Ever since the entire Napheesa Collier outburst happened, there has been a coldness between the players and the league. But now that the CBA date is nearing, there’s a fear of a lockout. “Everyone is playing their role to avoid a lockout… but to do that, you need real conversations. It now feels like wasted time, and that’s on Cathy, unfortunately,” said ESPN analyst and former WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike regarding the WNBA CBA negotiations. Now, Sue Bird has her own tips for these basketball ladies.

Sue Bird and Nneka Ogwumike recently had a conversation about the CBA negotiations, and the 4x WNBA champion recalled a story from the last CBA negotiations that Bird was a part of. Bird revealed that the players and the league front office had reached a deal where the salary numbers and the salary cap numbers were agreed upon. Despite this, Bird, Nneka Ogwumike, and Chiney Ogwumike decided to do some negotiating among themselves and concluded that the salary max should go up to $220,000.

Even though the duo felt that it might have been too late to present this new number, the players also felt that it is what is best. “I think that would be what I would also share as advice is when you know something is best because you’re the one who has the experience and the knowledge of what’s actually happening, it’s never too late,” said Bird. “It’s never too late in negotiation. You can’t be scared. It’s always good faith, also when you’re coming from a good place.”

It is no secret that the WNBA players have been seeking a pay raise for a long time. After all, Caitlin Clark, who was selected 1st overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, currently plays under a 4-year, $338,056 contract, and averages about $84,514 a year. In comparison, Ariel Hukporti, the 58th pick at the 2024 NBA Draft, signed a 2-year, $5.745 million contract. This made his average pay stand at $2,872,666. The difference is clear, and the message was sent earlier, too.

The players weren’t afraid to highlight their message in public, as seen from the ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us’ T-shirts the Indiana Fever star and other players wore during the All-Star game. As CBS Sports reported, “The frustration Collier and other players have had with Engelbert has been apparent throughout this year as players have consistently called out the league for not engaging in good-faith CBA negotiations.”

One example was seen back in July, when the players entered negotiations “a little concerned” over the WNBA’s lack of a prompt response to the union’s offering five months ago. Ogwumike said the players sent the league an initial proposal and then a follow-up, for which they did not get a response until June 13th. The league counters that the amended proposal wasn’t received until April. As Breanna Stewart recalled, “it was a wasted opportunity. We could have really kind of gotten into a deeper dive of everything.”

Since then, things have changed. As of early October, the players have yet to indicate that they are close to having their demands met. A WNBA spokesperson did provide a recent update by saying that “We continue to negotiate in good faith and remain focused on delivering significant increases to salaries and benefits for players while building a league that can thrive for decades for the benefit of all. We already have several meetings scheduled with the WNBPA to move this forward and get it done in as timely a manner as the Players Association wishes.”

The longer the uncertainty around a CBA deal remains, the longer Cathy Engelbert’s popularity is affected. As it turns out, however, she might not carry the ultimate blame if the WNBA enters a lockout.

ESPN reporter highlights Cathy Engelbert as ‘Figurehead’ in CBA negotiations

Napheesa Collier presented the ultimate sign that the WNBA might not be negotiating in good faith during her exit interview. After all, she alleged that not only did Cathy Engelbert did not budge on salary negotiations, she told Collier in a private conversation that Caitlin Clark and other young standouts “should be on their knees” in gratitude for the platform the league has given them. While this has made the WNBA commissioner widely unpopular, according to a reporter, she might not be as bad as she is being portrayed.

ESPN reporter Ros Gold-Onwude recently discussed the WNBA’s CBA contract along with guest host and 5x WNBA All-Star Angel McCoughtry on the ‘Good Fellow’ show. During the same time, she highlighted Adam Silver’s comments about the situation, and how the NBA leadership is also “very much to breast on what’s happening in these CBA negotiations.”

“I actually think there’s a situation where, in some ways, Cathy Engelbert is more of like a figurehead who’s getting scapegoated in some ways, or being piled on in some ways,” said Gold-Onwude. “And while she’s certainly flawed, and has made some mistakes here, it’s not…. She’s not the only decision maker who is denying some of the requests of these players.”

Atlanta Dream CEO Suzanne Abair once famously said that “If all the WNBA owners say they want to do something and the NBA says no, the answer is no.” In a way, the WNBA is called a ‘subsidy’ of the NBA, since the men’s league holds another 42% of the league, and the remaining 16% belongs to a 2022 investment consortium. Therefore, NBA officials have a major say in what is going on in the workings of the women’s league.

While WNBA players are being asked to stand their ground, it won’t do much good if Cathy Engelbert, or the people allegedly behind her, negotiate in bad faith. Time is ticking with 3 weeks until the deadline. Whether the players and the management are able to do something by then is something that remains to be seen.