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The start of a new WNBA season remains uncertain, not only in terms of setting a schedule but also due to ongoing negotiations between the league’s top players and officials. Amid a flurry of opinions, Caitlin Clark spoke out on the matter in recent hours.
“I think the most important thing for myself, thinking about these CBA negotiations, [is that] this is the biggest moment the WNBA has ever seen. It’s not something that can be messed up, and we’re going to fight for everything we deserve, but at the same time, we need to play basketball,” she began.
“I think there are different things that we can find ways to say, ‘No, we certainly deserve that, and we’re not going to compromise on that,’” Clark also added at USA Basketball’s senior training camp. “And then [there are] other things that we can probably compromise on. You want to understand both sides and be respectful of both sides, but at the end of the day, come to a compromise.”
A crucial deadline looms for the WNBA, as the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations are slated to conclude on January 9, 2026. Failure to finalize a new contract by this date carries the severe risk of the league facing its inaugural work stoppage in history.
“[Our fans crave] the product on the floor. That’s what the fans want to show up for,” Clark said. “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.”
The WNBA’s first proposal
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In early December, the WNBA presented its most recent contract proposal to the Players Association (WNBPA), featuring revised financial terms. This offer quickly met with rejection from the WNBPA, with one athlete reportedly describing the terms as “a slap in the face.”
The proposal did include significant changes, such as elevating the average player’s compensation to more than $500,000, though the minimum salary would hold steady near $225,000.
Furthermore, the deal featured a planned hike in the salary cap to $5 million, contingent on the league’s annual revenue growth. Despite these enhanced monetary figures representing a minor step up from the WNBA’s prior negotiation stance, the players found the terms inadequate.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks to the media.
The central figures leading the negotiations
Leading the crucial negotiations between the players and the league authorities are several prominent figures. The WNBPA President, Nneka Ogwumike, is central to the process, actively representing the athletes’ interests alongside the Union’s Executive Director, Terri Jackson.
On the league side, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has been the primary representative working to finalize the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) before the impending January 9th deadline.
