The WNBA 2026 season is all set to kick off on May 8th, well, at least as per the schedule. But day after day, the possibility of a strike is only getting real. The league and the WNBPA have been in talks to reach a new CBA for more than a year now, but if anything, they are far apart in finding common ground. So with the negotiations dragging into another month, players are no longer just asking for progress; they’re starting to call out the league’s leadership publicly. And this time, it was done by Sophie Cunningham, who didn’t bother softening the message.
On a recent episode of Show Me Something, the Indiana Fever guard delivered a blunt assessment of where the talks stand between the league and the players’ union. But that’s not all, as Cunningham also went on to call out Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s lack of visible support during the standoff.
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After a recent in-person meeting, the Fever star revealed that frustration is only mounting between both sides.
“We had a big old meeting this week,” she said. “Negotiations are in process in hopes of getting (things) moving because it has not been moving at all. Both sides are kind of getting frustrated, but I know, us players are holding our ground, so it should be interesting.”
While the WNBPA opted out of the previous CBA in hopes of securing better salaries and a revenue-sharing system that would reflect the league’s rapid growth, Sophie Cunningham made it clear that this isn’t just about paychecks, but the league’s future.
“At the end of the day, depending on where these negotiations go, like if you give these players what they want,” she explained. “You’re gonna get all the best players; therefore, you’re gonna win. Therefore, your ticket sales are gonna be up. Everything’s gonna be up. It sucks because how our negotiations are going, it’s like we’re the laughingstock of sports right now,” she added.
However, when co-host West Wilson pointed out how unprecedented the current moment feels, arguing that the WNBA’s explosive rise over the last three years has left people unsure how to handle the new stakes, she didn’t disagree. But she shifted the focus toward leadership as well.
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“Anytime you’re in a position of leadership, yes!” she responded. “But just like in a position to influence and empower other people. For some reason, our league doesn’t do that. Everyone wants to be the star. Our commissioner, right now, even though we’re not agreeing on negotiations, we’re barely even talking at all, like she could still go on other social media platforms and be like, ‘Hey, I believe in our product. I love our product.’ Because that gives off a different feel than just not saying anything and acting like we don’t exist,” Sophie Cunningham further added.
With players growing louder and the league office staying largely quiet, the gap between both sides appears wider than ever. And that urgency became even clearer after the WNBA and WNBPA finally sat down face-to-face in New York this week, as they held a meeting that was supposed to bring progress, but instead, in the words of Cunningham, left even more “frustration” in its wake.
Tensions rise after WNBA shows up with no counterproposal
Just a day ago, the league and the players’ union finally held a crucial meeting in New York, where they were expected to bring real movement after months of stalled negotiations. This was the first time since the fall that league executives and union representatives were in the same room.
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But instead of a breakthrough, the meeting reportedly ended with no solution. One of the biggest reasons behind that? The union entered the session expecting the league to formally respond to their proposal, which was submitted more than four weeks ago. But the WNBA reportedly showed up without a counterproposal at all.
“They volunteered that they did not have a proposal prepared at the top of the meeting,” union president Nneka Ogwumike admitted afterward, “that kind of set the tone for the conversation because we were hoping to hear otherwise.”
Jul 19, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Team Collier forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) looks on before the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
So rather than negotiating numbers back and forth, the three-hour discussion became more of an explanation session, with both sides laying out their positions and explaining why they stand where they stand.
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The core issue remains the same: revenue sharing and salary structure, where the league is offering 15% of the net revenue, while the players are demanding 30% of the gross revenue.
With the WNBA set to tip off on May 8, and major league business still hanging in limbo, the question is how much longer can this drag on before a strike becomes more than just a threat?
