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Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark agree the WNBA and WNBPA need to come to an agreement that gets the players paid and back on the court for the 2026 season.
“Everybody’s very intentional about what we want. … We’re riding together on everything,” said Reese who, along with Clark, is participating in the Team USA camp at Duke University. “So, I’m preparing for a season like everybody else, but … it’s really important for us to come to a common ground that we can all agree on. It’s all fair and everybody benefits from it.”
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The WNBA and WNBPA agreed to extend the current collective barging agreement through Jan. 9. Clark said the players will “fight for everything we deserve” and look for “compromise” because the league “needs to play basketball.”
“That’s what our fans crave — the product on the floor,” Clark said. “That’s what the fans want to show up for. So, it’s business, and it’s a negotiation, and there has to be compromise on both sides. And we’re starting to get down to the wire of it.”
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Within days of the WNBA and WNBPA agreeing to extend the current CBA, the league reportedly offered a new proposal, which included a max player salary of $1 million, with projected revenue sharing raising max players’ total earnings to $1.2 million. However, the WNBPA reportedly plans to reject the WNBA’s latest offer over concerns with the league’s “math.”
Revenue sharing continues to be a point of contention for the players’ association. In the WNBA’s latest salary proposal, The Athletic reported, players would receive less than 15% of league revenue. The WNBA’s revenue projection, according to the report, has that percentage decreasing over the life of the CBA. Under the current CBA, WNBA players receive 9.3% of league revenue.
Los Angeles Sparks star Cameron Brink, who is also at the Team USA camp, said every player is locked in to what’s next as the deadline approaches.
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“As someone that’s part of the league, definitely would be silly not to follow closely,” Brink said. “So definitely something I’m paying attention to. And I would say I’m preparing in the same way that the season’s going to come around at some point. So, just waiting like everyone else.”
Meghan L. Hall contributed to this report.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark address ongoing WNBA CBA negotiations
