Tension in the WNBA is rising. Nearly a year after the WNBPA opted out of the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), talks between the league and the players’ union remain completely stalled. The future of the expansion draft, pending trades, and more than 100 free agents hangs in the balance. Both sides now blame each other for delaying the process, and Cathy Engelbert stands right at the center of it all.
The league claims that the union has “spread public misinformation while spending more time on that than at the bargaining table.” Meanwhile, the WNBPA argues that the league is “simply trying to run out the clock.” The result is a public standoff that leaves players, fans, and analysts in deep uncertainty.
According to a report by Essentiallysports, commentator Sophie Jones explained the situation on the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast: “Each of the WNBA players, when they’ve expressed what they’re looking for in these collective bargaining negotiations, they’ve done it in very public spaces… they’re laying out A, B, and C, what they’re asking for. But it doesn’t seem like there’s been the same level of transparency from the league’s side.”
Players stand firm
The WNBPA described its decision to exit the CBA as a “turning point.” Since then, players have consistently demanded greater economic fairness and revenue sharing. Their message hasn’t changed, and their leadership remains solid.
From @TheAthletic: The tension between the WNBA and its players’ union is rising as the deadline to reach a new collective bargaining agreement approaches. The discord primarily stems from one issue: revenue sharing. https://t.co/0W6DcOvQbg pic.twitter.com/kzUojWwCKx
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 23, 2025
“[The players are] really quite clear and focused on what they’re fighting for… and what they said a year ago was true six months ago, six weeks ago, six days ago,” said Terri Jackson, executive director of the union, in an interview with ESPN.
One of the strongest voices has been Napheesa Collier, vice president of the WNBPA. After calling Commissioner Cathy Engelbert “the worst leader in the world,” Collier reaffirmed her stance in Glamour: “If we give in, we’re not only doing ourselves a disservice, but also to how far we’ve come in women’s sports… We really have no choice but to stay strong again, not just for the present but for the future of our league.”
The players are ready to endure a potential work stoppage if negotiations don’t move forward. Meanwhile, Engelbert has remained silent since October 3, when she spoke of a “transformational agreement” with a proposed maximum salary of $850,000.
The league’s last statement came from an anonymous spokesperson: “We have been negotiating with the Players Association in good faith and with urgency for several months to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement as quickly as possible.”
However, the union insists that the league is using delay tactics. The standoff continues, and with each passing day without an agreement, the WNBA moves closer to a crisis that could shape its immediate future.
