While there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the WNBA at this time, Angel Reese made it clear that she knows what she wants.
Reese has been a double-double machine since entering the WNBA in 2024, averaging 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. Although she’s been highly productive, the Chicago Sky have gone 23-61 over the past two seasons. She expressed her concerns about the franchise during an interview with the Chicago Tribune.
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“I’m not settling for the same s— we did this year,” Reese said. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a nonnegotiable for me. I’m willing and wanting to play with the best. And however I can help to get the best here, that’s what I’m going to do this offseason to make sure we attract the best of the best, because we can’t settle for what we have this year.”
Reese later confirmed in December that she plans on sticking around with the Sky. Will there be a 2026 season though? The WNBA doesn’t have a new collective bargaining agreement in place. The players would obviously like to receive a bigger cut from the league’s revenue.
When asked this week about the pay disparity between men’s and women’s basketball, Reese replied, “There’s nothing that we shouldn’t get.”
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Sep 3, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) warms up before a WNBA game against the Connecticut Sun at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
(© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)
What are the demands?
As of this Wednesday, the WNBA and players’ union have not yet reached a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement. They met earlier this week for a few hours, according to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
“The gathering was based more on sharing the sentiments, philosophies and perspectives driving each side’s positions and having honest dialogue around those viewpoints, sources said, as opposed to exchanging new proposals,” Philippou wrote. “Sources told ESPN it was valuable for both sides to meet in person, ask questions and receive direct answers, as they look to break the monthlong stalemate in talks, with the 2026 season scheduled to begin in less than 100 days and the need for a deal increasingly urgent.”
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The WNBAPA has reportedly proposed a deal where the players receive 30% of gross revenue with a $10.5 million salary cap. The league, however, would much rather have a $5 million salary cap.
We’ll see how these negotiations play out.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Feb 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
