposed on a player as a result of

having Come Forward Voluntarily for a problem involving the use of marijuana. The

foregoing sentence shall not preclude the imposition of any penalty called for hereunder

as a result of conduct by the player that occurs after she has Come Forward Voluntarily.

(b) Treatment.

(i) A player who enters the Marijuana Program shall be required to

submit to an evaluation by the Medical Director, provide (or cause to be provided) to the

Medical Director such relevant medical and treatment records as the Medical Director

may request, and commence the treatment and testing program prescribed by the Medical

Director. Such program may include random testing for Prohibited Substances other than

SPEDs, and for alcohol, and such non-testing elements as may be determined in the

professional judgment of the Medical Director.

(ii) If a player, within five (5) days of the date on which she was

notified that she had entered the Marijuana Program and without a reasonable excuse,

fails to comply (in the professional judgment of the Medical Director) with any of the

obligations set forth in the first sentence of Section 8(b)(i) above, she shall be fined

$2,000; if the player thereafter fails to comply, without a reasonable excuse, with such

obligations (in the professional judgment of the Medical Director) within eight (8) days

of such notification, she shall be fined an additional $2,000; and for each additional day

beyond the 8th day that the player, without a reasonable excuse, fails to comply with such

obligations (in the professional judgment of the Medical Director), she shall be fined an

additional $2,000. The total amount of such fines may not exceed the player’s total Base

Salary and Additional Marketing and Promotional Compensation.

Exhibit 2 - 277
 (c) Penalties.

Any player who (i) tests positive for marijuana pursuant to Section 5 (Reasonable

Cause Testing), Section 6 (Random Testing), or Section 15 (Additional Bases for Testing), (ii) is

adjudged by the Arbitrator pursuant to Section 5(e) to have used or possessed marijuana, or (iii)

has been convicted of (including a plea of guilty, no contest or nolo contendere to) the use or

possession of marijuana in violation of the law, shall suffer the following penalties:

(A) For the first such violation, the player shall be required to enter the

Marijuana Program;

(B) For the second such violation, the player shall be fined $3,000, and, if the

player is not then subject to in-patient or aftercare treatment in the Marijuana Program, be

required to enter the Marijuana Program;

(C) For the third such violation, the player shall be suspended for three (3)

games, and, if the player is not then subject to in-patient or aftercare treatment in the Marijuana

Program, be required to enter the Marijuana Program; and

(D) For any subsequent violation, the player shall be suspended for three (3)

games longer than her immediately preceding suspension for violating the Marijuana Program,

and, if the player is not then subject to in-patient or aftercare treatment in the Marijuana

Program, be required to enter the Marijuana Program.

Section 9. Steroids, Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Masking Agents Program.

(a) Treatment.

(i) A player who enters the SPED Program shall be required to submit

to an evaluation by the Medical Director, provide (or cause to be provided) to the

Medical Director such relevant medical and treatment records as the Medical Director

may request, and commence the treatment and testing program prescribed by the Medical

Exhibit 2 - 278
 Director. Such program may include random testing for SPEDs and Diuretics and such

non-testing elements as may be determined in the professional judgment of the Medical

Director.

(ii) If a player, within five (5) days of the date on which she was

notified that she had entered the SPED Program and without a reasonable excuse, fails to

comply (in the professional judgment of the Medical Director) with any of the obligations

set forth in the first sentence of Section 9(a)(i) above, she shall be fined $2,000; if the

player, without a reasonable excuse, thereafter fails to comply with such obligations (in

the professional judgment of the Medical Director) within eight (8) days of such

notification, she shall be fined an additional $2,000; and for each additional day beyond

the 8th day that the player, without a reasonable excuse, fails to comply with such

obligations (in the professional judgment of the Medical Director), she shall be fined an

additional $2,000. The total amount of such fines shall not exceed the player’s total Base

Salary and Additional Marketing and Promotional Compensation.

(b) Penalties.

Any player who (i) tests positive for a SPED pursuant to Section 5 (Reasonable

Cause Testing), Section 6 (Random Testing), or Section 15 (Additional Bases for Testing), or (ii)

is adjudged by the Arbitrator pursuant to Section 5(e) above to have used or possessed a SPED,

shall suffer the following penalties:

(A) For the first such violation, the player shall be suspended for ten (10)

games and be required to enter the SPED Program;

Exhibit 2 - 279
 (B) For the second such violation, the player shall be suspended for twenty-

four (24) games and, if the player is not then subject to in-patient or aftercare treatment in the

SPED Program, be required to enter the SPED Program; and

(C) For the third such violation, the player shall be immediately dismissed and

disqualified from any association with the WNBA or any of its Teams in accordance with the

provisions of Section 11(a) below.

(c) The penalties set forth in Section 9(b)(i) above and Section 9(b)(ii) above

with respect to a player’s use of a SPED may be reduced or rescinded by the Arbitrator in

accordance with Section 18 below.

Section 10. Noncompliance with Treatment.

(a) Drugs of Abuse.

(i) Any player who, after entering Stage 1 or Stage 2 of the Drugs of

Abuse Program, fails to comply with her treatment or her aftercare program, as

prescribed and determined by the Medical Director, shall be suspended. Such suspension

shall continue until the player has, in the professional judgment of the Medical Director,

resumed full compliance with her treatment program.

(ii) Notwithstanding Section 10(a)(i) above, any player who in the

professional judgment of the Medical Director, after entering Stage 1 or Stage 2 of the

Drugs of Abuse Program, fails to comply with her treatment program through (A) a

pattern of behavior that demonstrates a mindful disregard for her treatment

responsibilities, or (B) a positive test for a Prohibited Substance other than a SPED that is

not clinically expected by the Medical Director, shall suffer the following penalties:

Exhibit 2 - 280
 (A) if the player is in Stage 1 of the Drugs of Abuse Program, she shall

advance to Stage 2 and be suspended until, in the professional judgment of the Medical Director,

she has resumed full compliance with her treatment program; or

(B) if the player already is in Stage 2 of the Drugs of Abuse Program, she shall

immediately be dismissed and disqualified from any association with the WNBA or any of its

Teams in accordance with the provisions of Section 11(a) below.

(b) Marijuana.

(i) Any player who, after entering the Marijuana Program, fails to

comply (without a reasonable excuse) with her treatment program as prescribed and

determined by the Medical Director, shall be fined $300 for each day that she fails to

comply. Such fines shall continue until the player has, in the professional judgment of

the Medical Director, resumed full compliance with her treatment program. The total

amount of such fines shall not exceed the player’s total Base Salary and Additional

Marketing and Promotional Compensation.

(ii) Notwithstanding Section 10(b)(i) above, any player who, after

entering the Marijuana Program, fails to comply with her treatment program as

prescribed and determined by the Medical Director through (A) a pattern of behavior that

demonstrates a mindful disregard for her treatment responsibilities, or (B) a positive test

for marijuana that is not clinically expected by the Medical Director, shall suffer the

following penalties:

(A) if the player has not previously been suspended for three

(3) games under Section 8(c) above or this Section 10(b)(ii), a fine of $3,000;

Exhibit 2 - 281
 (B) if the player has previously been fined $3,000 under

Section 8(c) above or this Section 10(b)(ii), a suspension of three (3) games; or

(C) if the player has previously been suspended for three (3) or

more games under Section 8(c) or this Section 10(b)(ii), a suspension that is at

least three (3) games longer than her immediately preceding suspension and that

shall continue until, in the professional judgment of the Medical Director, the

player resumes full compliance with her treatment program.

(iii) In addition to any consequence to the player under Section

10(b)(ii) above, any player who has entered the Marijuana Program but not the Drugs of

Abuse Program, and tests positive for a Drug of Abuse in any test conducted by the

Medical Director, shall enter Stage 1 of the Drugs of Abuse Program.

(c) SPEDs.

(i) Any player who, after entering the SPED Program, fails to comply

(without a reasonable excuse) with her treatment program as prescribed and determined

by the Medical Director, shall be fined $1,000 per day for each day that she fails to

comply. Such fines shall continue until the player has, in the professional judgment of

the Medical Director, resumed full compliance with her treatment program. The total

amount of such fines shall not exceed the player’s total Base Salary and Additional

Marketing and Promotional Compensation.

(ii) Notwithstanding Section 10(c)(i) above, any player who, after

entering the SPED Program, fails to comply with her treatment program as prescribed

and determined by the Medical Director through (A) a pattern of behavior that

demonstrates a mindful disregard of her treatment responsibilities, or (B) a positive test

Exhibit 2 - 282
 for a SPED that is not clinically expected by the Medical Director, shall suffer the

following penalties:

(1) if the player has not previously been suspended for ten (10)

games under Section 9(b) above or this Section 10(c)(ii), a suspension of ten (10)

games;

(2) if the player has previously been suspended for ten (10)

games under Section 9(b) above or this Section 10(c)(ii), a suspension of twenty-

four (24) games; or

(3) if the player has previously been suspended for twenty-four

(24) games under Section 9(b) above or this Section 10(c)(ii), the player shall be

immediately dismissed and disqualified from any association with the WNBA or

any of its Teams in accordance with the provisions of Section 11(a) below.

(d) Directed Testing.

Any player who, after entering the Program, and without a reasonable explanation

satisfactory to the Medical Director, (i) fails to appear for any of her Team’s scheduled games, or

(ii) misses, during any consecutive seven-day (7) period, any two (2) airplane flights on which

her team is scheduled to travel, any two (2) Team practices, or a combination of any one (1)

practice and any one (1) Team flight, shall immediately submit to a urine test to be arranged by

the WNBA and conducted by a third-party organization. If any test conducted pursuant to this

Section 10(d) is positive: (i) for a Drug of Abuse or pursuant to Section 4(d)(iii), (iv) or (v)

above (for a player in the Drugs of Abuse Program), then the player shall suffer the applicable

consequence set forth in Section 10(a)(ii) above; (ii) for marijuana or pursuant to Section

4(d)(iii), (iv) or (v) above (for a player in the Marijuana Program), then the player shall suffer the

Exhibit 2 - 283
applicable consequence set forth in Section 10(b)(ii) above; or (iii) for a SPED or pursuant to

Section 4(d)(iii), (iv) or (v) above (for a player in the SPED Program), then the player will suffer

the applicable consequence set forth in Section 10(c)(ii) above. If any test conducted pursuant to

this Section 10(d) is positive for a Diuretic, then the player shall suffer the applicable

consequences of a positive test for the Prohibited Substance for which she entered the Program.

