The WNBA and the players association still have yet to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of the start of next season, but Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is hopeful things will be settled here soon.
Clark joined NBC as a contributor for its “Sunday Night Basketball” pregame show ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers’ matchup with the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Naturally, she was asked about the state of the WNBA amid the stalled negotiations — especially since there is an in-person meeting scheduled for Monday about the issue in New York.
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While it’s been slow going so far, and multiple deadlines have been missed, Clark thinks things are almost over.
“There’s a meeting tomorrow that’s super important,” she said. “I truly do believe we’re going to get something done here in the next couple of weeks. There’s a lot of boxes that we still need to check … but I really do feel confident that both sides are going to reach a deal here soon.”
The league and the players union have been negotiating a new CBA for more than a year now, after players first opted out of the last one in October 2024. The sides have agreed to two extensions and then they reached a moratorium agreement days after the second one passed. That put a hold on free agency, but allowed league business to otherwise continue in the meantime.
The main issue is the entire salary structure of the WNBA. Players want a revenue-sharing structure that links their salaries to the business and a salary cap driven by revenue. The most recent proposal from the WNBA included an uncapped revenue-sharing model and a maximum salary of around $1.3 million. The supermax contract in 2025 was less than $250,000. Clark, the former Iowa star who is gearing up for her third season in the WNBA, made $78,066 last season. She signed a four-year, $338,056 rookie contract after being selected No. 1 overall in 2024.
The union has claimed that the league isn’t taking the negotiations seriously, and players have authorized a strike if needed.
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While the season isn’t scheduled to begin until May 8, there are several key preseason events now on hold. Free agency can’t begin, and the WNBA draft won’t be able to be held until a deal is reached. The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo are slated to join the league this season, too.
Though negotiations are still ongoing, and it’s anybody’s guess as to when they’ll get done, Clark knows how big this time is for the bigger picture.
“Honestly, I don’t just think it’s just a big moment for the WNBA,” Clark said. “I think all of women’s sports, I think this is one of the biggest moments we’ve ever had.
“I feel very confident that we’re going to get something done. That’s because, we’re in this moment because of the product that is put on the floor. We need to be able to continue to do that.”
