The WNBA's soaring popularity fuels critical CBA talks. Dawn Staley urges players to seize this high-demand moment and fight for their future now.
With the WNBA’s popularity soaring behind stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers, the league finds itself at a pivotal moment.
Quite lately, television ratings have been up, arenas are fuller, and media rights deals are richer. Yet behind the scenes, uncertainty looms as collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations between the WNBA and the WNBPA stretch into their 16th month.
As tension builds and key league operations remain frozen, one of the most respected voices in women’s basketball has made her position clear. Dawn Staley believes this is the moment for players to stand firm.
“I think it’s good, actually,” Staley said during a recent media availability. “Negotiating is hard, but it’s good. Anybody that is willing to bet on self in this space is always a good thing.”
Staley’s perspective carries weight as a former WNBA player and now the head coach at South Carolina. She has lived through previous labor standoffs. In 2003, while she was playing professionally, the league and union faced a similar impasse. That dispute was resolved just weeks before the season began, preserving the schedule and laying the groundwork for future growth.
“The game is in high demand, like super high demand,” Staley said. “If you don’t fight for something right now, you’re going to settle for anything in the future.”
At the heart of the current divide is revenue sharing. The players’ union recently proposed receiving an average of 27.5% of gross revenue over the life of the deal, down from an earlier ask of 31%. The league has countered with a framework tied to net revenue and warned that the union’s structure could lead to significant financial losses.
The WNBA has proposed a 2026 salary cap of $5.65 million, a substantial jump from roughly $1.5 million in 2025, with maximum salaries projected near $1.3 million next season and potentially approaching $2 million by 2031 through revenue-sharing growth.
Additional proposals include expanded developmental roster spots, improved facilities, codified charter travel, and increased retirement contributions. Still, neither side has moved enough to close the gap.
The tension escalated further last fall when Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier publicly criticized league leadership. Staley acknowledged the emotion involved but framed it as part of the process.
“They’re negotiating,” Staley said. “There’s always going to be an emotional attachment and then there’s facts. Once we get down to the facts, I do think it’s going to get done.”
With the 2026 season scheduled to begin May 8 and free agency, the expansion draft, and the college draft all hanging in the balance, the clock is ticking. Yet Staley remains optimistic.
“I think we’ll have a season,” she said. “I think it’s going to start on time.”
Her message, however, is clear as CBA, like every transformative change, demands courage. In her view, both the league and its players are betting on themselves. But if the sport is truly in its most powerful position yet, she believes now is not the time to fight for long-term equity.