Section 11. Dismissal and Disqualification.

(a) A player who, under the terms of this Agreement, is “dismissed and

disqualified from any association with the WNBA or any of its Teams in accordance with the

provisions of Section 11(a)” shall, without exception, immediately be so dismissed and

disqualified for a period of not less than two (2) years, and such player’s Player Contract (and

any Marketing and Promotional Agreement to which she may be a party) shall be rendered null

and void and of no further force or effect (subject to the provisions of paragraph 8 of the

Standard Player Contract). Such dismissal and disqualification shall be mandatory and may not

be rescinded or reduced by the player’s Team or the WNBA.

(b) In addition to any other provision hereof requiring that a player be

dismissed and disqualified from any association with the WNBA or any of its Teams in

accordance with the provisions of Section 11(a), a player will also be dismissed and disqualified

under Section 11(a) above if she is convicted of (including a plea of guilty, no contest, or nolo

contendere to) a crime involving the use, possession or distribution of a Prohibited Substance

other than marijuana or a felony involving the distribution of marijuana.

Section 12. Reinstatement.

(a) After a period of at least two (2) years from a player’s dismissal and

disqualification under Section 11(a) above, and after a period of at least one (1) year from the

date of a First-Year Player’s dismissal and disqualification under Section 6(b) above, such player

Exhibit 2 - 284
may apply for reinstatement as a player in the WNBA. However, such player shall have no right

to reinstatement under any circumstance and the reinstatement shall be granted only with the

prior approval of both the WNBA and the Players Association, which shall not be unreasonably

withheld. The approval of the WNBA and the Players Association shall be final, binding, and

unappealable. Among the factors that may be considered by the WNBA and the Players

Association in determining whether to grant reinstatement are (without limitation): the

circumstances surrounding the player’s dismissal and disqualification; whether the player has

satisfactorily completed a treatment and rehabilitation program; the player’s conduct since her

dismissal, including the extent to which the player has since comported herself as a suitable role

model for youth; and whether the player is judged to possess the requisite qualities of good

character and morality.

(b) For a First-Year Player, the WNBA and the Players Association will

consider an application for reinstatement only if the player has, in the opinion of the Medical

Director, successfully completed any in-patient treatment and/or aftercare prescribed by the

Medical Director. For a Veteran Player, the WNBA and the Players Association will consider an

application for reinstatement only if the player can demonstrate, by proof of random urine testing

acceptable to the Medical Director (conducted on at least a weekly basis), that she has not tested

positive (i) for a Prohibited Substance within the twelve (12) months prior to the submission of

her application for reinstatement and during any period while her application is being reviewed,

and (ii) if the Medical Director deems it necessary in his or her professional judgment, for

alcohol for the six (6) months prior to the submission of the player’s application for

reinstatement and during any period while her application is being reviewed.

Exhibit 2 - 285
 (c) The granting of an application for reinstatement may be conditioned upon

random testing of the player or such other terms as may be agreed upon by the WNBA and the

Players Association, whether or not such terms are contemplated by the provisions hereof.

(d) Any player who has been reinstated pursuant to this Section 12 and is

subsequently dismissed and disqualified from any association with the WNBA or any of its

Teams in accordance with the provisions of Section 11(a) above shall therefore be ineligible for

reinstatement pursuant to this Section 12.

(e) In the event that the application for reinstatement of a First-Year Player

dismissed and disqualified pursuant to Section 6(b) above is approved, such player, by reason of

her Player Contract having been rendered null and void pursuant to Section 6(b) above, shall be

deemed not to have completed her Player Contract by rendering the playing services called for

thereunder. Accordingly, such player shall not be a Free Agent and shall not be entitled to

negotiate or sign a Standard Player Contract with any WNBA Team, except as specifically

provided in this Section 12.

(f) (i) A First-Year player who has been reinstated pursuant to this

Section 12 shall, immediately upon such reinstatement, notify the Team to which she was

under contract at the time of her dismissal and disqualification (the “previous Team”).

Upon receipt of such notification, and subject to Section 12(f)(ii) below, the previous

Team shall then have thirty (30) days in which to make a Tender to the player with a

stated term of at least one (1) full WNBA Season (or, in the event that the Tender is made

during a Season, of at least the remainder of that Season) and calling for a Salary up to

the player’s Salary for the Salary Cap Year in which she was dismissed or disqualified

(reduced on a pro rata basis if the Tender is made during a Season). If the previous Team

Exhibit 2 - 286
makes such a Tender, it shall, for a period of one (1) year from the date of the Tender, be

the only WNBA Team with which the player may negotiate and sign a Standard Player

Contract. If the player does not sign a Standard Player Contract with the previous Team

within the year following such Tender, then the player shall thereupon be deemed a

Reserved Player in accordance with the provisions of Article VI, Section 8. If the

previous Team fails to make a Tender, the player shall become an Unrestricted Free

Agent.

(ii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 12(f)(i) above,

the 30-day period for the previous Team to make a Tender shall be tolled if (A) on the

date the player serves the notice required by Section 12(f)(i), she is under contract to a

professional basketball team not in the WNBA, or (B) the player signs a contract with a

professional basketball team not in the WNBA at any point after the date on which the

player serves the notice required by Section 12(f)(i) and before the date on which the

previous Team makes a Tender. If the 30-day period for making a Tender is tolled

pursuant to the preceding sentence, the period shall remain tolled until the date on which

the player notifies the Team that she is immediately available to sign and begin rendering

playing services under a Standard Player Contract with such Team, provided that such

notice will not be effective until the player is under no contractual or other legal

impediment to sign with and begin rendering playing services for such Team.

(iii) Subject to the provisions of Article VII, a First-Year Player who is

reinstated pursuant to this Section 12 may enter into a Standard Player Contract with her

previous Team that provides for a Salary for the first Season of up to the player’s Salary

for the Salary Cap Year in which she was dismissed and disqualified (reduced on a pro

Exhibit 2 - 287
rata basis if the first Season of the new Contract is a partial Season). If the player and the

previous Team enter into such Player Contract and such Contract covers more than one

Season, increases and decreases in Salary for Seasons following the first Season shall be

governed by Article VII, Section 3(c); provided, however, that if the player who is

reinstated was dismissed and disqualified during the term of her Rookie Scale Contract,

then (x) the number of Seasons in the player’s new Contract may not exceed the number

of Seasons (including the Team Option Year) that remained under the player’s Rookie

Scale Contract at the time she was dismissed and disqualified, and the Salary called for in

any Season of the player’s new Contract (including any Option Year), may not exceed

the Salary called for during the corresponding Season of her Rookie Scale Contract, and

(y) if the new Contract contains terms identical to those contained in the remaining

Seasons of the player’s Rookie Scale Contract at the time she was dismissed and

disqualified, and the player’s Team ultimately exercises its Option, then such Team shall

retain the same rights with respect to such new Contract as it would have retained under

Article VI following the completion of the player’s Rookie Scale Contract.

(g) (i) A Veteran Player who has been reinstated pursuant to this Section

12 shall, immediately upon such reinstatement, notify the Team to which she was under

contract at the time of her dismissal and disqualification (the “previous Team”). Upon

receipt of such notification, and subject to Section 12(g)(ii) below, the previous Team

shall then have thirty (30) days in which to make a Tender to the player with a stated term

of at least one (1) full WNBA Season (or, in the event that the Tender is made during a

Season, of at least the remainder of that Season) and calling for a Salary up to the

player’s Salary for the Salary Cap Year in which she was dismissed and disqualified

Exhibit 2 - 288
(reduced on a pro rata basis if the Tender is made during a Season). If the previous Team

makes such a Tender, it shall, for a period of one (1) year from the date of the Tender, be

the only WNBA Team with which the player may negotiate and sign a Standard Player

Contract. If the player does not sign a Standard Player Contract with the previous Team

within the year following such Tender, then the player shall thereupon be deemed a

Reserved Player, a Restricted or an Unrestricted Free Agent in accordance with the

provisions of Article VI. If the previous Team fails to make a Tender, the player shall

become an Unrestricted Free Agent. If the player and the previous Team enter into such

Player Contract and such Contract covers more than one Season, increases and decreases

in Salary for Seasons following the first Season shall be governed by Article VII, Section

3(c); provided, however, that if the player who is reinstated was dismissed and

disqualified during the term of her Rookie Scale Contract, then (x) the number of Seasons

in the player’s new Contract may not exceed the number of Seasons (including the Team

Option Year) that remained under the player’s Rookie Scale Contract at the time she was

dismissed and disqualified, and the Salary called for in any Season of the player’s new

Contract (including any Option Year), may not exceed the Salary called for during the

corresponding Season of her Rookie Scale Contract, and (y) if the new Contract contains

terms identical to those contained in the remaining Seasons of the player’s Rookie Scale

Contract at the time she was dismissed and disqualified, and the player’s Team ultimately

exercises its Option, then such Team shall retain the same rights with respect to such new

Contract as it would have retained under Article VI following the completion of the

player’s Rookie Scale Contract.

Exhibit 2 - 289
 (ii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 12(g)(i)

above, the 30-day period for the previous Team to make a Tender shall be tolled if (x) on

the date the player serves the notice required by Section 12(g)(i), she is under contract to

a professional basketball team not in the WNBA, or (y) the player signs a contract with a

professional basketball team not in the WNBA at any point after the date on which she

serves the notice required by Section 12(g)(i) and before the date on which the previous

Team makes a Tender. If the 30-day period for making a Tender is tolled pursuant to the

preceding sentence, the period shall remain tolled until the date on which the player

notifies the Team that she is available to sign a Standard Player Contract with and begin

rendering playing services for such Team immediately, provided that such notice will not

be effective until the player is under no contractual or other legal impediment to sign with

and begin rendering playing services for such Team.

Section 13. Exclusivity of the Program.

(a) Except as expressly provided herein in this Exhibit 2, there shall be no

other screening or testing for Prohibited Substances conducted by the WNBA or any Team, and

no player may undergo such screening or testing; provided, however, that, in a medical

emergency, team physicians may test players solely for diagnostic purposes in order to provide

satisfactory medical care. The results of any diagnostic drug testing conducted pursuant to the

preceding sentence shall not be used for any other purpose by the player’s Team or the WNBA.

If any Team is found to have tested a player surreptitiously, the WNBA will impose a substantial

fine not to exceed $100,000 upon such Team.

