While the Indiana Fever returns home from after that disappointing 98-77 defeat to the reigning champions, their home was a battleground for a different fight. The WNBA and the WNBPA met in Indianapolis for the first in-person meeting since opting out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2025. Among the reps, more than 40 players including league All-Stars like Caitlin Clark were present at the meeting. In the build-up to it, both sides had been unwavering in their stances without compromise. So there was very little faith these two sides would get along swell on just the first day. Now we know how the players felt after that meeting.
The Women’s Basketball Players Union issued a statement after the discussions that reportedly lasted hours. To put it simply, they aren’t happy.
“The WNBA’s response to our proposals fails to address the priorities we’ve voiced from the day we opted out: a transformational CBA that delivers our rightful share of the business that we’ve built, improves working conditions and ensures the success we create lifts both today’s players and the generations that follow,” the statement says.
According to some reports, the WNBA’s proposal does not address issues important to the players union since opting out of the current CBA back in October. Their requirements are based on the booming business since the arrival of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, and Paige Bueckers. Moreover, the NBA just agreed to a new $76 billion media rights deal that extends to its sister league in a 11-year, $200 million a year, $2.2 billion worth agreement.
WNBPA statement regarding today’s meeting which lasted a “couple of hours” according to a union spokesperson.
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— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) July 17, 2025
“We’ve told the league and teams exactly why their proposal falls so short. This business is booming — media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance and ticket sales are all up in historic fashion. But short-changing the working women who make this business possible stalls growth,” the union further stated.
The existing bargaining agreement expires at the end of the 2025 season and the urgency prevails.
WNBPA puts the league on short lease
In the build-up to this meeting, the WNBA’s proposals disappointed the players tremendously, including rejecting their counter proposal. The most outspoken ones, Satou Sabally called the league’s first proposal “a slap in the face,” and Breanna Stewart felt that the league “kind of just ignored everything we said” in negotiations.
May 17, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) dribbles against the Phoenix Mercury during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
The most striking part of the WNBPA’s response is how they put the league on a time crunch. “The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever.”
It indicates underlying tensions in these negotiations between the players and the governors. In less than 3 months, the WNBA season wraps. The All-Star games are this weekend. Three expansion teams were announced. If nothing comes out of these talks, the possibility of a lockout – in a season with the most watched players ever – looms.
However, union president, Nneka Ogwumike dismissed the possibility this week. She hoped to show strength in numbers with more All-Star attendance. The presence of players added to the gravity of their demands as the first round fell through. Very significantly, the WNBPA rebukes Cathy Engelbert’s league – “It’s not complicated.”
They end the statement with, “We are committed to the fight. We are committed to returning to the negotiating table. And we will not stop until we achieve the transformational CBA this moment demands.”
While Ogwumike and the league are on the same page about avoiding a lockout, the uncompromising stands don’t promise resolution any time soon. For now, it’s All-Star season. But the CBA will definitely be on the players’ minds through this.
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