When the leadership is disconnected from what players want, it only leads to a deadlock. If the allegations against Cathy Engelbert weren’t enough, Adam Silver made sure to make the matter worse by saying, “I think share isn’t the right way to look at it.” But amid the CBA drama, one thing that made most of the noise was Cathy’s alleged words on Clark, “the WNBA gave her a stage to earn.” CC is, unfortunately, again back in the headlines after Napheesa Collier’s latest reveal.

Napheesa Collier, who started the domino to begin with, has further emphasized how the players are being cheated by giving the example of Caitlin Clark. “We are being so grossly almost taken advantage of, and it should be illegal,” Collier told Emily Tannenbaum of Glamor. She further highlighted that Caitlin Clark is being massively undervalued by the league in its current and proposed CBA.

“The amount of money that Caitlin Clark has made the league is insane, and she’s getting 0% of it because we have no rev share,” Collier said. “She gets less than $80,000 a year, and she’s bringing in, like, hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s insane.” Collier does have a point here because the WNBA owes a lot of its recent success to Caitlin Clark.

Ryan Brewer, a finance professor at Indiana University Columbus and a valuation specialist, explained that Clark’s presence was responsible for more than 25% of the WNBA’s revenue in her rookie year without getting a cut from that. Shocking but still a reality, less than 1% of CC’s total income comes from her WNBA salary, as her million-dollar brand deal carries a heavy load. However, Clark and other players could have received a piece according to the current CBA.

Let me explain. The current CBA from 2020 does have a revenue-sharing provision that could give players 17.5 % of surplus revenue. What does surplus mean? So the league set some revenue targets, which are cumulative while signing the CBA (20%). If the revenue goes beyond the target, the excess money is shared with the players. However, the surplus rate has never been achieved.

For the upcoming CBA, the league has included increased salaries and a similar provision. However, reportedly, the targets are more lenient than the last CBA. Even with lenient targets, the pie is shrunk further if we refer to the current CBA. The only revenue that could be shared is the small increment beyond the target. Whatever that hypothetical amount might be, 30% is slashed as “the cost of revenue.” 

The remaining 70 percent is considered the “shared revenue” and is split equally between the players and the league. All in all, the players will get crumbs even with the improved CBA, which is why Collier and Co. are standing firm on their revenue share demand. The talks are still stalled as the two parties have reportedly agreed to extend the deadline beyond October 31.

However, there is little reason to fear a lockout as the 2026 season can still start on time. That is especially critical for the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark, considering her injury-ridden 2025 season. 

Caitlin Clark’s 2026 Comeback Still on Track Amid Uncertainty

Caitlin Clark couldn’t compete in more than 13 games this past season, suffering multiple soft tissue injuries. Her comeback in 2026 is one of the most anticipated storylines in the world of US sports. She is ramping up her work in the offseason. According to Stephanie White, they can “do some 3-on-3, doing some 2-on-2, building into 5-on-5.” However, she stressed being patient with the injury, saying:

“She needs to be able to slowly build back so that from an endurance standpoint, she’s laying a really good foundation so that we’re not having any setbacks or any regression,” Sophie further added. So it seems she is on track for a thumping return next season, which is still months away. However, the CBA situation has threatened a delay or complete cancellation of next season.

The WNBA offseason checklist is filled, and none of it can be achieved without an agreed CBA. With two new teams in Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, the league will have an expansion draft. Then there is the biggest free agency this league has ever seen, with approximately 80% of the league signing new contracts.

Then there is the 2026 draft. The longer this drags on, this schedule gets cramped with a possibility of delaying the 2026 season or worse, canceling it outright. However, according to Ben Pickman of The Athletic, they still have some time before we get into panic territory. 

“It seems as if having a deal done by the beginning of March would allow for all that’s mentioned above to progress at a regular pace. In that scenario, the league could hold both its expansion draft and free agency period in March, allow the WNBA Draft to be held on schedule in April, and begin the 2026 season in May.” Pickman wrote.

That gives Collier, Engelbert, and Silver 5 months to agree on a deal and still get a relatively normal season. It will be great if each task were given time to be organized. For that, the CBA should be agreed upon as soon as possible. Unfortunately, as of now, there are no signs that the players and the management are even on the same page. Lockout will hurt everyone, so we can expect these talks to ramp up over time.