(b) The penalties set forth herein shall be the exclusive penalties to be

imposed upon a player for the use, possession or distribution of a Prohibited Substance.

Exhibit 2 - 290
 (c) No Standard Player Contract entered into after the date hereof shall

include any term or provision that modifies, contradicts, changes, or is inconsistent with

Paragraph 8 of such Contract or provides for the testing of a player for illegal substances. Any

term or provision of a currently effective Standard Player Contract that is inconsistent with

Paragraph 8 of such Contract shall be deemed null and void only to the extent of the

inconsistency.

Section 14. HGH Blood Testing.

(a) The WNBA may commence HGH Blood Testing with notice of at least

sixty (60) days to WNBA players; provided, however, that HGH Blood Testing will not

commence before the start of the 2020 Season. Such testing may take place under Section 5

(Reasonable Cause Testing), Section 6 (Random Testing) and Section 9 (Steroids, Performance-

Enhancing Drugs and Masking Agents) above, and Section 15 (Additional Bases for Testing)

below; provided, however, that random HGH Blood Testing pursuant to Section 6 above will

occur no more than two (2) times during each Season and no more than one (1) time during each

Off-Season (for purposes of this Section 14, the last day of a Season for a player shall be the day

before that player’s Off-Season begins). (For clarity, the number of random blood tests for

Human Growth Hormone shall be in addition to the number of random urine tests for other

Prohibited Substances called for in Section 6 above.)

(b) HGH Blood Testing shall comply with the laboratory testing protocols and

specimen collection procedures established by the NBA. The WNBA (after consultation with

the Players Association) is authorized to retain such consultants and support services as are

necessary and appropriate to administer and conduct such HGH Blood Testing.

Exhibit 2 - 291
Section 15. Additional Bases for Testing.

(a) Any player who seeks treatment outside the Program for a problem

involving a Prohibited Substance shall, as directed by the WNBA (after notice to the Players

Association), submit herself to an evaluation by the Medical Director and provide (or cause to be

provided) to the Medical Director such medical and treatment records as the Medical Director

may request. The Medical Director may, in his or her professional judgment, also require such a

player, without prior notice, to submit to testing for Prohibited Substances, provided that the

frequency of such testing shall not exceed three (3) times per week and the duration of such

testing shall not exceed one (1) year from the date of the player’s initial evaluation by the

Medical Director.

(b) Any player who is subject to in-patient or aftercare treatment in the

Program and is formally charged with “driving while intoxicated,” “driving under the influence

of alcohol,” or any other crime or offense involving suspected alcohol or illegal substance use

shall, provided that the WNBA has advised the Players Association, be required to submit to a

urine test, to be conducted by the WNBA, within seven (7) days of being so charged.

(c) If, pursuant to Section 15(a) above, a player (i) tests positive for a Drug of

Abuse; (ii) tests positive pursuant to Section 4(d)(iii), (iv) or (v) above; or (iii) refuses or fails to

submit to an evaluation or provide (or cause to be provided) the information requested by the

Medical Director; but does not Come Forward Voluntarily within sixty (60) days of being

requested to do so by the WNBA (with notice to the Players Association), or if, pursuant to

Section 15(b) above, a player tests positive for a Drug of Abuse, then, in either case, the player

shall advance two (2) stages in the Drugs of Abuse Program – i.e., the player shall enter Stage 2

of the Drugs of Abuse Program (if the player had not previously entered Stage 1 of such

Exhibit 2 - 292
Program), and the player shall be dismissed and disqualified from any association with the

WNBA or any of its Teams in accordance with the provisions of Section 11(a) above (if the

player had previously entered Stage 1 or Stage 2 of such Program).

(d) If, pursuant to Section 15(a) or (b) above, a player tests positive for

marijuana or a SPED, she shall suffer the applicable consequences set forth in Sections 8 or 9

above, as the case may be. If, pursuant to Section 15(a) or (b) above, a player tests positive for a

Diuretic, she shall be deemed to have tested positive for a SPED and shall suffer the applicable

consequences set forth in Section 9 above.

(e) If a player is or, within the previous six (6) months, (i) has been in

possession of any device or product used or designed for substituting, diluting, or adulterating a

specimen sample, or (ii) has been subject to a finding by another sports league or anti-doping

organization that she has substituted, diluted or adulterated a specimen sample and that finding

has not been overturned on appeal, that player shall be required to undergo testing for Prohibited

Substances no more than four (4) times during the six-week period following her notification by

the WNBA of the commencement of such testing. If the player (i) tests positive for a Drug of

Abuse or (ii) tests positive pursuant to Section 4(d)(iii), (iv) or (v) above, she shall be dismissed

and disqualified from any association with the WNBA or any of its Teams in accordance with

the provisions of Section 11(a) above. If the player tests positive for marijuana or a SPED, she

shall suffer the applicable consequences set forth in Sections 8 or 9 above, as the case may be. If

the player tests positive for a Diuretic, she shall be deemed to have tested positive for a SPED

and shall suffer the applicable consequences set forth in Section 9 above. A player who tests

positive for a Drug of Abuse or a SPED pursuant to this Section 15(e) may have her dismissal

Exhibit 2 - 293
and disqualification or other penalty reduced or rescinded by the Arbitrator in accordance with

Section 18 below.

(f) Nothing in this Section 15 shall limit or otherwise affect any of the

provisions of Section 5 (Reasonable Cause Testing).

Section 16. Additional Prohibited Substances and Testing Methods.

(a) Any steroid or performance-enhancing drug that is declared illegal during

the term of this Agreement will automatically be added to the list of Prohibited Substances as a

SPED.

(b) At any time during the term of this Agreement, either the WNBA or the

Players Association may convene a meeting of the Prohibited Substances Committee to request

that a substance or substances be added to the list of Prohibited Substances set forth on Exhibit B

annexed hereto. Any such addition of a Prohibited Substance may only include a substance that

is or is reasonably likely to be physically harmful to players and is or is reasonably likely to be

improperly performance-enhancing. The determination of the Committee to add to the list of

Prohibited Substances shall be made by a majority vote of all five (5) Committee members, and

shall be final, binding, and unappealable.

(c) Players will receive notice of any addition to the list of Prohibited

Substances six (6) months prior to the date on which such addition becomes effective hereunder.

(d) At any time during the term of this Agreement, either the WNBA or the

Players Association may convene a meeting of the Prohibited Substances Committee to request

that a testing method be added to the Program. Pursuant to this Section 16(d), the Prohibited

Substances Committee shall have the authority to: (i) determine what testing methods will be

used to detect newly added Prohibited Substances under the Program, if such Prohibited

Substances are detected by methods not currently used by the Program’s laboratories; and

Exhibit 2 - 294
(ii) approve the use of new testing methods for current Prohibited Substances when such

methods have been developed or validated during the term of this Agreement; provided,

however, that the Prohibited Substances Committee shall not have the authority to add a testing

method that would require a change to the manner in which specimens are collected from players

(such as a change from urine collections to blood collections). Any determination of the

Committee pursuant to this Section 16(d) shall be made by a majority vote of all five (5)

Committee members, and shall be final, binding, and unappealable.

Section 17. Prescriptions under the Anti-Drug Program

(a) Notwithstanding the confidentiality provisions of Section 3 of this Exhibit

2, before any player is prescribed a drug or substance (whether or not it is a Prohibited

Substance) as part of her treatment in the Program, the Medical Director will notify the

designated physician of the player’s team of the name of the drug or substance (the “Proposed

Substance”), the medical justification for the prescription of the Proposed Substance, and the

name of the prescribing physician.

(b) If the designated physician of the player’s team advises the Medical

Director – at that time or at any time thereafter – that the Proposed Substance would create a

possible adverse reaction with another prescription substance that the player is being

administered, a discussion will be held among the Medical Director, the prescribing physician

and the designated team physician with respect to modifying one or both of the prescriptions so

as to avoid the potential adverse reaction.

(c) If the Medical Director becomes aware that a player has been traded to or

signed with another team after notification has been made to a designated team physician under

Section 17(a) above, the Medical Director is required to make the same notification to the

Exhibit 2 - 295
designated team physician of the player’s new team and to have the discussion required by

Section 17(b) above.

(d) A team physician who receives a notification from the Medical Director

under this Section 17 may only disclose the prescription for the Proposed Substance to other

members of the team medical staff who are required to be advised of the prescription in order to

ensure that the player is receiving proper medical care from the team’s medical staff, and to no

other person.

Section 18. No Significant Fault or Negligence by Player

(a) If a player proves by clear and convincing evidence that she bears no

significant fault or negligence for the presence of a Drug of Abuse or a SPED in her test result,

an Arbitrator may, in a proceeding brought under Article XXII, Section 4(b) of this Agreement,

reduce or rescind the penalty otherwise applicable under this Exhibit 2. Such reduction or

rescission (if any) will be determined at the discretion of the Grievance Arbitrator.

(b) For purposes of this Section 18, “no significant fault or negligence” means

the unusual circumstance in which the player did not know or suspect, and could not reasonably

have known or suspected, even with the exercise of considerable caution and diligence, that she

was taking, ingesting, applying, or otherwise using the Drug of Abuse or SPED. To show that

she bears no significant fault or negligence, the player must also establish how the Drug of

Abuse or SPED entered her system. A player cannot satisfy her burden by merely denying that

she intentionally used the Drug of Abuse or SPED.

Exhibit 2 - 296
 Exhibit A

AUTHORIZATION FOR TESTING

To: ___________________
(Player)

Please be advised that on _____________________, you were the subject of a

meeting or conference call held pursuant to the Anti-Drug Program as set forth in Exhibit 2 to

the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball

Players Association, dated January 17, 2020 (the “Agreement”). Following the meeting or

conference call, I authorized the WNBA to conduct the testing procedures set forth in the

Agreement, and you are hereby directed to submit to those testing procedures, on demand, no

more than four times during the next six (6) weeks.

Please be advised that your failure to submit to these procedures may result in the

imposition of substantial penalties under Article XXI of and Exhibit 2 to the Collective

Bargaining Agreement, including but not limited to your dismissal and disqualification from the

WNBA.

