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As Caitlin Clark prepares to return from injury and make her anticipated debut with the U.S. national team, she remains focused on the ongoing CBA negotiations between the WNBA and its players.
The 23-year-old Indiana Fever star called the labor situation “the biggest moment the WNBA has ever seen.”
“It’s not something that can be messed up,” Clark said Friday at the opening of Team USA training camp at Duke. “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 [in 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.”
Much of the gap in negotiations revolves around player salaries and revenue sharing, with the current agreement now slated to expire on Jan. 9 following multiple extensions.
The owners have proposed a raise in minimum salary from around $66,000 to $225,000 with a $1 million base for the league’s top players.
But the union is seeking to have the salary cap tied to the league’s growth, similar to the structure the NBA uses.
“It’s business, and it’s a negotiation,” Clark added. “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.”
Clark also said she’s ready to resume playing, claiming she’s “at 100 percent” after appearing in just 13 games last season due to groin and quad injuries.
“Obviously, I need to knock off a little bit of rust and get my lungs back but my body feels really good,” Clark said. “I feel like I’m in a really good spot, my main goal is just staying that way.”
With Clark sidelined, the Fever reached the semifinals of the playoffs earlier this year before losing in five games to the Las Vegas Aces, the eventual champions.
