What Caitlin Clark would ‘love to see’ from WNBA CBA negotiations

A select group of WNBA players are participating in Team USA training camp this weekend in Miami before heading to the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament next week. One of the WNBA players making her Team USA debut is Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. Although the focus is on the upcoming tournament, talks couldn’t help but shift to the ongoing WNBA CBA negotiations, which Clark has been a part of.

During her media availability session, Caitlin Clark gave her thoughts on what she would like to see as far as the WNBA CBA negotiations, as per Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports.

“I don’t understand why we don’t just get in a room and iron it out and shake hands,” Clark wondered. “That’s how business is. You look each other in the eye, you shake hands, you respect both sides. For me, that’s what I love to see.”

There has not been a sit-down meeting between both sides since the beginning of February. Prior to that, the last in person meeting was back in October. Clark’s sentiment was something echoed by Breanna Stewart who is a member of the WNBPA executive committee.

“I think that would be great of us all to sit in a room until we really get it done,” Stewart said. “If that means sitting in there for hours and hours at a time, let’s do it. That’s for the better of the player. While a situation like this has never happened before, there’s a first time for everything.”

The majority of the exchanges between the players and the league have been electronically. The WNBA recently gave the players a March 10 deadline to have a framework of a new CBA in place before the 2026 season dates are at risk of being impacted. The tentative start date for the season is May 8.

But before the season even begins, the league needs to hold potentially two expansion drafts with the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo beginning play, a free agency period and a regular WNBA Draft.