__________________________
Independent Expert
Dated:

Exhibit 2 - 297
 Exhibit B

PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES

A. Drugs of Abuse

Benzodiazepines:

Alprazolam (also called Xanax or Niravam)

Chlordiazepoxide (also called Librium, Mitran, Poxi or H-Tran) Clonazepam
(also called Klonopin, Ceberclon or Valpaz)
Diazepam (also called Valium)
Lorazepam (also called Ativan)

Synthetic Cathinones

4-methyl-N-ethylcathinone (also called 4-MEC)

4-methyl-alpha-pyrrolidinopropiophenone (also called 4-MePPP)
Alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (also called alpha-PVP)
1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-(methylamino)butan-1-one (also called
Butylone)
2-(methylamino)-1-phenylpentan-1-one (also called Pentedrone)
1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-(methylamino)pentan-1-one (also called
Pentylone)
4-fluoro-N-methylcathinone (also called 4-FMC)
3-fluoro-N-methylcathinone (also called 3-FMC)
1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pentan-1-one (also called
Naphyrone)
Alpha-pyrrolidinobutiophenone (also called Alpha-PBP)

Cocaine

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB)

Ketamine

LSD

Methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA and MDEA

Opiates:

Heroin
Codeine
Morphine
Oxycodone (also called Oxycontin, Percocet, Percodan, Roxicet,
Tylox, Dazidox, Endocet or Endodan)

Exhibit 2 - 298
 Hydrocodone (also called Vicodin, Lorcet, Lortab, Hydocan or
Norco)
Methadone (also called Methadose or Dolophine)
Hydromorphone (also called Dilaudid)
Fentanyl (also called Actiq or Duragesic)
Propoxyphene (also called Darvon or Darvocet)

Phencyclidine (PCP)

B. Marijuana

Marijuana and its By-Products

Synthetic Cannabinoids:

5-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)-2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-phenol (also
called CP-47,497)
5-(1,1-dimethyloctyl)-2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-phenol (also
called Cannabicyclohexanol or CP-47,497 C8-homolog)
1-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (also called JWH-018 or AM678)
1-butyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (also called JWH-073)
1-hexyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (also called JWH-019)
1-[2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl]-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (also called
JWH-200)
1-pentyl-3-(2-methoxyphenylacetyl)indole (also called JWH-250)
1-pentyl-3-[1-(4-methoxynaphthoyl)]indole (also called JWH-081)
1-pentyl-3-(4-methyl-1-naphthoyl)indole (also called JWH-122)
1-pentyl-3-(4-chloro-1-naphthoyl)indole (also called JWH-398)
1-(5-fluoropentyl)-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (also called AM2201)
1-(5-fluoropentyl)-3-(2-iodobenzoyl)indole (also called AM694)
1-pentyl-3-[(4-methoxy)-benzoyl]indole (also called SR-19 or
RCS-4)
1-cyclohexylethyl-3-(2-methoxyphenylacetyl)indole (also called
SR-18 or RCS-8)
1-pentyl-3-(2-chlorophenylacetyl)indole (also called JWH-203)

Exhibit 2 - 299
C. Steroids, Performance Enhancing Drugs, and Masking Agents (SPEDs)

Adrafinil Hexarelin
AICAR 18a-homo-17b-hydroxyestr-4-en-3-one
Alexamorelin 18a-homo-3-hydroxy-estra-2,5(10)-
Aminoglutethimide dien-17-one (also called M-LMG)
Amiphenazole Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
Amphetamine and its analogs (with Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
the exception of Methamphetamine, 3b-hydroxy-5a-androst-1-en-17-one (also
MDMA, MDA and MDEA) called 1-Androsterone, 1-Andro and
Anamorelin 1-DHEA)
Anastrozole 17b-hydroxy-androstano[2,3-
Androsta-1,4,6-triene-3,17-dione (also d]isoxazole (also called
called Androstatrienedione or ATD) Androisoxazole)
Androsta-3, 5-diene-7, 17-dione (also 17b-hydroxy-androstano[3,2-
called Arimistane) c]isoxazole
Androst-2-en-17-one (also called 3b-hydroxy-estra-4,9,11-trien-17-one
2-Androstenone and Delta-2) 4-hydroxytestosterone
Androstanediol Ibutamoren
Androstanedione Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1)
Androstenediol Ipamorelin
Androstenedione Letrozole
Androstene-3,6,17-trione (also called Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
6-OXO or 4-AT) Mefenorex
AOD 9604 Meldonium
BAY 87-2243 Mestanolone
Bolasterone Mesterolone
Boldenone Methandienone (also called
Boldione Methandrostenolone)
Bromantan Methandriol
6-bromo-androstan-3,17-dione (also Methasterone
called 6-Bromo) Methenolone (also called Metenolone)
6-bromo-androsta-1,4-diene,3,17- Methyldienolone
dione (also called Aromadrol) 17a-methyl-androsta-1,4-diene-3,17b-diol
Buserelin (also called M1 and 4ADD)
Calusterone 17a-methyl-androst-2-ene-3,17b-diol
4-chloro-17a-methyl-androsta-1,4- 6a-methyl-androst-4-ene-3,17-dione
diene-3,17b-diol (also called 17a-methyl-androstan-3-hydroxyimine-17b-
Halodrol, Halovar and Helladrol) ol (also called D-Plex)
4-chloro-17a-methyl-androst-4-ene- 17a-methyl-5a-androstan-17b-ol (also called
3b,17b-diol (also called P-Mag and Methylandrostanol and Protobol)
Promagnon) 17a-methyl-3a,17b-dihydroxy-5a-androstane 17a-
4-chloro-17a-methyl-17b-hydroxy- methyl-3b,17b-dihydroxy-5a-androstane
androst-4-ene-3-one (also called 17a-methyl-3b,17b-dihydroxyandrost-4-ene
Mechabol) 17a-methyl-1-dihydrotestosterone
17a-methyl-4-hydroxynandrolone

Exhibit 2 - 300
4-chloro-17a-methyl-17b-hydroxy- Methylephedrine
androst-4-ene-3,11-dione (also Methylphenidate
called Oxyguno) Methylstenbolone
Clenbuterol Methyltestosterone
Clobenzorex Methyltrienolone (also called Metribolone)
Clomiphene MHP MYO-X
Clostebol Mibolerone
Cyclofenil Modafinil
Danazol Molidustat (also called BAY 85-3934)
Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (also Myostatin Propeptide GDF-8
called DHCMT and Turinabol) Nafarelin
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Nandrolone (also called 19-nortestosterone)
Deslorelin Nikethamide
Desoxymethyltestosterone (DMT) 19-norandrostenediol (also called Boldandiol)
Dihydrotestosterone 19-norandrostenedione
4-dihydrotestosterone Norbolethone (also called Norboletone)
1, 3-dimethylamylamine (also called Norclostebol
DMAA, Methylhexaneamine and Norethandrolone
Dimethylpentylamine) Norfenfluramine
1, 3-dimethylbutylamine (also called Normethandrolone (also called
DMBA and 3-DMBA) Methylnortestosterone or MENT)
2a,17a-dimethyl-17b-hydroxy-5b- Norpseudoephedrine (also called Cathine)
androstan-3-one (also called Superdrol) Oxabolone (also called
Dromostanolone 4-hydroxy-19-nortestosterone)
Drostanolone Oxandrolone
Ephedra (also called Ma Huang, Oxymesterone
Bishop’s Tea and Chi Powder) Oxymetholone
Ephedrine Pemoline
Epitestosterone Pentetrazol
2a,3a-epithio-17a-methyl-5a- Phendimetrazine
androstan-17b-ol (also called Phenmetrazine
Epistane and Havoc) Phentermine
Erythropoietin (EPO) Phenylpropanolamine (PPA)
Estra-4,9,11-triene, 17-dione (also Probenecid
called Tren, Trenavar, Trendione Prostanozol
and Trenazone) Pseudoephedrine
13a-ethyl-17a-hydroxygon-4-en-3-one [3,2,c]pyrazole-androst-4-en-17b-ol
Ethylestrenol Raloxifene
Etilefrine Roxadustat (also called FG-4592)
Exemestane Quinbolone
Fadrozole Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator
Fencamfamin (SARM) S-1
Fenethylline SARM S-4 (also called Andarine)
Fenfluramine SARM S-9
Fenproporex SARM S-22 (also called Ostarine)
FG-2216 SARM S-23

Exhibit 2 - 301
Fluoxymesterone SARM S-24
Follistatin 344 SARM BMS-564,929
Formebolone SARM LGD-2226
Formestane (also called SARM LGD-4033 (also called Ligandrol)
4-hydroxyandrostenedione) SARM RAD-140 (also called Testolone)
Fulvestrant SARM SR9009 (also called Stenabolic)
Furazabol Sermorelin
[3,2-c]-furazan-5a-androstan-17b-ol Stanozolol
(also called Furazan or Furuza) Stenbolone
Gestrinone Strychnine
Ghrelin Tabimorelin
Gonadorelin Tamoxifen
Goserelin TB-500
Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide Tesamorelin
(GHRP)-1 Testolactone
GHRP-2 (also called Pralmorelin) Testosterone
GHRP-3 Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG)
GHRP-4 Tibolone
GHRP-5 Toremifene
GHRP-6 Trenbolone
GW 1516 Triptorelin
GW 0742 Vadadustat (also called AKB-6548)
Zeranol
Zilpaterol

D. Diuretics

Acetazolamide Flumethiazide
Amiloride Furosemide
Bendroflumethiazide Hydrochlorothiazide
Benzthiazide Hydroflumethiazide
Bumetanide Indapamide
Canrenone Methyclothiazide
Chlorothiazide Metolazone
Chlorthalidone Polythiazide
Clopamide Quinethazone
Cyclothiazide Spironolactone
Dichlorphenamide Triamterene
Ethacrynic Acid Trichlormethiazide

Exhibit 2 - 302
 Exhibit C

COLLECTION PROCEDURES

When the player arrives at the collection site, the collector will ensure that the player is

positively identified through presentation of photo ID or identification by a Team representative.

If the player’s identity cannot be established, the collector shall not proceed with the collection.

The player will be asked to select a sealed urine specimen cup. The player will then

provide her urine specimen under the direct observation of the collector.

The collector shall ensure that the player has provided a urine specimen of sufficient

volume for accurate testing. If such a sample cannot immediately be provided by the player, she

shall be instructed to remain at the testing site for a reasonable period of time until she can

provide such a specimen. Once the specimen has been obtained, the player will select a sealed

specimen kit, which contains two bottles. The collector, in the presence of the player, will pour

the specimen into two bottles. One bottle will be used as the primary or “A” specimen and the

other will be used as the split or “B” specimen. The specimen bottles will be sealed with tamper-

proof seals in the presence of the player. The seals will contain a unique identification number

that corresponds to the number on the chain of custody form.

