WNBA Faces Major Threat
While Indianapolis is buzzing with excitement for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend, a looming issue threatens to overshadow the league’s brightest weekend: a potential work stoppage due to CBA negotiations.
Festivities kick off Friday with the Kia Skills Challenge and STARRY 3‑Point Contest, headlined by Caitlin Clark, followed by Saturday’s All‑Star Game. But behind the scenes, tensions between WNBA players and team owners are reaching a boiling point.
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CBA Talks on the Brink
The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was set to run through 2027, but both the league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) mutually opted out in October 2024. That move set the CBA to now expire on October 31, 2025, and negotiations are reportedly going nowhere.
On Tuesday, New York Post reporter Madeline Kenney revealed that WNBA players are “bracing” for a possible work stoppage ahead of the 2026 season.
WNBA players "bracing" for potential work stoppage ahead of 2026 season due to CBA negotiations, per @madkenney.
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) July 16, 2025
Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty minced no words:
“We’re not just going to take the minimum because it’s more than we’re making now.”
Phoenix Mercury star Satou Sabally also called the league’s initial offer a “slap in the face,” Further criticizing it for not matching the league’s rising popularity.
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What’s at Stake?
The WNBA has never been more in the spotlight. With record-breaking viewership, increased media coverage, and stars like Clark, Angel Reese, and A’ja Wilson drawing major crowds. This is the moment many hoped the league had been building toward.
But if no new deal is reached in time, the 2026 season could be in jeopardy. A work stoppage would be a massive blow to a league finally hitting its stride.
With only 108 days until the opt-out deadline. Fans and players alike are hoping for progress. But right now, all signs point to a brewing storm behind the WNBA’s All-Star celebration.
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