The 28th WNBA season took the basketball world by storm. Led by Caitlin Clark and an exceptional 2024 rookie class, it became the top growing league in the nation. This season, not much has changed. However, bigger things are coming off the court with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) under way. With last season’s growing spurt and the league’s huge $2.2 billion media rights deal, the players’ association (WNBPA) opted out of the current CBA. It will now end with the current WNBA season (October 31) instead of its original 2027 deadline. And that’s how the “defining movement” for the W began. 

However, as Satou Sabally last stated in June end, WNBA’s offer was nothing short of a “slap in the face.” But the WNBPA will seemingly have a new face in its meeting this Thursday in Indianapolis. Ahead of the WNBA All-Star Weekend, Caitlin Clark, the face of the league, as per recent anonymous players’ poll by The Athletic, will be in these “important” negotiations. Now, she’s not part of the union nor is a representative. However, the presence of the player, who almost everyone agrees “Moved the needle” for WNBA, makes much sense:

• With Clark stepping into the league, the WNBA agreed for charter flights for road games for the first time;
• The league experienced its most-watched regular season last year. Relo Metrics reported that the W delivered a record-breaking $136 million in media value for sponsors during the 2024 regular season. 45% of total broadcast value came from Fever alone;
• All teams saw an increase in ticket and merchandise sales, with the Fever selling out the fastest in these aspects.

So, with the league continuing to see a rise, reducing the gap it has with other leagues like the NBA, becomes just as important, at least when it comes to the terms if not the numbers. To do just that, Caitlin Clark was invited to be part of the negotiations. Ahead of Indiana’s matchup against the Connecticut Sun, the point guard revealed her honest take on the same. With Indy Star’s Chloe Peterson reporting, Clark said, “Obviously, the meetings that are going to happen in Indianapolis are gonna be really important. And although I’m not our team rep or on the committee, I’m still trying to understand and engage as much as possible.”

“This is my second year in the league, but also this is also a very important time for our league, and where it’s going to continue to grow. So, I’m certainly looking forward to those meetings, and being in them, and I think everybody in our league is, to help these CBA talks to continue to move forward. So, it should be very important for us on Thursday,” she added. And her thoughts incline with what the players want in the new CBA.

According to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton and Michael Voepel’s report, the players’ main goal is to exponentially increase salaries. They’re hoping to introduce pensions and other retirement benefits on top of the 401k the league offers now, as well as an equity-based model and minimum standards for practice and game facilities. Currently, the league has a cap value of $249,244 in supermax contracts with a range of $64,000 to $242,000.

However, if things go players’ way, Pelton reported, “One team source said it’s possible max salaries could reach $1 million, which would be an increase of approximately 300% from the current $249,244 supermax and would imply a salary cap in the range of $4 million to $5 million per team.” Pelton also added, “Specifically, players want to share in the gains of owners as the league grows. The current CBA featured 3% raises in the cap and max salaries — as well as the minimums for players, locking them in to limited growth.”

Inversely, CBA’s role has never been more vital. The league has already expanded with the Golden State Valkyries making more of a wave than a mere splash already. In the coming years, WNBA is set to add three new franchises. Even Clark’s agent at Excel Sports Management, Erin Kane, pointed out in April, “The most important thing always has been getting WNBA players paid for what they do on the court. I’m very, very hopeful for this CBA negotiation that it will be progressive and move the line forward a lot. Will Caitlin Clark ever be paid by the WNBA what she’s really worth to that league? I don’t think that’s possible.”

Despite all this, Clark’s salary is capped at a mere $78,066. No doubt, her participation in the negotiations matters more than ever. But is this move Clark’s own path, or is she following the guidance of legends?

Caitlin Clark is taking a lead that Michael Jordan once did

When Michael Jordan’s long-time agent, David Falk, was asked about CC’s potential role in upcoming WNBA collective bargaining agreement talks, he didn’t mince words. “It’s important for the top players to be involved, because that’s who the owners respect,” Falk shared in a phone interview with Sportico, drawing a sharp parallel between Clark and Jordan as he recounted how even though Jordan didn’t serve on the NBA’s negotiating committee during the 1998 lockout, he still attended two major meetings and played a crucial role in salvaging the season.

“She’s going to make everyone else a lot more money—not at the same level, but in the same manner Jordan made everyone a lot more money,” Falk noted, comparing the NBA and the WNBA’s net totals. Falk further hinted that Clark might be heading down a familiar path in the WNBA, where some veterans have kept their distance or even raised an eyebrow at her rapid rise.

According to Falk, for this moment to really mean something, Clark’s camp at Excel Sports Management and the players’ union need to “achieve harmony” to reach a truly groundbreaking agreement. So, maybe Clark is listening to the vets after all. But even if she isn’t, the important part is that her and other players’ voices would finally be heard.