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When big news breaks in the WNBA, the natural reaction for many fans is to consider what it means for Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.
At 23 years old, Clark has already established herself as a face of the league, leading the WNBA in All-Star voting twice and averaging 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists throughout her career. The resurgent Fever have made the playoffs in both seasons since they selected the former Iowa Hawkeyes standout with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
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Clark played just 13 games in 2025 while sidelined with multiple injuries, but Indiana still managed its deepest postseason run in a decade. The idea of adding one of the best players in the league back into a team that made the WNBA semifinals brings excitement for the 2026 season — assuming there actually is one.
Indiana Fever’s Aliyah Boston (7), Caitlin Clark (22) and Kelsey Mitchell (0) take a photo before the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
WNBA Will Not Sign New CBA Before Deadline
On Tuesday, reports emerged that the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association (WNBAPA) are still so far apart in negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that a deal is “not going to happen” before the current CBA expires on Friday.
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This development increases the likelihood of a lockout at the start of the 2026 WNBA season next May, although the two sides could agree to temporarily extend the current CBA to buy time to come to an agreement before then.
Clark and her unprecedented popularity have been used as a bargaining chip throughout the negotiations. Tensions rose between the players and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert in September when WNBAPA president Napheesa Collier claimed that Engelbert told her, “Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”
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“The amount of money that Caitlin Clark has made the league is insane, and she’s getting 0% of it because we have no revenue share,” Collier told Glamour this week. “She gets less than $80,000 a year, and she’s bringing in, like, hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Fans Have Concerns About Caitlin Clark’s Future
With Clark’s third WNBA season cast into doubt, fans began to adjust their mindsets accordingly.
“Ok then,” said one X user. “We’ll watch Caitlin play basketball or what ever she’s doing next year.”
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“let us know what your plans are for 26 goat @CaitlinClark22,” wrote another.
“NO CC , AB, R.Howard or JJ 5×5 Basketball till 2027,” lamented a fan, referencing Clark and Fever teammate Aliyah Boston.
“no Caitlin hoops till 2027,” prognosticated another X user.
What’s Next for Caitlin Clark?
While her Fever teammates landed jobs on new basketball teams in the United States and abroad, Clark has not committed to play in any leagues outside the WNBA, like Collier’s Unrivaled. She still has two seasons left on her rookie contract with the Fever, so that is where she will be if the league resumes under a new CBA.
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Clark stated that her top priority this offseason is preparing for USA Basketball training camp as she continues to recover from her season-ending groin injury. If things go as planned, her return to the court would be in March 2026 at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico.
By then, progress could be made on a new CBA, but Tuesday’s news leaves more questions than answers about next WNBA season.
Related: Angel Reese’s Former Trainer Makes Statement About Fever Star Caitlin Clark
Related: Sophie Cunningham Teases New Career Amid WNBA Offseason
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
