Cloud stands firm on player value amid WNBA CBA talks, hinting at alternative league options with equity and player ownership.
With February approaching and no new collective bargaining agreement in place, uncertainty continues to hang over the WNBA. Yet for Natasha Cloud, the prolonged stalemate has not altered her tone or outlook.
Cloud addressed the situation publicly this week, downplaying the anxiety that has accompanied the league’s stalled negotiations with the WNBPA. Her comments, shared widely on social media, reflected a calm acceptance of where things stand as talks remain unresolved months after the previous CBA expired on Oct. 31, 2025.
Speaking candidly, Cloud framed the moment as a shift in power rather than a cause for concern.
“We're not worried as the players, if I'm going be like frank and honest and transparent,” Cloud said. “We're not worried. All the power’s in our hands. We have never had a moment like this where there's been so much momentum, where there has been so much investment demand in our sport.”
Cloud’s comments grew sharper as she described her frustration with how the league has handled negotiations.
“I'm honestly just kind of upset, frustrated — all of us — and in a lot of ways, just disgusted with the W and how they're handling this,” she said. “Their lack of value, their lack of worth for us, their lack of even trying to attempt to move the needle with us.”
That composure comes as negotiations remain stuck on fundamental issues. The league has proposed a revenue-sharing model that would allocate up to 70 percent of net revenue to players, dramatically raising average and maximum salaries.
Players, however, continue to push for a share of gross revenue, along with higher salary caps and guarantees. The gap between those positions has proven difficult to bridge, even as the 2026 season, scheduled to begin May 8, inches closer.
Cloud also pointed to the long-term financial picture as a source of tension.
“We know what is on the horizon,” she said. “We know in two years our TV deal is up, and there’s a new TV deal that’s going to come, that they’re not even putting on the table for us.”
Cloud’s confidence is rooted in optionality. Speaking earlier this month on the Be Great Academy Podcast, she openly discussed the stability offered by Unrivaled, an alternative league that has gained momentum during the WNBA’s offseason freeze.
“I can’t say that there is or there isn’t a backup plan,” Cloud said. “But I know Unrivaled is prepared in so many different instances.”
She emphasized why that preparation matters.
“We own the space that we play in,” Cloud said. “If we wanted to stay here as the players of Unrivaled with equity in this league, we could stay, train, play, and put on another season if need be.”
Rather than framing Unrivaled as leverage or a threat, Cloud described it as preparedness. She noted that player equity, control of facilities, and long-term backing give the league flexibility that does not depend on WNBA timelines.
If negotiations drag on, she suggested, players are not without viable paths to continue competing, training, and earning.
As February begins without a deal in place, Cloud’s message remains consistent. Negotiations will continue, pressure will mount, but players are no longer negotiating from a position of dependency. For many, that shift alone has already changed the stakes.