The New York Liberty are gearing up for another playoff push against the Phoenix Mercury on 14th September, 2025. But Breanna Stewart is already looking beyond the hardwood. As the postseason approaches, one of the league’s brightest stars has raised the alarm on an issue that could shake the very foundation of the WNBA: the threatening possibility of a lockout.

“Yeah, there’s um, there’s meetings that are happening,” Stewart said this week on Welcome To The Party. Meetings, yes, but progress? Not so much. The 2023 MVP didn’t sugarcoat her frustration. “I feel like um from a player perspective like it’s really frustrating to me that we haven’t been able to even come to an agreement as far as revenue share because then we haven’t talked about anything else important and there’s like family planning and player housing and like, um pension and the idea of like paying back former players for what they’ve done.”

That list is no small matter. Revenue sharing, pensions, family planning, and housing are core issues for players. Breanna Stewart further indicated that they’re in a really tough spot right now. The timing makes it even problematic. “What’s the hardest part is now? It’s we’re going into playoffs. When we go into playoffs, like I’m not doing extra stuff like brand partnerships, anything like that, because I want to be locked in for my team,” she said.

“So now it’s like, well, the WNBA can’t be mad at us for being locked in where our team is and focus on winning a championship and not able to be in as many meetings.” It’s a delicate balancing act of chasing a title while keeping an eye on the league’s future. But Breanna Stewart made it clear that if things don’t get resolved, the consequences might turn out to be massive.

“If the CBA is not done, then none of the free agency happens, and the entire league is a free agent because everybody wants to be making sure they’re capitalizing on what is potentially going to be higher salaries.” Now that’s the nightmare scenario.

“It’s a little bit concerning, and I feel like just even in my locker room as of late, everybody’s like, wow, this is like this might actually create a lockout,” Stewart admitted. “Like, we’re really like not going to come to terms right now. Um, but who knows, maybe there’ll be like a last-second thing happening.”

Breanna Stewart voices a league-wide concern

This tension comes at a time when the league should be celebrating momentum. A reported $2.2 billion media rights deal on the horizon, Caitlin Clark has brought in record-breaking viewership, and stars have grown their voices beyond the game. But that very growth has widened the gap between what players feel they deserve and what’s on the table.

At the All-Star weekend, players donned “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts to send a message as directly as possible. Clark herself highlighted the disparity by pointing out that her salary sits at just $78,000. And in doing so, she also pointed out how she is “really fortunate” for her endorsements and brand partnerships, especially her 8-year, $28 million deal with Nike. Breanna Stewart echoed that strain, explaining that postseason focus means setting aside those outside deals entirely, even as negotiations drag.

Stewart’s own resume makes her words carry even more weight. Two MVPs, a seven-time All-Star, and one of the most complete forwards the league has ever seen. She has averaged 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 46.9% shooting so far in her career. And now, she’s not just defending the Liberty’s chances against the Mercury, but also trying to defend the WNBA’s future stability.

Patience, however, is wearing thin. The league has never been in a stronger business position. But its players, led by voices like Stewart, are unwilling to accept that momentum without meaningful gains.

The playoffs may dominate headlines now, but the actual story could be what happens once the final buzzer sounds. Will Stewart and her peers get the deal they’re fighting for? Or will the WNBA, just as it reaches new heights, stumble into its most indecisive chapter yet? What the league does next will decide its future, and the players sure are ready to speak up.