Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is urging caution as the WNBA’s collective bargaining negotiations grow increasingly tense, warning players that pressing too hard could backfire as the league edges toward potential labor unrest.

Barkley’s comments came during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, where he reflected on his own experiences with labor disputes during his NBA career.

“They need to be very careful — they’re walking on thin ice right now,” Barkley said. “I know they’re doing some great things, but you can’t overplay your hand. In a league that had Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and a hundred great players, I think we went on strike three times. So, this notion that just because you got power and talent these billionaire owners are just gonna give you everything you want — that’s not gonna happen.”

The former MVP went on to share a more candid reflection on the pitfalls of player strikes.

“You can overplay your hand,” Barkley said. “In the NBA, we were like, ‘No, we’re not gonna strike. They need us.’ You know what I was doing? Sitting my Black a-- at home, unemployed … playing damn tiddlywinks.”

His warning arrives as the WNBA and its players union remain at odds over a new collective bargaining agreement. Earlier this week, both sides agreed to a 30-day extension, moving the negotiation deadline to Nov. 30. Sources confirmed to Front Office Sports that while a lockout is not imminent, key issues — particularly revenue sharing — remain unresolved.

Barkley added that players must understand the financial realities of going up against team owners.

“No matter how many millions you got, you’re not a billionaire,” he said. “So, you always have to be careful overplaying your hand. What you do is, you try to make the best deal possible in the moment and keep growing, but you have to be careful overplaying your hand.”

The current negotiations come amid heightened scrutiny of WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier recently criticized what she called a “lack of accountability from the league office” and alleged Engelbert made disparaging comments about rising stars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.

Collier’s remarks underscored growing tension between players and leadership, as both sides weigh the direction of the league’s financial and structural future.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver, speaking earlier this month, expressed confidence that a deal will ultimately be reached despite the strained relationship between Engelbert and the union.

“We will get a deal done with the players,” Silver said. “Lots of work left to be done, but we’ll of course get a new collective bargaining agreement.”

With expansion looming — including new franchises in Toronto and Portland — the stakes for the WNBA are significant. For Barkley, the advice is simple: fight for progress, but don’t let ambition turn into a standoff that could stall the league’s growth.