The Clock Is Ticking for the WNBA

“Pay Us What You Owe Us” read the shirts that WNBA All-Stars wore during warm-ups. After the game, fans held signs saying “Pay the Players,” and chants of “Pay them!” were yelled throughout the sold-out arena in Indianapolis as WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert handed the 2025 All-Star Game MVP trophy over to Minnesota Lynx forward and Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association (WNBPA) vice president Napheesa Collier. 

Just two days before, more than 40 players, along with player representatives, met with the league to discuss a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) deal. However, after this meeting, the WNBPA released a statement expressing its dissatisfaction with the league’s proposal. The statement cited that the league’s proposal didn’t address players’ real issues, which include revenue sharing and working conditions. 

The biggest issue during CBA negotiations has revolved around how revenue sharing will be determined, and whether or not that percentage will grow during the deal instead of having a fixed number. The current CBA began in 2020, before the lockdown, and its revenue targets were based on the prior season. However, because of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 and attendance limitations in 2021, these targets were unlikely to be met, despite the growth in the league over the last two years. According to Seattle Storm forward and WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, the league proposed a deal that increased the salary cap and maximum base salaries, but followed the same structure as the current CBA. “They’re proposing a system that includes revenue that would grow with the business,” Ogwumike said. “When you approach it from the perspective of their response to our proposal, yes, money is more, but ultimately, if you look at the growth of the business, the money relative to the percentage of everything is virtually staying the same.” 

Ogwumike’s comments reflect a broader sentiment shared among players: the league’s growth needs to translate into proportional benefits to those playing on the court. Over the past few seasons, players have seen franchise valuations leap in value to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The league has experienced record-breaking attendance and television ratings, with much of this attention coming with the newer generation of stars, such as Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, but it hasn’t yet translated into revenue for the players. 

Players are frustrated, and many have spoken to the media. Some have said they feel it’s like “a slap in the face,” while others feel like they are being “ignored.” During Minnesota’s exit interviews, Collier even began her interview with a statement ripping into the league’s leadership. “We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world,” Collier said. “But, right now, we have the worst leadership in the world.” She continued on to describe Engelbert as “negligent” in her leadership, and also accused Engelbert of telling her that stars such as Clark and Reese “should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars” for the platform that the league gave them. Three days later, the commissioner denied the accusations, claiming that there were many inaccuracies in Collier’s statement. This led to Collier canceling a meeting that she and Engelbert had planned, with a source telling ESPN that Engelbert’s response “pushed the relationship beyond repair.” The rift between the players and the commissioner has only gotten bigger, and that rift is spreading to the fans. One of the lasting impressions of the 2025 season was Engelbert getting booed by the crowd while presenting the championship trophy. With all this pressure, the league stands on uncertain ground. 

Many fans wonder whether Engelbert will even remain commissioner, but the biggest question is whether or not there will even be a 2026 WNBA season. The current CBA is set to expire on October 31, but failure to reach an agreement by then doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be a lockout. Before the 2020 CBA, the two parties extended the prior CBA until they completed negotiations. During negotiations for the 2003 CBA, former NBA commissioner David Stern threatened WNBA players, claiming that there would be no season if they didn’t reach a deal in time. However, that was at a time when the players didn’t have any leverage. Now, the players hold all the cards. 

There are more expansion teams that are supposed to be joining the league, with two more coming in this offseason, and the owners have much more at stake in the teams since franchise valuations have skyrocketed. A lockout would be unprecedented in WNBA history, but it is a possibility, with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham saying,“There’s a potential lockout. I promise you we aren’t going to play until they give us what we deserve.” The players’ patience has passed, the league has reached a breaking point, and it has come to a point where progress must be made. 

As the CBA deadline approaches, the future of the WNBA is up in the air. Whether the league and the players come to an agreement determines not only the next season but the future of the league and its trajectory. But one thing is for sure: the players have never been as loud or united as they are right now, and they’re demanding the respect that they’ve earned.