The player and collector will complete the chain of custody form (which may be in hard

copy or electronic form) that documents the handling of the specimen. The collector will note

any irregularities concerning the specimen on the chain of custody form. Both the player and

collector will sign the chain of custody form. The kit will be sealed and sent via overnight

courier to the laboratory for testing. If a hard-copy chain of custody form is used, it will

included in the kit containing the two specimens that is sent by overnight courier to the

laboratory. If an electronic chain of custody form is used, it will be downloaded to the

Exhibit 2 - 303
laboratory electronically. Once the specimens arrive at the laboratory, the primary specimen will

be analyzed. If the primary specimen tests positive, the split sample will be placed in frozen

storage and will be available for testing by a different laboratory, if requested by the player.

Exhibit 2 - 304
 Exhibit D

DRUGS OF ABUSE AND MARIJUANA

CONFIRMATORY LABORATORY ANALYSIS LEVELS

Drugs of Abuse
Benzodiazepines 100 ng/ml
Synthetic Cathinones Any detectable level
Cocaine Metabolites 150 ng/ml
Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 10 mcg/ml
Ketamine 100 ng/ml
LSD 200 pg/ml
Methamphetamine 500 ng/ml (must also contain amphetamine at a
concentration equal to or greater than 200 ng/ml)
MDMA, MDA and MDEA 500 ng/ml

Opiates:

Heroin Metabolite 6-acetylmorphine—10 ng/ml (only if the opiate

metabolites are in excess of 2,000 ng/ml)
Codeine Metabolites 2,000 ng/ml
Morphine Metabolites 2,000 ng/ml
Oxycodone 100 ng/ml
Hydrocodone 300 ng/ml
Methadone 300 ng/ml
Hydromorphone 300 ng/ml
Fentanyl 300 pg/ml
Propoxyphene 200 ng/ml

Phencyclidine (PCP) 25 ng/ml

Marijuana
Marijuana Metabolites 35 ng/ml
Synthetic Cannabinoids Any detectable level

Exhibit 2 - 305
 Exhibit E

STEROIDS, PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUGS AND MASKING AGENTS

CONFIRMATORY LABORATORY ANALYSIS LEVELS

All SPEDs (including Human Growth Hormone in its synthetic form and Testosterone in its
synthetic form detected through IRMS analysis), except those listed below, at any detectable
level.

Amphetamines and their analogs 500 ng/ml

Ephedra/Ephedrine 10 mcg/ml
Methylephedrine 10 mcg/ml
Nandrolone 2 ng/ml
Norpseudoephedrine 5 mcg/ml
Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) 25 mcg/ml
Pseudoephedrine 150 mcg/ml

Exhibit 2 - 306
 EXHIBIT 3

NOTICE OF BONA FIDE EXCLUSIVE ENDORSEMENT AGREEMENT

I hereby notify WNBA Enterprises, LLC (“WNBA Enterprises”) that I have entered into a Bona
Fide Exclusive Endorsement Agreement (the “Endorsement Agreement”), as that term is defined
in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between WNBA, LLC and the Women’s National
Basketball Players Association.

1. The licensee under the Endorsement Agreement is:

2. The Endorsement Agreement was entered into on:

3. The term of the Endorsement Agreement commences on:

4. The term of the Endorsement Agreement expires on:

5. The rights granted under the Endorsement Agreement are only exercisable

in (the territory covered by the Endorsement Agreement):

6. The products and/or services covered by the Endorsement Agreement are:

_________________
Date:

Exhibit 3 - 307
 EXHIBIT 4

CORE SERVICE

After the 2019 Season

PLAYER SEASON(S)
Svetlana Abrosimova 2007
Sue Bird 2008, 2009
DeWanna Bonner 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
Janell Burse 2007
Swin Cash 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014
Tamika Catchings 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Tina Charles 2018, 2019
Karima Christmas 2018
Monique Currie 2012, 2013, 2014
Erika DeSouza 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Katie Douglas 2008, 2009, 2010
Candice Dupree 2018, 2019, (2020)
Margo Dydek 2005, 2006, 2007
Allison Feastor 2004, 2005, 2006
Marie Ferdinand 2007
Sylvia Fowles 2015, 2016, 2017
Yolanda Griffith 2005, 2006, 2007
Becky Hammon 2006, 2007, 2008
Chamique Holdsclaw 2007
Glory Johnson 2019
Shannon Johnson 2006
Vickie Johnson 2005
Crystal Langhorne 2016, 2017, 2018
Betty Lenox 2008
Lisa Leslie 2007, 2008, 2009
Camille Little 2017
Angel McCoughtry 2018, 2019
Taj McWilliams-Franklin 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012
Chasity Melvin 2007, 2008
Delisha Milton 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Deana Nolan 2008, 2009
Candace Parker 2015, 2016, 2017
Ticha Penicheiro 2004, 2005
Allie Quigley 2018
Ruth Riley 2008, 2009
Katie Smith 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011
Tangela Smith 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010
Michelle Snow 2008

Exhibit 4 - 308
Dawn Staley 2005
Tammy Sutton-Brown 2006
Sheryl Swoopes 2007
Penny Taylor 2007
Jasmine Thomas 2019, (2020)
Tina Thompson 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Tamika Whitmore 2008, 2009, 2010
Courtney Vandersloot 2019
Teresa Weatherspoon 2003
Natalie Williams 2005

Exhibit 4 - 309
 EXHIBIT 5

WNBA ROOKIE SCALE

2020 WNBA ROOKIE SCALE

4th Year
1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year
Pick Option Base
Base Salary Base Salary Base Salary
Salary

First Round

Picks 1-4 68,000 69,360 76,297 86,701

Picks 5-8 65,250 66,555 73,211 83,194

Remaining Picks 62,500 63,751 70,127 79,690

Second Round 59,750 60,946 67,042 76,183

Third Round 57,000 58,141 61,049 69,770

All Others 57,000 58,141

Exhibit 5 - 310
 2021 WNBA ROOKIE SCALE

4th Year
1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year
Pick Option Base
Base Salary Base Salary Base Salary
Salary

First Round

Picks 1-4 70,040 71,441 78,586 89,302

Picks 5-8 67,208 68,552 75,407 85,690

Remaining Picks 64,375 65,664 72,231 82,081

Second Round 61,543 62,774 69,053 78,469

Third Round 58,710 59,885 62,880 71,863

All Others 58,710 59,885

Exhibit 5 - 311
 2022 WNBA ROOKIE SCALE

4th Year
1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year
Pick Option Base
Base Salary Base Salary Base Salary
Salary

First Round

Picks 1-4 72,141 73,584 80,943 91,981

Picks 5-8 69,224 70,609 77,669 88,261

Remaining Picks 66,306 67,634 74,398 84,543

Second Round 63,389 64,657 71,124 80,823

Third Round 60,471 61,682 64,767 74,019

All Others 60,471 61,682

Exhibit 5 - 312
 2023 WNBA ROOKIE SCALE

4th Year
1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year
Pick Option Base
Base Salary Base Salary Base Salary
Salary

First Round

Picks 1-4 74,305 75,792 83,371 94,740

Picks 5-8 71,300 72,727 79,999 90,908

Remaining Picks 68,295 69,663 76,630 87,080

Second Round 65,290 66,597 73,258 83,248

Third Round 62,285 63,532 66,710 76,240

All Others 62,285 63,532

Exhibit 5 - 313
 2024 WNBA ROOKIE SCALE

4th Year
1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year
Pick Option Base
Base Salary Base Salary Base Salary
Salary

First Round

Picks 1-4 76,535 78,066 85,873 97,582

Picks 5-8 73,439 74,909 82,399 93,636

Remaining Picks 70,344 71,753 78,929 89,692

Second Round 67,249 68,595 75,456 85,745

Third Round 64,154 65,438 68,711 78,527

All Others 64,154 65,438

Exhibit 5 - 314
 2025 WNBA ROOKIE SCALE

4th Year
1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year
Pick Option Base
Base Salary Base Salary Base Salary
Salary

First Round

Picks 1-4 78,831 80,408 88,449 100,510

Picks 5-8 75,643 77,156 84,871 96,445

Remaining Picks 72,455 73,905 81,297 92,383

Second Round 69,267 70,653 77,720 88,317

Third Round 66,079 67,401 70,773 80,883

All Others 66,079 67,401

Exhibit 5 - 315
 2026 WNBA ROOKIE SCALE

4th Year
1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year
Pick Option Base
Base Salary Base Salary Base Salary
Salary

First Round

Picks 1-4 81,196 82,820 91,102 103,525

Picks 5-8 77,912 79,470 87,418 99,338

Remaining Picks 74,628 76,122 83,736 95,154

Second Round 71,345 72,773 80,051 90,967

Third Round 68,061 69,423 72,896 83,309

All Others 68,061 69,423

Exhibit 5 - 316
 2027 WNBA ROOKIE SCALE

4th Year
1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year
Pick Option Base
Base Salary Base Salary Base Salary
Salary

First Round

Picks 1-4 83,631 85,304 93,835 106,631

Picks 5-8 80,249 81,855 90,040 102,318

Remaining Picks 76,867 78,406 86,248 98,009

Second Round 73,485 74,956 82,453 93,696

Third Round 70,103 71,506 75,083 85,808

All Others 70,103 71,506

Exhibit 5 - 317
 EXHIBIT 6

OFFER SHEET

Name of Player: Date:

Address of Player Name of New Team:

and email Address of Player:

Name, Address and email Name of ROFR Team:

Address of Player’s Representative
Authorized to Act for Player: Address of ROFR Team:

Attached hereto is an unsigned Player Contract that the New Team has offered to

the player and that the player desires to accept. The attached Player Contract separately specifies

in its exhibits those Principal Terms that will be included in the Player Contract with the ROFR

Team if that Team gives the player a timely First Refusal Exercise Notice.

Player: New Team:

By ________________ By _______________

Exhibit 6 - 318
 EXHIBIT 7

FIRST REFUSAL EXERCISE NOTICE

Name of Player: Date:

Address of Player Name of New Team:

and email Address of Player:

Name, Address and email Name of ROFR Team:

Address of Player’s Representative
Authorized to Act for Player: Address of ROFR Team:

The undersigned WNBA Team hereby exercises its Right of First Refusal so as to

create a binding agreement with the player containing the Principal Terms set forth in the Player

Contract annexed to the player’s Offer Sheet (a copy of which is attached hereto).

