A rise in popularity often comes with challenges, and the WNBA is living proof! Women’s basketball has been getting a lot of traction over the last year or so, and it’s only going onwards and upwards. Cathy Engelbert’s league is breaking records every night, has some of basketball’s biggest stars taking the court, and a whole lot of interest from fans. But obviously, players want their share of the pie, and rightfully so! The league’s biggest stars, until this year, have been forced to extend their seasons and play overseas to earn money, and it all boils down to one thing–the CBA.

And stars have taken notice. The WNBPA opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement last year, and is undergoing some tough negotiations to fair out a new deal. Their focus? Revenue sharing, a seat at the table, and the protection of players. Things like increasing the number of roster spots, ensuring chartered flights for teams, and increasing the size of contracts. Common sense, really, but when is it ever that easy? There’s drama, call-outs, and a tough job to do for Cathy Engelbert and the players’ union.

The WNBPA and the commissioner have been going back and forth for the last few months about this CBA. Apparently, the Ogwumike-led union submitted an official proposal back in February, but Engelbert refused to consider it. It was communicated to the WNBPA that it wasn’t accepted as an official proposal, and a revised version had to be submitted in April.

According to a statement by WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike given to Front Office Sports, “There were inconsistencies where we wanted to start negotiations based on what the players want in terms of salary structure, revenue sharing, and a few other things.” But basically, there’s an ongoing dispute between the players’ union and Cathy Engelbert’s side of the administration, and it’s something major. Ogwumike shared a rather controversial statement that Engelbert made. “It’s been made clear that there’s this perception that the players don’t understand the business. Cathy has told that to my face. I communicated that to the players and I said, ‘Let’s demonstrate that we do understand the business, especially as we’re going back and forth in negotiations.”

Situations like these are always messy. On one end, the business end of the league is cut-throat and brutal, but if the players aren’t being supported, then what’s the point? It will be interesting to see what kind of middle ground Ogwumike and Engelbert end up on, as this debate is catching national headlines. Even stars like Caitlin Clark are speaking up about this, drawing attention to the facts of the case.

“Someone tell Cathy [Engelbert] to help us out,”: Caitlin Clark speaks on WNBA wage disparity

We’ve talked a lot about how the WNBA has accrued immense popularity over the last year, and we all know Caitlin Clark had a huge hand in it. The Indiana Fever guard has been a superstar since her Iowa days, and her fan following is both formidable and loyal. She’s known to play a fast-paced, entertaining brand of basketball, and viewers love it! But CC is also known to speak up when it matters, and right now is a prime example.

After winning the Commissioner’s Cup final, the Indiana Fever won a significant lump of money, but it also pointed out a major flaw in the system. “We get more for [the Commissioner’s Cup] than you do if you’re a [WNBA] champion. Makes no sense,” Clark said on an IG live. “Someone tell Cathy [Engelbert] to help us out.” 

Making the WNBA finals has a $3000 reward for all the players, and winning the Commissioner’s Cup? Significantly more. This raises the question: How is an in-season tournament more lucrative in terms of money than the entire league? It doesn’t necessarily make sense and points out the sheer absurdness of the situation.

It will be interesting to see whether Nneka Ogwumike and her players’ union will be able to successfully negotiate a solid middle ground. Not to mention, the WNBA commissioner is at a crucial junction in her career. As soon as he saw the initial popularity boom, David Stern revolutionized the NBA, marketed it, and sold it to the entire world. The question for Engelbert will be if she can manage to replicate his success, or if she’ll end up falling short. Only time will tell.