It's settled: WNBA, players agree to the 'core' of new deal

It's been a busy week or two for the WNBA.

The league's newest franchise, Atlanta, picked out its name (Dream) as well as its first crop of players in an expansion draft.

Meanwhile, an agreement was reached with the players union on a six-year labor deal, which is crucial for a B-list league that can't afford to lose even an ounce of relevancy.

And let's face it: When you're not playing because you can't agree to terms, you aren't particularly relevant.

"That's absolutely right," Chicago Sky president Margaret Stender said. "We needed a deal, and we're all very glad it's done."

Of course, money was an issue in the negotiations, and that was addressed across the board with moderate increases for players at all levels -- from franchise players to rookies.

But the core of the matter seemed to come down to, well, "coring."

Coring is the WNBA's way of trying to maintain a tad of parity in the league, while also ensuring that every team has some star power to market.

In the past, each WNBA team was able to name two "core" players. Those players were your franchise players, the players whom you built your team around and automatically paid maximum salaries (up from $93,000 last season to $95,000).

Core players were also locked out of free agency -- untouchable on the open market, if you will.

The idea was great for the teams, but not so great for the players, who basically had no freedom to play elsewhere if they so desired.

This new deal on coring, which will go into effect in 2009, cuts the number of core players a team is allowed to one per season. And the most a player can ever be "cored" is five times.

"Of course, you can't satisfy everyone, but I think most players are happy," said former Stevenson High School star Tamika Catchings, a veteran forward for the Indiana Fever who is also the president of the players association. "As a core player, you want to be able to see what your options are … if you have any options."

Catchings, one of the marquee players in the league, says she has been "cored" four times already. Not that she has minded, particularly.

Catchings says she loves living in Indianapolis and that playing for the Fever and its rabid fans has been a great experience. She also has a successful charitable foundation strongly rooted in the community there.

"I do enjoy this city and the fans. They're phenomenal," Catchings said. "But of course, any core player is always going to be like, 'Huh, I wonder what it's like (elsewhere).' You want to have that option."

Catchings might have that option sooner than later. Players who have been cored previously will now be grandfathered in.

"We put a clause in so that if you've been cored four years or more already, they can only core you for two more years," Catchings said. "We wanted to make sure we were thinking about everyone."

Taillights for Thomas: For Carla Thomas, her time in Chicago was short -- but not particularly sweet.

The former Sky forward, who was picked 10th in last year's WNBA draft, was taken by the Atlanta Dream in this week's expansion draft.

Coming off an impressive career at Vanderbilt, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Thomas seemed to have a bright future with the Sky. But an ankle injury derailed her development, and other players filled her spot. She played sparingly last summer and was left off the team's protected list for the expansion draft. Each WNBA team was allowed to protect only six players.

"Carla was the one who was on the bubble for us, and we went back and forth and back and forth," Sky president Margaret Stender said. "She ended up on the list, and we were bummed because we think she has a real bright future."

The Sky will as well, even at the hard-to-find post position.

The Sky gave up Thomas but will likely get another big body through the draft. The Sky picks second and the top two prospects are Tennessee's Candace Parker (6-feet-4) and LSU's Sylvia Fowles (6-6), both of whom can play forward and center.

Money matters I

With the WNBA and its players union agree on a six-year labor deal, here's a look at how much the salaries will increase this season:

• The maximum salary will go from $93,000 to $95,000.

• Veteran minimums will increase $1,000 to about $50,000.

• Rookies will get $34,500 per season, up from $32,600.

Money matters II

While a WNBA rookie will make $34,500 this season, she also will play under her "rookie contract" for the first three years of her career.

That means a player like Sky all-star Candice Dupree, who will be in her third season this year, is a steal. Same for icon Diana Taurasi, who is coming off her rookie contract this season and will finally get paid the maximum.

Even Tennessee superstar Candace Parker, likely the top pick in April's draft and a player some have called the best ever in the women's game, will be making peanuts (relatively speaking) for three years, too.

Creature comforts

One victory that WNBA players union earned in the recent labor negotiations was that veterans of five years will now get their own hotel rooms on road trips.

Typically, teams house two players to a room on the road -- and will continue to do so for younger players.

Catching up

Former Stevenson High School star Tamika Catchings is back in the saddle again.

The Indiana Fever forward just recently returned to the floor for moderate workouts, but will continue to rehab from a torn Achilles tendon that forced her to miss the latter part of last season.

"It's definitely getting better," Catchings said. "I'm on the court now and can do stuff as long as I'm not jumping. I've been doing shooting and defensive slides."

Catchings is in month five of what doctors initially said would be a six- to nine-month recovery.

-- Patricia Babcock McGraw