The CBA deadline is nearing, and with just a week to go, the pressure on the league has been mounting from all sides. Many had hoped negotiations would pick up after Napheesa Collier’s explosive comments about Cathy Engelbert, but talks still seem stalled. Multiple efforts at different levels have been tried since the all-star days, but have been of no use. This has left fans frustrated, and now even people in positions of power are stepping in, urging the league to get a deal done before the October 31 deadline.

A recent report from The Athletic’s Ben Pickman revealed that over 70 elected U.S. officials have sent a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and NBA commissioner Adam Silver, urging them to “bargain in good faith” and finalize a deal within the next seven days. Among the signatories are prominent figures like New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and City Council member Tiffany Caban, highlighting the growing political pressure on the league to resolve the stalled negotiations quickly.

A lifelong fan of the New York Liberty since the team’s founding in 1997, Tiffany Caban and others wrote in the letter, “This new CBA deal is an opportunity to set the record straight that women are valuable workers who deserve to be paid accordingly and treated fairly.”

The letter comes in the wake of Adam Silver’s recent comments discouraging the WNBA players’ push for a revenue-share model for salaries, adding more fuel to the ongoing debate over fair compensation in the league. Silver’s comments didn’t go down well as the WNBPA put an Instagram story, which garnered a lot of strong reactions from the fans.

Following Adam’s comments, WNBPA’s executive director, Terri Jackson, had released a strong statement saying, “We’ve come to the table prepared to do business. They’ve responded with bad math and are hoping everyone doesn’t understand what ‘uncapped’ actually means. Adam Silver said it himself on behalf of the WNBA. ‘Share isn’t the word.’ It’s not in their vocabulary.”

Now, with the elected officials also joining in, the pressure on Cathy Engelbert has increased even further. Especially considering the recent drama unfolding in the NBA, the WNBA needs to tread carefully and try its best to make a deal that will make these officials, the fans, and most importantly, the players happy. However, in the opinion of one of the biggest voices in sports commentary, there can be some other factors that could derail the league and the progress it’s made in the last couple of years.

Stephen A. Smith reveals one reason that could derail the league despite Cathy Engelbert’s efforts

The past few days have shaken the basketball world. While the WNBA’s CBA hold-up has dragged on for nearly a year, recent arrests of Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers’ coach Chauncey Billups have stunned fans. Official reports cite FBI investigations, but ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith suggests someone far more powerful is pulling the strings, adding a layer of intrigue and raising questions about the forces behind these high-profile developments in the NBA.

Stephen A.’s allegations are grave as he hints at the White House. In her show FirstTake, Smith said, “It’s as serious as it gets. But I’ve been saying, he’s coming. In his eyes, folks tried to throw him in jail. He’s not playing.” Smith’s allegations were dismissed by FBI Director Kash Patel, saying, “Single dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” But the ESPN analysts’ comment continued targeting the president: “Don’t be surprised if the WNBA is next on his list. When you have all of these protests against him and what have you, this man is coming.”

While it remains to be seen whether there are any investigations of the WNBA, the focus remains on making sure that we get a 2026 WNBA season. As things stand, it seems to be a very bleak picture. However, in high-leveraged negotiations like these, it only takes one part to budge and unlock the deal. Which party will blink first? Only time will tell.