Last month, Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark spoke of the need for the WNBA and the Women's National Basketball Players' Association to "find a way" to play basketball in 2026.
As it stands, the coming season is in some jeopardy; the league and the players' union still have not agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement, and one will not be in place by the 11:59 p.m. ET deadline Friday night.
"This is the biggest moment the WNBA has ever seen, and it’s not something that can be messed up, and we’re going to fight for everything that we deserve," Clark said during a three-day USA Basketball training camp at Duke University. "At the same time, we need to play basketball. That’s what our fans crave, and that’s what all of you crave as well, is you want the product on the floor.... It’s important that we find a way to play this next season."
MORE: WNBA nears unfortunate history amid stalled CBA negotiations
The WNBA and the WNBPA are preparing to enter a "status quo" period amid an expectation that good-faith negotiations will continue. The union is not backing off on its major demand: they want a significant revenue-sharing component to be part of any new CBA, as it would transform the salary structure of the WNBA.
But in a new joint interview with ESPN, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike and vice president Napheesa Collier agreed with Clark that some compromise is needed in negotiations, as the stakes are just too large.
With the deadline looming, I spoke with Nneka Ogwumike and Napheesa Collier
— Katie Barnes (@katie_barnes3) January 9, 2026
about the state of negotiations, player unity, and why they believe their stakes in other leagues are not conflicts of interest (among other topics).Https://t.co/g7d97jIRp5
However, Minnesota Lynx star Collier and former WNBA MVP Ogwumike think that the league — led by commissioner Cathy Engelbert — has more ground to cede.
"We absolutely agree (with Clark). We just feel like the league is not agreeing," Collier said. "I mean, I think that we have been very compromising, like we're not asking for anything crazy. I think we've been very respectful, very realistic with what we're asking, and we are compromising."
Ogwumike, a star forward for the Seattle Storm, described feeling "resistance" from the WNBA that is "disappointing" and "surprising," generating pessimism that a new CBA will be in place anytime soon.
"I really do feel like the league needs to really pay attention and listen and take notice of exactly what we're coming to the table with time and time again. Because we've been in the room trying to figure out what we can do to get both sides to be closer," Ogwumike said. "We've been more than flexible, more than reasonable. And it's really sad, and disappointing, to see that the league doesn't see players' wins and league wins.
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