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Amid growing tensions between the WNBA and its players ahead of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, Indiana Fever veteran Sophie Cunningham made it clear that players are willing to sit out until they’re properly compensated.
“There’s a potential lockout. I promise you we aren’t going to play until they give us what we deserve,” Cunningham said Thursday, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. “That’s kinda where it’s headed unfortunately, which would be the dumbest basketball decision, business-wise ever, considering the momentum the W has.”
Cunningham’s comments come after Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier blasted WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for failing to address issues such as player compensation, officiating and the overall state of the league.
“We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world, but right now we have the worst leadership in the world,” Collier said earlier this week.
The WNBA announced a multiyear media rights deal with USA Network on Tuesday. The deadline to negotiate a new CBA is Oct. 31, and there hasn’t been much progress up to this point.
WNBA players have long demanded a greater share of the league’s revenue. The 2025 salary cap was just $1.5 million after the league generated an estimated $200 million in 2023 and 2024.
Cunningham’s warning could become a reality if the WNBA doesn’t find a way to meet the players’ demands soon.
