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SAN FRANCISCO — As questions surrounding the WNBA labor negotiations and whether the 2026 season will start on time intensify, Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller offered an optimistic opinion on the labor strife that has recently engulfed the women’s game. Speaking before Monday’s NBA game between the LA Clippers and the Golden State Warriors game as part of an all female broadcast put on by the Warriors to celebrate Women’s Empowerment Month, Miller expressed hope regarding the ongoing labor negotiations.
“Our game has evolved,” Miller said. “We’re having the same problems and the same issues that the men do, and that’s a great thing.”
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Miller, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest women’s players of all time, served as coach of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury from 1997-2000 and has been an ambassador for the game for most of her life. The league and its players continue to navigate the boost in popularity generated by Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and several others, as well as how WNBA players have populated the 3-on-3 Unrivaled league, as they work toward a deal before the season tips off in May.
Miller participated in the telecast on NBC Sports Bay Area alongside Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase and Athletics announcer Jenny Cavnar, using the moment to advocate for more coaches from the WNBA to join the NBA.
“I’ll wait ’til we get on air to say what I really want to say about more women coaching at the professional level and in the NBA as well,” Miller said. “I know (Nakase) wants to stay a Valkyrie head coach, but we’ve got a lot of females in the WNBA that should be coaching in the NBA.”
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Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon served on Gregg Popovich’s staff with the San Antonio Spurs from 2014-2021 and has won three WNBA championships as a coach in her own Hall of Fame career. Nakase mentioned that it would be “surreal” to broadcast a game involving Clippers’ coach Ty Lue, who has served as a mentor for her in her career.
“Full circle moment obviously,” Nakase said before Tuesday’s game. “Just mentorship, friendship that I’ve developed. And obviously, just get to learn again, because I get to see him in action so that’ll be fun … I owe him a lot and he’s a huge reason why I wear this hat today.”
As the negotiations play out, the WNBA has plenty of fans in the Warriors’ locker room and offices who have a vested interest in having the season start on time. Aside from Nakase’s friendship with Lue, and Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr, former Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco recently left to take over as coach of the New York Liberty. Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski is a noted Valkyries fan, and supporter of the women’s game. He said he hasn’t followed the negotiations in depth, but he is hopeful the season can get going without any issues.
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“I do obviously know about some of their stuff that’s going on,” Podziemski said. “But as a fan definitely want to see something get done so we can have a season to see and watch. But you understand it as a player from their perspective, they want what they want and they feel what they deserve and you kind of see it from both perspectives.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, WNBA
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