This week’s women’s basketball news has once again been dominated by one thing: the WNBA CBA negotiations. We still do not know if a deal will be struck before the March 10 deadline set by the league. But what we do know is that a divide is starting to emerge within the WNBPA.

Elsewhere, Kim Caldwell just cannot seem to catch a break. Poor performances are one thing, but right now, the Lady Vols are also losing players. Lastly, we have Caitlin Clark doing what she does best off the court, having banter battles with her teammate Sophie Cunningham. There is a lot to unpack, so let’s get right into it.

Tennessee Star Walks Away From Program

Despite losing five games in a row, Sunday was supposed to be a night of celebration for the Lady Vols. It was senior night, and they were set to face No. 5 Vanderbilt, with the seniors hoping to give their all in their final home game. But coach Kim Caldwell was desperate for a win as well, hoping to enter the SEC tournament on a high.

As a result, Kim Caldwell broke from Tennessee’s long-standing tradition of giving seniors the starting nod in their final home game, regardless of their role. Not only did the Lady Vols end up recording their sixth straight loss, but they also ended up losing Kaiya Wynn as a result.

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“For the past five years, I have given my all for Tennessee and have not regretted doing so once. Obviously, my last two seasons on the team have been less than ideal for many reasons, but the one night I was most looking forward to was senior night,” Wynn wrote on X. “As someone who has never started a career game, I was hoping to start in my last appearance in Thompson-Boling. That obviously did not happen, and to be asked to check into the game with 15 seconds left while losing was not how I wanted to spend my final moments in my arena after five years. Although that was not the sole reason, it was the breaking point for me.”

Senior night turned into a nightmare for both Kaiya and Kim.

Tensions Rise Inside the WNBPA

For seventeen straight months, we have talked about how the relationship between the players and the league has been deteriorating with each passing day. But now, reports are starting to emerge about tensions within the WNBPA itself, which is never a good sign.

The situation within the union may not be as united as it once appeared. On Monday, WNBPA executive committee members Kelsey Plum and Breanna Stewart wrote a three-page letter to executive director Terri Jackson, voicing “serious concerns” about the way the current CBA negotiations are being handled. Their biggest issue was the lack of adequate player involvement in the process.

The letter was first obtained by ESPN. According to the report, the union later held a call with players on Tuesday evening to address the issues raised by Breanna Stewart and Kelsey Plum. The call also discussed the results of a recent players’ association survey that asked players about their views on the league’s latest CBA proposal.

So far, we are not aware of whether the rest of the seven-player executive committee agrees with Kelsey Plum and Breanna Stewart or if they were even informed before the letter was sent. According to ESPN, some members are satisfied with how the union has handled the negotiations so far.

That clearly shows there is a divide emerging within the WNBPA, which is concerning for the future of women’s basketball. If you want to read the full letter, you can check it out here.

Caitlin Clark’s Subtle Dig at Sophie Cunningham

While we all wait for the union to reach some kind of agreement on the WNBA CBA, the offseason has not really been an offseason for many players. Some are playing overseas, while others are busy with leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited. But Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham happen to fall into the category of players who actually have their offseason “off.”

Sophie Cunningham used her offseason not only to recover from her MCL injury but also to take on various projects to keep herself busy during a time when she could not play the sport she loves. Caitlin Clark also used the offseason to recover from her own injury. But she still had a pretty eventful few months, playing golf, attending games, taking part in the U.S. training camp, and even turning up in Miami to train with her Fever teammates who were playing in Unrivaled.

She did everything except play professional basketball.

But even during the offseason, players still find time to have fun with their friends. Caitlin Clark did exactly that after Sophie Cunningham posted her February photo dump on Instagram. Naturally, none of the pictures had anything to do with basketball, and Clark was quick to take a playful dig in the comments, writing, “Do u play basketball?”

The banter games never seem to stop between the members of Tres Leches, do they?