Even before the 2025 WNBA season began, the was already a controversy afoot. The WNBPA announced that they have triggered a clause to opt out of the CBA prematurely. Since then, the negotiations have been going on, but to no avail. Even as the WNBA Finals are ongoing, there is a big cloud of uncertainty for the next season as the deadline (October 31) is nearing. But in a step that could hint towards things getting close to resolution, the WNBA has increased the WNBA Finals bonus for the 2025 season.

According to recent reports, the bonus has now been increased to $23,908 for each athlete from the winning team and $8,521 for each athlete from the runners-up roster. This is an increase from last season, where winning players got $28,825 and runner-ups received $7,746. This increased prize money for the winning team means that the WNBA has increased the pool by approximately $25,000. While it may not seem like a big increase, it is a step in the right direction.

But even after the increase, there are a few interesting things associated with this. For example, even after winning the championship, the winning team’s players get less bonus money than Commissioner’s Cup winners. This is because of a special clause in the 2020 CBA $750,000 were set aside for special competitions. After winning the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup, Caitlin Clark had said, “You get more [money] for this than you do if you’re the [WNBA Finals] champion. It makes no sense.”

Another interesting thing about this increase in prize money is the hush-hush nature of it. By now, it is no secret that the WNBPA and WNBA are locked in an intense negotiations. This situation has further come into scanner after Napheesa Collier’s exit interview. After all that, it would have been understandable if the WNBA had made a public announcement in the hopes of some much needed good PR. But the league chose to do all this quietly without much fuss.

After the increase in prize money, the fans will hope that the negotiations will gain some momentum and gets sorted out as soon as possible. The league is heading into a crucial phase with two new expansion teams coming in. The last thing the league needs is a delay that stops their momentum. But if the recent reports are to be believed, there is no quick resolution in sight for the negotiations.

Cathy Engelbert’s pre-WNBA Finals presser creates further issues with Napheesa Collier

As we started to get ready for the 2025 WNBA Finals, there was a lot of intrigue about Cathy Engelbert’s pre-finals press conference. After Napheesa Collier’s explosive statements, everyone wanted to hear how Cathy will respond. While she did for the most part said the right things, the was a moment that has seemed to further strain their relationship. Even before the meeting, Cathy Engelbert and Napheesa Collier were supposed to have a meeting.

However, as Cathy Engelbert denied Napheesa’s comments about Caitlin Clark, their meeting was canceled. This is yet another problem between the two parties. If there was any hope for some mediation and progress, it all ended after Cathy basically called Napheesa Collier a liar. With the meeting now canceled, the CBA negotiations remain in a limbo.

The league has offered a significant pay bump to the players. However, the WNBPA is still adamant about a revenue share model. Part of the reason why they are adamant about it is the lack of clarity. Throughout the season, there have been a lot of voices raised demanding more clarity from the league regarding where the revenue is going. A revenue sharing model will solve that. However, it also includes an added risk of decreased salaries, should a major loss in revenue occur.