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Alexa Philippou
DURHAM, N.C. — Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark said Friday that while the WNBA players will «fight for everything we deserve» during their current round of collective bargaining agreement negotiations, they at the same time must seek «compromise on both ends» and «need to play basketball» next season.
«That’s what our fans crave — the product on the floor,» Clark said after the first day of USA Basketball training camp at Duke University. «That’s what the fans want to show up for. So, it’s business, and it’s a negotiation, and there has to be compromise on both sides. And we’re starting to get down to the wire of it.»
The WNBPA and WNBA agreed to a second extension of the current CBA through Jan. 9, 2026, as both sides continue to work toward a new deal.
But questions persist on whether both sides will be able to come to an agreement by then — or even whether a work stoppage could be on the horizon.
Kelsey Plum, first vice president of the WNBPA, said at camp Friday that talks have been «a little bit disheartening, just the frustration in the negotiation and how far away we are.»
Among the players’ priorities are transforming the league’s salary structure and revenue sharing system, introducing standards for team facilities and staffing and garnering more robust benefits.
The league has said it wants to substantially increase player salaries and other cost commitments, while also incentivizing owners to continue to invest in operating the business and building sustained profitability.
The most recently reported league proposal included a maximum salary for 2026 with a guaranteed $1 million base, and projected revenue sharing pushing total earnings for those players to more than $1.2 million. The salary cap would increase to $5 million in 2026 and would be set in each subsequent year based on revenue growth.
Both sides have long said they believe coming to a transformative deal is possible as the league and players look to capitalize off the WNBA’s past few years of tremendous growth.
«What I’m proud of is that we play with a group of women and that are united, and we’re standing on something,» Plum said.
Chicago Sky All-Star Angel Reese echoed that sentiment.
«I think everybody’s really intentional about what we want,» Reese said. «I think the players and WNBPA have done a great job making sure we’re all together. We’re riding together on everything. I’m preparing for a season like everybody else is, but we have to come to a negotiation, it’s really important for us to come to a common ground that we can all agree on, it’s all fair and everybody benefits from it.»
Clark said she leans on teammates Lexie Hull and Aliyah Boston, the Fever’s union player reps, as well as Brianna Turner, the union treasurer, to learn more on the negotiations.
The 2024 No. 1 pick and women’s basketball sensation has called this the «biggest moment» the WNBA has seen, making it all the more «important that we find a way to play this next season.» A work stoppage could emerge if the owners opt to lock out the players or the players opt to strike.
«I think there are different things that we can find ways to say ‘No, we certainly deserve that, and we’re not going to compromise on that,’ and then other things that we can probably compromise on,» Clark said. «You want to understand both sides and be respectful of both sides, but at the end of the day, come to a compromise.»
Paige Bueckers and Reese, to make their senior national team camp debuts this weekend.
«She’s a terrific player, really locked in and focused,» Lawson said of Clark. «I thought she looked good on both ends. And I thought that she hadn’t missed the beat.»
Bird added to ESPN: «I thought she looked great. … The things that are going to be hard is always the conditioning part. … I’m sure that’s going to come as the camp comes. But she looks great regardless outside of that. And the other thing is rhythm. I’m sure everybody saw that one step-back in transition she had, so the rhythm looks great. But more than anything, you want her, you want all these players, to just be around each other, off the court, on the court.»
