Caitlin Clark Speaks Her Mind About WNBA’s Ongoing CBA Negotiations

The WNBA is at a crossroads as the collective bargaining agreement negotiations between owners and the players’ union continue.

Most of the conversation revolves around the players’ salary structure and revenue share. The two sides have agreed to multiple extensions of the current CBA; it is currently set to expire Jan. 9, 2026.

While there is plenty of offseason remaining to get something worked out—the 2026 college draft is currently scheduled for April 13—the gravity of these talks is not lost on one of the league’s biggest superstars.

“This is the biggest moment the WNBA has ever seen,” Fever guard Caitlin Clark said Friday at the United States women’s basketball team training camp at Duke. “It’s not something that can be messed up. We’re going to fight for everything that we deserve. But at the same time, like, we need to play basketball. That’s what all our fans crave, and that’s what all of you [the media] crave as well. You want the product on the floor. At the end of the day, that’s how you make the money. … That’s what the fans get excited about; that’s what the fans want to show up for.”

The WNBA’s latest proposal includes substantial salary increases for players, including a $1 million base salary for the league’s highest-paid players and a minimum salary around $225,000. In 2025, the league’s minimum salary was just over $66,000. The WNBAPA, however, is pushing to have the salary cap directly tied to the growth of the business like it is in the NBA.

The WNBA’s recent proposal also included nixing the team-provided housing for players.

“It’s business, and it’s a negotiation,” Clark said. “There has to be compromise on both sides. We’re starting to get down to the wire of it. Obviously, I want to help any way I can and I’ve tried to educate myself the best I can. I can’t speak to every single number—it’s pretty complicated. But I think there are different things we can find ways to say we certainly deserve that and we can’t compromise on that, and other things that we can probably compromise on.

“Like I said, this is the biggest moment in the history of the WNBA. I don’t want that to be forgotten. It’s important that we find a way to play this next season. I think our fans, and even everybody who has played in this league that has come before us deserves that as well.”

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