ROFR Team:

By ________________

Exhibit 7 - 319
 EXHIBIT 8

CORE PLAYER DESIGNATION NOTICE

Name of Player: Date:

Address of Player Name of Team:

and email Address of Player:

Name, Address and email Address of Team:

Address of Player’s Representative
Authorized to Act for Player:

The Team hereby designates the player as a Core Player pursuant to Article VI,

Section 7 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Women’s National Basketball

Association and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association dated January 17, 2020

(the “CBA”). Attached hereto is the requisite Qualifying Offer pursuant to Article VI of the

CBA.

Team:

By _________________

Exhibit 8 - 320
 EXHIBIT 9

JOINT WNBA/WNBPA POLICY ON DOMESTIC/INTIMATE PARTNER

VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND CHILD ABUSE

Through this Policy, the Women’s National Basketball Association (“WNBA”)

and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (“WNBPA”) (collectively, “the

Parties”) have agreed to work together to address domestic/intimate partner violence, sexual

assault, and child abuse in the WNBA.

Covered Behavior

Acts that constitute domestic/intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and child

abuse are prohibited at all times and regardless of where they occur.

For purposes of this Policy, “domestic/intimate partner violence” includes, but is

not limited to, any actual or attempted violent act that is committed by one party in an intimate or

family relationship against another party in that relationship. Such an act may include physical

assault or battery, sexual assault, stalking, harassment, or other forms of physical or

psychological abuse. It may also include behavior that intimidates, manipulates, humiliates,

isolates, frightens, terrorizes, coerces, threatens, injures, or places another person in fear of

bodily harm. Domestic/intimate partner violence can be perpetrated by current or former

spouses, current or former domestic or same sex partners, persons who are living together or

have cohabitated, persons with children in common, persons who have or had an intimate or

dating relationship, and family members. Domestic/intimate partner violence can be a single act

or a pattern of behavior in a relationship.

For purposes of this Policy, “sexual assault” includes, but is not limited to, any

actual or attempted sexual contact or act to which one party has not consented. Lack of consent

is deemed to exist when a person uses or threatens the use of force, harassment, or any other

Exhibit 9 - 321
form of coercion against another. Lack of consent is also deemed to exist when a person is

mentally incapable of giving consent, as a result of disability, incapacitation, intoxication, or

otherwise.

For purposes of this Policy, “child abuse” includes, but is not limited to, any act

or failure to act by a parent, caregiver, or adult that results in death, serious physical or emotional

harm, or sexual or other exploitation of a child. Child abuse also includes behavior that poses an

imminent risk of such harm to a child.

Policy Committee

The Parties shall establish a joint committee to provide education, support,

treatment, referrals, counseling, and other resources for players, their family members, and

others at risk (the “Policy Committee”). The Policy Committee will be comprised of two

representatives from the WNBA and two representatives from the WNBPA (the “Party

Representatives”), as well as three independent experts with experience in domestic/intimate

partner violence, sexual assault, and/or child abuse (the “Expert Representatives”). All decisions

of the Policy Committee shall be made by a majority vote, unless otherwise stated in this Policy,

and shall be final, binding, and unappealable. The Party Representatives shall jointly select the

three Expert Representatives to serve on the Policy Committee within 60 days of the issuance of

this Policy. The Expert Representatives will each serve for the duration of this Policy; provided,

however, that either the WNBA or the WNBPA may discharge any of them on an annual basis

by serving written notice upon the Expert Representative(s) and upon the other Party within 60

days of the anniversary of the appointment of such person. If an Expert Representative is

discharged, the Party Representatives shall jointly select a successor Expert Representative

within 30 days of the notice of discharge.

Exhibit 9 - 322
 In the event that the Party Representatives are unable to agree upon and jointly

select any or all of the Expert Representatives within 60 days of the issuance of this Policy or

within 30 days of the notice of any discharge of an Expert Representative, the following process

will be implemented. Within five days following the deadline to select the Expert

Representative(s), the Party Representatives shall exchange lists containing the names and

qualifications of three proposed Expert Representatives per open position. Within five days

following the exchange of such lists, the Party Representatives shall jointly select from that

group of individuals the Expert Representative(s) needed to serve on the Policy Committee. If

they are unable to do so, then, within an additional three-day period, the Party Representatives

shall engage in a process of alternatively striking names from the lists until one name remains for

each open position, and such person(s) shall be appointed as the Expert Representative(s).

Training and Education

The Parties seek to prevent incidents of domestic/intimate partner violence, sexual

assault, and child abuse from occurring through educational programs and awareness training.

The Policy Committee will implement and oversee all training and educational

programs for WNBA players that address issues of domestic/intimate partner violence, sexual

assault, and child abuse, and shall make all determinations related thereto including, but not

limited to, the staffing, content, format, and frequency of such programs. The Policy Committee

will annually review such programs to ensure that they are effective and that the content is

appropriate, thorough, and properly communicated to the players.

Hotline

Within 60 days of the issuance of this Policy, the Parties shall jointly select a

service provider to support a 24-hour, confidential hotline that can be used by players, their

Exhibit 9 - 323
families, and other victims of domestic/intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and child abuse

as defined by this Policy to seek assistance and referrals (the “Service Provider”).

If the Parties are unable to do so, then, within five days following the deadline to

select the Service Provider, they shall exchange lists containing the names, qualifications, and

cost of three proposed Service Providers. Within five days following the exchange of such lists,

the Parties shall jointly select the Service Provider. If the Parties are unable to do so, then,

within an additional three-day period, they shall engage in a process of alternatively striking

names from the lists until one name remains, and such organization shall be appointed as the

Service Provider.

Treatment and Intervention

1. General

The WNBA or the WNBPA may refer a player to the Policy Committee in any of

the following circumstances:

a. As part of a disciplinary determination of the Commissioner for conduct in

violation of this Policy; or

b. After a Player is criminally convicted of an offense that involves conduct

in violation of this Policy.

The Policy Committee will also be available as a resource to any player who

voluntarily seeks assistance.

Once a player has been referred to the Policy Committee, an expert selected by

the Policy Committee will conduct an initial evaluation of the player as soon as is practicable.

Following such evaluation, the Policy Committee will develop a Treatment and Accountability

Plan (“TAP”) for the player, as may be appropriate. As part of the TAP, the Policy Committee

Exhibit 9 - 324
may require that the player submit to psychological or other evaluations and/or attend counseling

sessions with a licensed professional, and take other steps that it deems necessary. In developing

the TAP, the Policy Committee will take into account any treatment or counseling that the player

may have initiated on her own or pursuant to a criminal resolution of any charges against her.

The Policy Committee will oversee the player’s compliance with any TAP, and

shall provide additional support to the player as needed. Any treating professionals shall provide

regular, written status reports to the Policy Committee that detail the player’s progress and

compliance with the TAP. The Policy Committee may periodically revise, modify, extend, or

close the TAP on its own initiative, on the recommendation of the player’s treating

professional(s), or upon petition of the player. All information related to a player’s involvement

with the Policy Committee shall be kept confidential.

The Policy Committee shall determine whether the player has successfully

completed her TAP, and may also issue a revised TAP at any time. A player must receive a

certification of completion from the Policy Committee in order to conclude her treatment and the

oversight of the Policy Committee.

2. Non-Compliance

Each player is required to comply with the directives of the Policy Committee,

including with her TAP. If the Policy Committee determines that a player has failed to comply

without a reasonable explanation, it shall notify the WNBA. For the first such instance of non-

compliance, the WNBA shall issue a warning to the player. If such non-compliance continues

for three additional days after the warning is issued, or for the second or any additional instances

of non-compliance as determined by the Policy Committee, the WNBA shall fine the player in

Exhibit 9 - 325
the amount of $1,000 for each day that she fails to comply. Such fines shall continue until the

player has, in the judgment of the Policy Committee, resumed full compliance.

If the Policy Committee determines that a player has demonstrated substantial

non-compliance, without a reasonable explanation, through a pattern of behavior that

demonstrates a mindful disregard for her treatment responsibilities, it shall notify the WNBA,

which shall thereupon impose:

a. A one-game suspension for the first instance of substantial non-

compliance; and

b. A suspension that is at least one game longer than his immediately-

preceding suspension for each additional instance of substantial non-compliance and that shall

continue until, in the judgment of the Policy Committee, the player resumes full compliance with

its directives, including with her TAP.

Costs

Any and all costs of the training, education, treatment, intervention, and other

resources described above including, but not limited to, the Policy Committee, Expert

Representatives, education and training programs, hotline, experts, and counselors, will be

shared equally by the Parties (unless otherwise covered by any insurance plan provided to

WNBA players).

Investigation of Incidents

The WNBA will give the WNBPA and the player prompt notice of the

commencement of any investigation into an alleged violation of this Policy.

Exhibit 9 - 326
 The WNBA’s investigation may include the use of third-party resources

including, but not limited to, outside legal counsel, outside investigators, or other individuals

with relevant experience or expertise.

The WNBA will notify the WNBPA when it has concluded its investigation and

report whether it believes a violation of the Policy has occurred.

Cooperation

Except in circumstances where the player has a reasonable apprehension of her

own criminal prosecution, players shall cooperate fully with any WNBA investigation under this

Policy. Any player interviewed by the WNBA as part of its investigation into a potential

violation of this Policy by that player is entitled to have a representative from the WNBPA

present during the interview, and the WNBA will provide the WNBPA with at least 48 hours’

notice before any in-person interview.

Failing to cooperate in full, or interfering in any manner, with a WNBA

investigation will subject the non-cooperative individual to discipline consistent with the terms

of Article XIV, Section 12(a) of the CBA. It may constitute a violation of this cooperation

requirement for a player to attempt to or enter into any agreement with a witness, victim, or other

party that would discourage or prevent that individual from cooperating with a WNBA

investigation. While a player is obligated to provide all reasonable information, including

contact information, for a witness, victim, or other party, the player is under no obligation to

demand, request, or otherwise encourage anyone to cooperate with a WNBA investigation.

