The 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend ended in a historic fashion. From Napheesa Collier (most points), to Skylar Diggins (first-ever triple-double), to Paige Bueckers (first 4-pointer), there were new records galore during Saturday night’s All-Star game. While explosive performances were to be expected courtesy of the new rules, nobody could have expected such success. It’s fair to say that the new rules introduced under the leadership of Commissioner Cathy Engelbert had a positive impact on the game. 

The All-Star weekend being a success was a much-needed win for Engelbert. Under constant pressure from the players and fans alike for various issues, such as the new CBA and the officiating crisis, this win goes a long way. With the current Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire on October 31, 2025, there is an increased concern about a lockout.

The players declined the recently offered CBA, citing a lack of revenue share after the league signed a new $2.2 billion media deal. With another big payday coming for the league due to expansion team fees ($250 million per team), the players a demanding a bigger share of the pie. 

While the All-Star Weekend might have turned into a big success, there is another crisis that the commissioner needs to navigate. Speaking after the All-Star festivities were wrapped up, Cathy expressed some concerns regarding next year’s schedule. She said that there is a possibility of the 2026 WNBA season “leaking” into November compared to a traditional conclusion by October. 

Due to the FIBA World Cup running till September 13, the league needs to find solutions for the schedule. Moreover, there’ll be two new expansion teams, Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. Both will make their debut in the 2026 WNBA season. With these circumstances affecting the schedule, it’ll be interesting to see what solution the league comes up with. 

If the season runs into November, it would be an unprecedented challenge for the league. In November, the league’s schedule might overlap with the National Football League (NFL) and the NBA. This would present a challenge to the growth of the WNBA, as their viewers could be split with two of the biggest leagues also running at the same time. With the league growing at a lightning pace, it will be interesting to see how they go ahead with two bigger leagues also running simultaneously.

WNBA Players Send a Clear Message to the League at the All-Star Game

With increased concerns about the soon-expiring CBA, the league is under constant pressure. When the players opted out of the current CBA in October 2024, there was hope for a quick resolution. But when matters of money are concerned, things rarely move quickly. Now, the deadline to renegotiate is fast approaching, and the deal doesn’t seem close to finalization.

The main concern regarding the league from the players’ perspective is the lack of transparency and the share of revenue. With the league signing a monumental media revenue deal and a significant amount coming via the expansion teams, the players are asking for a bigger revenue share percentage. During the WNBA All-Star Game warmups, the players used their platform to send a clear message to the league.

Every player in the warmup, including Caitlin Clark, came out wearing t-shirts with a message saying, “Pay us what you owe us.” With this, the players cleared out any suspicion of the new CBA deal being close to agreement. Their message was well-received by the fans as well. When Napheesa Collier was receiving her All-Star MVP award, the whole arena started chanting, ” Pay them! Pay them!“

With increased pressure on Cathy Engelbert due to various issues, it remains to be seen how she navigates through them. Under her leadership, the league has grown massively. But if the players responsible for this growth are not happy, that presents a bleak image of the league. Whether Cathy Engelbert keep the players happy while growing the league?