Publicly, WNBPA says that everything is okay and all players agree, but privately, star players are writing letters to complain about communication problems. There are signs of trouble with only one week left until the March 10 CBA deadline. It’s impossible to ignore the difference between what leaders say in public and what they do in private anymore.

Rachel DeMita, a national analyst, talked about the rising tensions on her YouTube channel and directly asked if the WNBPA leadership was accountable. DeMita stated, “All I’m seeing here is true deflection. And we went over it in the last episode, and I read to you guys the clawback, the statement that the WNBPA put out, and basically said there’s nothing wrong with our players’ association. We are united. All the players signed at the bottom. But now the leader of the players’ association is taking zero accountability, and she’s saying, ‘I don’t think there’s discomfort with what we’re doing.” She continued: “Was the whole letter a lie? I feel like that would be pretty bold of ESPN to put direct quotes from a letter to the players’ association in an article. Who’s lying here?”

DeMita is frustrated because the union is saying one thing in public and doing something else behind closed doors. WNBPA Executive Director Terri Jackson says everything is fine, but Kelsey Plum and Breanna Stewart wrote her a letter saying they are very worried about how she is handling the negotiations. After a heated meeting on February 24, the executive committee released a statement saying they were all on the same page. The real threat to the union’s credibility is the difference between what people say in public and what they do in private.

Breanna Stewart, a member of the executive committee, talked directly about the letter situation. After the union call, she told the Associated Press, “Sometimes hard conversations need to be had. I felt better after it and know that we finished that call understanding that we’re representing the larger body of players and we have work to be done and we’re going to do that work.” Stewart’s statement admitted that there were disagreements within the group but tried to bring everyone back together.

The union is blaming others instead of fixing problems, and time is running out. Jackson says the league is to blame for taking so long and not responding to its proposal from December for six weeks. But when they finally met on February 2, the league brought nothing. In December, players voted to strike, but now a lot of them have changed their minds.

WNBA and players disagree on who gets paid more

The real dispute is over money and who gets a fair wage. The WNBA is different from the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL because it has never given players a share of the league’s money. This missing piece is what is making the whole negotiation fall apart right now.

The WNBPA wants 26% of the league’s total revenue for players. The WNBA agreed to 70% of net revenue, which sounds good at first, but when you look closer, it doesn’t. Yahoo Sports did the numbers and found that the league’s offer is only about 15% of total revenue. Nothing has been settled yet because of the difference between 15% and 26%.

Things are getting worse because of the calendar. The league can give its official approval by the end of March if they reach an agreement by March 10. Then there is the expansion draft for Toronto and Portland, free agency opens, the draft happens, and training camp starts in April. The season is set to start on May 8, which is the WNBA’s 30th year. Hitting that timeline just right is the most important thing.

Both sides now have to make a tough choice quickly. The league won’t agree to share revenue, Jackson’s reputation is hurt, and the start date of May 8 is coming up quickly. They have to either meet in the middle on the 11-point gap between 15% and 26%, or the 2026 season will be pushed back or canceled.