Administrative Leave

While an investigation is pending, the Commissioner may at any time place the

player on administrative leave with pay for a reasonable period of time. The parties agree that

Exhibit 9 - 327
administrative leave is not intended to be routinely applied during the pendency of every player

investigation under this Policy. Instead, administrative leave should be applied in only those

cases in which a balancing of all relevant factors clearly establishes that it is reasonable to do so

under the totality of the circumstances.

In deciding whether to place a player on paid administrative leave, the

Commissioner shall consider among other relevant factors the following non-exhaustive list of

factors:

• The nature and severity of the allegation(s), including whether a weapon

was involved and whether any injury was suffered by anyone (including the player);

• Whether the allegations are supported by credible information;

• The relationship between the player and accuser;

• Information regarding the player’s history of prior similar conduct, or lack

thereof;

• The prior criminal or disciplinary history of the player, or lack thereof;

• The status of any criminal investigation and/or prosecution regarding the

alleged incident, including whether any arrests have been made;

• The character of the player;

• The player’s reputation within the WNBA community;

• The WNBA’s past practice regarding discipline imposed on a player for

similar allegations; and

• The risk of reputational damage to the WNBA and/or the player’s team.

The WNBA will give prompt notice to the WNBPA, the player’s team, and the

player of any decision to place a player on paid administrative leave pursuant to this Policy. The

Exhibit 9 - 328
decision to place the player on paid administrative leave pending an investigation shall not

preclude further disciplinary action by the Commissioner against the player in accordance with

the provisions of this Policy.

While on administrative leave, the player shall be ineligible to play in any of her

team’s games. However, the player will continue to receive her salary and other welfare benefits

to which she would be entitled as an active player. The player and the player’s team may also

request that the player be allowed to participate in non-public practices, workouts, or other team

activities with the consent of the WNBA, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

Under the Grievance and Arbitration procedures of the CBA, a player may

challenge the reasonableness of the Commissioner’s decision to place the player on

administrative leave, or the duration of any such period of administrative leave, based on the

totality of the circumstances. In the event of any such challenge, a hearing will be scheduled as

soon as practicable.

Discipline

Based on a finding of just cause, the Commissioner may fine, suspend, or dismiss

and disqualify from any further association with the WNBA and its teams a player who engages

in prohibited conduct in violation of this Policy. Repeat offenders will be subject to enhanced

discipline.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, an admission to, or conviction for, any offense

that involves conduct that violates this Policy, whether after trial or upon a plea of guilty, as well

as any plea of no contest or nolo contendere, will conclusively establish a violation of this

Policy. A violation based on this ground, however, shall in no way limit or prevent the WNBA

from continuing to investigate the incident. Additionally, such admission, conviction, or plea is

Exhibit 9 - 329
not required in order for a Policy violation to have occurred. However, a player who is acquitted

after trial in a criminal proceeding may not be subject to disciplinary penalties under this Policy.

In conjunction with any discipline imposed by the Commissioner for a violation

of this Policy, the WNBA may also require the player to undergo an evaluation under the

supervision of the Policy Committee, to participate in relevant training, education, or counseling

programs as determined by the Policy Committee, and/or to perform community service;

provided that, with respect to the player’s participation in any counseling programs, the WNBA

shall consider the number of any counseling sessions that a player is ordered by a court to attend

and does subsequently attend. Any discipline determined by the Commissioner may be referred

to the player’s team for imposition.

Prior to the determination of any discipline, the Parties shall meet to discuss the

matter. This conference shall be considered confidential, and no statements made during the

discussion shall be admissible in any subsequent challenge to any discipline imposed on the

player.

The Commissioner will determine all discipline under this Policy on a case-by-

case basis, upon consideration of all facts and circumstances, including aggravating and

mitigating factors.

Potential aggravating factors include, but are not limited to:

• Prior allegations of, or convictions for, prohibited conduct;

• The use of a weapon or other means of coercion;

• The use of, or threat to use, force or violence;

• The vulnerability of the victim;

• The presence of a minor;

Exhibit 9 - 330
 • The nature and extent of any injury to the victim; and

• A civil verdict against the player for the underlying conduct.

Potential mitigating factors include, but are not limited to:

• Acceptance of responsibility;

• Evidence of self-defense;

• Complete and truthful cooperation with the investigation;

• Voluntary participation in any treatment or counseling programs;

• The player’s overall good character;

• The player’s reputation in the WNBA community; and

• A civil verdict in favor of the player for the underlying conduct.

In cases where the Commissioner imposes a suspension, any period of time the

player spent on paid administrative leave will be credited toward the suspension provided that

the player remits to the League the applicable portion of salary that the player received while on

paid administrative leave.

Challenges to any disciplinary action shall be made through the Grievance and

Arbitration process of the CBA.

Confidentiality

The Parties recognize the importance of confidentiality and privacy to the success

of this Policy. Accordingly, the Parties will maintain confidentiality throughout the

investigatory, disciplinary, and treatment process, and will take reasonable measures to protect

the information gathered pursuant to this Policy, including by any outside advisors or experts.

Any medical information obtained during the investigatory, disciplinary, and treatment process

will be kept confidential as required by applicable law.

Exhibit 9 - 331
 At the same time, the Parties recognize that disclosure of certain information may

be necessary to further the WNBA’s investigation or may be required by law, including by court

order or subpoena. Accordingly, the Parties cannot and do not guarantee that complete

confidentiality will be maintained. The Parties also reserve the right to make notifications to law

enforcement or other appropriate authorities if either the WNBA or the WNBPA becomes aware

that there is a threat of imminent harm to any individual or in cases where the victim is a child or

is either mentally or physically incapacitated. Additionally, in matters where a violation is found

and discipline is imposed, such findings and discipline may be the subject of public statements

by the WNBA and/or the WNBPA.

Retaliation

Under this Policy, it is prohibited to retaliate, or threaten to retaliate, against any

individual who, in good faith, reports a potential violation of this Policy or who honestly

participates in an investigation of such a report. It does not matter whether the investigation

establishes that a violation of the Policy occurred, as long as the report of the violation or

participation in the investigation is in good faith. Such retaliation includes, but is not limited to,

threats, intimidation, harassment, and any adverse employment or other action, whether express

or implied. Anyone who retaliates, or threatens to retaliate, against an individual who reports, or

participates in an investigation into, an alleged violation of this Policy, or against any victim or

other witness, will be subject to independent disciplinary action.

As with any complaint brought in bad faith, any individual, including coaches,

general managers, or other team officials, who reports a violation of this Policy knowing such

claim is malicious, false, or fundamentally frivolous shall be subject to disciplinary action.

Exhibit 9 - 332
Reporting

Anyone who is the victim of or acting on behalf of a victim of domestic/intimate

partner violence, sexual assault, or child abuse, as defined by this Policy, is strongly encouraged

to call the hotline established under this Policy as soon as possible after the incident to discuss

the availability of counseling, treatment, security, and other appropriate resources.

If you are in immediate danger or involved in a situation in which another person

is in immediate danger, the Parties recommend that you contact 911 or your local police

department. Support and crisis intervention are also available from the National Domestic

Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

Exhibit 9 - 333
Terri Jackson
2020 Transition Rules
January 17, 2020
Page 1

January 17, 2020

Terri Jackson
Executive Director
Women’s National Basketball Players Association
1133 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036

Re: 2020 Transition Rules

Dear Terri:

This will confirm our agreement that notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the
2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”), the following rules shall apply with respect to
the 2020 WNBA Season. All defined terms and all rules of interpretation contained in the CBA
shall apply to this agreement.

1. The Moratorium Agreement dated as of December 31, 2019 is hereby amended so that
the Moratorium Period is extended to continue in effect through 11:59 p.m. (EST) on January 19,
2020.

2. (a) Teams will have from January 20, 2020 through January 27, 2020 to make each
type of Qualifying Offer (and the Core Player Designation) set forth in Article VI (i.e., Restricted
Qualifying Offer, Reserved Qualifying Offer, and Core Qualifying Offer). For the purposes of
Article VI, Sections 7(e)(iii) or (f)(iii), if a Core Qualifying Offer given to a player who would
otherwise be a Restricted Free Agent is withdrawn after January 25, 2020 (i.e., during the period
from January 26, 2020 through March 9, 2020), a Restricted Qualifying Offer may be made
within forty-eight (48) hours of such withdrawal.

(b) If it has not previously been withdrawn, a Qualifying Offer of any type shall
remain open until March 9, 2020, except that Restricted Qualifying Offers made on or after
January 26, 2020 pursuant to Article VI, Sections 7(e)(iii) or (f)(iii) shall remain open until
March 16, 2020.

(c) If a Team does not make the applicable Qualifying Offer to a Veteran Free Agent
by January 27, 2020 (or within forty-eight (48) hours of the withdrawal of a Core Qualifying
Offer in the case of a player described in the second sentence of 2(a) above), the player shall
become an Unrestricted Free Agent on January 28, 2020 (or at the conclusion of the applicable
forty-eight (48)-hour period in the case of a player described in the second sentence of 2(a)
above).

(d) A Veteran Free Agent shall become either a Reserved Player, a Restricted Free
Agent, or a Core Player if the applicable Qualifying Offer is made in a timely manner, and shall
be subject to her Prior Team’s exclusive negotiating rights or Right of First Refusal, as the case
may be, in accordance with the provisions of Article VI.

334
 AGREEMENT

This agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into on January 17, 2020 (the “Effective
Date”), by and between WNBA Enterprises, LLC (“WNBA Enterprises”), a Delaware limited
liability company, with its principal place of business at 450 Harmon Meadow Boulevard,
Secaucus, New Jersey 07094, and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (the
“Players Association”), an unincorporated association with offices at 1133 Avenue of the
Americas, 5th Floor, New York, New York 10036, and the sole and exclusive bargaining
representative of persons who are or may become employed as professional basketball players
(“Players”) in a professional basketball league operated by WNBA, LLC (the “WNBA”).

WHEREAS, WNBA Enterprises and the Players Association entered into that certain
Agreement, dated March 5, 2014 (the “Prior Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, in connection with the collective bargaining agreement, entered into on

January 17, 2020, by and between the WNBA and the Players Association (the “CBA”), WNBA
Enterprises and the Players Association have agreed to terminate the Prior Agreement and
simultaneously enter into this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS MUTUALLY AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

1. Definitions: Unless otherwise defined herein, all capitalized terms used in this
Agreement shall have the meanings assigned to them in the CBA.

2. Term of Prior Agreement: Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Prior

Agreement, the term of the Prior Agreement shall end January 16, 2020 (the “End Date”).

3. Rights: (a) The Players Association, on behalf of present and future WNBA
Players, hereby grants to WNBA Enterprises the worldwide right to license in a group of three
(3) or more players the Player Attributes of all such Players (including the right to make
individual use, or license the individual use, of a Player’s Player Attributes in a series of three (3)
or more players) solely (i) in combination with the use of any or all WNBA and Team names,
logos, trademarks, trade dress, uniforms or other form of WNBA intellectual property and (ii) for
use in connection with any product, premium, or service covered by the licenses existing as of
the Effective Date listed on Exhibit A hereto (the “Existing Licenses”), through the expiration of
such Existing Licenses (plus applicable sell-off periods) or, in the case of the league’s current
apparel and footwear licensee, through the expiration of any extension of the current agreement
or immediately succeeding successor agreement with a different partner (plus applicable sell-off
periods).

(b) In the event that a Player retires from the WNBA or otherwise ceases to play
professional basketball for the WNBA, WNBA Enterprises shall retain the right (i) through the
term of the applicable Existing License, to license such Player’s Player Attributes in connection
with authentic or replica apparel (unless such Player elects to revoke such right by written notice
to WNBA Enterprises after one (1) year from the date such Player retires or otherwise ceases to
play professional basketball for the WNBA) and (ii) to license such Player’s Player Attributes in

336
connection with all other products and services covered by an Existing License for a period of
one (1) year from the date the Player retires or otherwise ceases to play professional basketball
for the WNBA on the same terms and conditions as apply to active Players under this
Agreement.

(c) The rights granted to WNBA Enterprises and the obligations undertaken by the
Players and Players Association under this Paragraph do not include, and should not be
construed to include, any right to use Player Attributes in a manner that creates an endorsement
or testimonial for any product or service by any Player or group of Players.

4. Product License Fees: (a) In full consideration of the rights granted by the
Players Association under this Agreement, WNBA Enterprises shall pay the Players each
Season, through the Players Association, 50% of Player Merchandise Revenues (“Product
License Fees”). Within ninety (90) days after the end of a Season, WNBA Enterprises shall
furnish a full and accurate statement and accounting showing all information relating to the
calculation of the Product License Fees for that Season (the “Statement”) and simultaneously
with the submission of the Statement for that Season shall pay the Product License Fees for that
Season. Any payments due under the Prior Agreement through the End Date that have not
already been paid shall be included in the Product License Fees for the 2020 Season. In addition,
WNBA Enterprises shall furnish interim monthly statements of the calculation of the Product
License Fees to the same extent such statements were required to be furnished under the Prior
Agreement.

(b) For purposes of this Agreement, “Player Merchandise Revenues” shall mean all
revenues (excluding reasonable payments designated in any Existing License to be used
specifically for advertising and promotion for the products or services covered by that license
agreement) received by WNBA Enterprises pursuant to an Existing License from the sale of any
product or service on or in which a Player Attribute is depicted, incorporated or otherwise used
pursuant to the rights granted to WNBA Enterprises under this Agreement (less any withholding
taxes, other government-imposed charges, and third-party participation payments directly related
to such revenues).

5. Exclusivity: (a) The Players Association shall not authorize any person or entity
to use any Player Attribute, or the Players Association name, logo (whether now in existence or
hereafter created or adopted) or other identifiable feature, in connection with the manufacture,
advertisement, promotion or sale of any type of product (other than footwear) worn by a Player
during a WNBA or Team practice, game or “celebratory” event (including, but not limited to,
replica jerseys or shorts, shooting shirts, sports bras, practicewear (e.g., mesh tank tops),
compression shorts and “celebratory” t-shirts and headwear) through the expiration of any
extension of the Nike agreement that currently expires on December 31, 2025 or through the
expiration of any immediately succeeding successor agreement to the Nike agreement with a
different partner.

(b) This Agreement is not intended to limit, and does not in any way limit, the rights
of each Player individually and the Players Association in a group license (subject to the terms of
the paragraph 6(d) of the Standard Player Contract) to grant the use of Player Attributes for
commercial or charitable purposes, provided that such individual grants or group licensing grants

337
(as the case may be) do not limit or affect the rights granted to the WNBA, WNBA Enterprises
or a Team pursuant to this Agreement or the terms of the CBA or the Standard Player Contract.

6. Representation, Warranty and Indemnification: (a) The Players Association

makes the following representations and warranties, each of which has been relied on by WNBA
Enterprises as a material inducement to enter into this Agreement:

(i) The Players Association represents and warrants that it has not entered
into, shall not enter into, and is not aware of, any agreement, arrangement or
understanding which, either individually or taken together, would conflict or interfere
with the rights granted to WNBA Enterprises under this Agreement or under Article
XXVI of the CBA.

(ii) The Players Association represents and warrants that it has not authorized
or encouraged, and shall not authorize or encourage, any person or entity to engage in
any conduct that would conflict or interfere with the rights granted to WNBA Enterprises
under this Agreement or under Article XXVI of the CBA.

(b) The Players Association shall indemnify and hold harmless WNBA Enterprises,
the WNBA, each Team and its or their respective owners, directors, officers, employees, agents,
affiliates, successors, assigns and licensees (“WNBAE indemnified parties”), from and against
all liability and costs (including attorneys’ fees, whether incurred in an action with a third party
or between the parties hereto) arising out of any misrepresentation or breach of the warranties or
covenants contained in this Agreement, provided that, in the case of any third-party claim: (i)
the Players Association is given prompt notice of any such claim, (ii) has the right to approve
counsel and/or has the opportunity to undertake the defense of such claim and (iii) the
indemnified party does not admit liability with respect to and does not settle such claim without
the prior written consent of the Players Association.

(c) WNBA Enterprises shall indemnify and hold harmless the Players Association
and its officers and employees, the successors, assigns and personal representatives of the
foregoing parties, and individual Players (“Players Association indemnified parties”), from and
against all liability and costs (including attorneys’ fees) arising out of litigation, judgments or
settlements resulting from any claim asserted against any Players Association indemnified party
based on WNBA Enterprises intentional or negligent misuse of the rights granted to it
hereunder, provided that: (i) WNBA Enterprises is given prompt notice of any such claim, (ii)
has the right to approve counsel and/or has the opportunity to undertake the defense of such
claim and (iii) the indemnified party does not admit liability with respect to and does not settle
such claim without the prior written consent of WNBA Enterprises.

7. Miscellaneous: (a) Nothing in this Agreement shall affect, or be construed as a

limitation upon, WNBA Enterprises or any third party’s right to use, without regard to the
provisions of this Agreement, any Player’s Player Attributes for editorial purposes or any other
purpose that, as a matter of law, does not require the Player’s permission or authorization.

(b) Any controversy or claim between or among the Players Association, any Player
or WNBA Enterprises arising out of or relating to this agreement, including any alleged breach

338
of this agreement, shall be resolved by the Arbitrator in accordance with the provisions of Article
XXII of the CBA.

(c) Nothing in this agreement shall detract from or otherwise limit or affect the rights
granted to the WNBA, WNBA Enterprises and the Teams pursuant to the Standard Player
Contract, any WNBA or Team Marketing and Promotional Agreement or the CBA.

(d) WNBA Enterprises shall keep accurate books of account and records at its
principal place of business covering all transactions relating to the Existing Licenses. The
Players Association and its authorized representatives shall have the right, at its sole cost and
expense, during business hours for a reasonable period of time, on reasonable prior written notice
(but no more than once per Year), to examine and audit such books of account and records and
all other documents and materials in WNBA Enterprises' possession and under its control with
respect to the Existing Licenses, and shall have free and full access for such purposes and for the
purpose of making extracts and copies. Should an audit by the Players Association establish a
deficiency between the amount found to be due to the Players and the amount actually paid by
WNBA Enterprises, the amount of the deficiency shall be paid promptly by WNBA Enterprises.
Any records or material reviewed during any such audit will be considered strictly confidential
business information not to be shared with others (except for officers, employees and outside
advisors of the Players Association). All books of account and records of WNBA Enterprises
covering all transactions relating to the Existing Licenses shall be kept available for at least two
(2) years after the termination of this agreement.

WNBA ENTERPRISES, LLC WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL

PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

By: � By:
�Jamin Dershowitz
General Counsel
 EXHIBIT A

WNBA ENTERPRISES EXISTING PRODUCT LICENSE AGREEMENTS

WITH GROUP PLAYER RIGHTS

Licensee Product Categories Expiration Date

Fanatics Apparel September 30, 2029

Learn Fresh/Math Hoops Mathematics board and September 30, 2022

mobile basketball game

Nike Apparel and footwear September 30, 2025

Outerstuff Apparel September 30, 2022

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 MUTUAL RELEASES AND COVENANTS NOT TO SUE

In exchange for good and valuable consideration, including the Collective Bargaining

Agreement and related agreements (and the exhibits thereto), entered into on January 17, 2020,

the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (“Players Association”), WNBA, LLC

(“WNBA”), and WNBA Enterprises, LLC, for themselves and on behalf of the individuals and

entities (“persons”) identified below, hereby agree as follows:

1. The Players Association, for itself and on behalf of (i) all persons who have been,

are, or may become employed by the WNBA or a WNBA Team as professional basketball

players or who have sought or may seek to become so employed, (ii) all of its past, present, and

future officers, directors, employees, attorneys, and agents, and (iii) all of its and/or their

respective heirs, executors, administrators, representatives, agents, affiliates, successors, and

assigns (the Players Association and all persons identified in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) above

hereinafter collectively referred to as “Players Association Parties”), hereby releases and forever

discharges the WNBA, WNBA Enterprises, LLC, each WNBA Team, all prior operators of

WNBA Teams, and their respective past, present and future owners (direct and indirect),

officers, directors, trustees, employees, attorneys, affiliates, related entities, licensees, general or

limited partners, members, heirs, executors, administrators, representatives, agents, successors,

and assigns (hereinafter collectively referred to as “WNBA Parties”) from any and all claims,

actions, liabilities, losses and demands, whether known or unknown (“Claims”) based upon any

act, failure to act, transaction, occurrence, or circumstance, occurring or existing up to and

including January 17, 2020, involving or arising out of any aspect of the collective bargaining

relationship or any aspect of any employment relationship between a player and any of the

WNBA Parties, including but not limited to any alleged violation of the National Labor

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