Insider Explains Why Caitlin Clark Is Staying Quiet On CBA Talks
Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark addressed the ongoing CBA negotiations between the WNBA league office and the players' association when speaking with the media afterthe Team USA training camp practice on December 12.
"I think the most important thing for myself in thinking about these CBA negotiations is like, this is the biggest moment the WNBA has ever seen. And it's not something that can be messed up. And you know, we're gonna fight for everything we deserve. But at the same time, we need to play basketball. That's what our fans crave, and that's what all of you crave, as well. You want the product on the floor," Clark said.
"At the end of the day, that's how you make your money, that's how you're marketable, that's what the fans get excited about, that's what the fans want to show up for. So it's business, it's a negotiation. There has to be compromise on both sides... Obviously, I want to help in any way I can, and try to educate myself the best I can," she continued.
"And it's important that we find a way to play this next season, and I think our fans, even everybody that has played in this league before us, deserve that as well," Clark concluded.
Caitlin Clark shares her thoughts on state of CBA negotiations, avoiding a lockout, etc. at Duke.
— Shelby Swanson (@shelbymswanson) December 12, 2025
She’s here for USA Basketball Training Camp under HC Kara Lawson, one of 10 players making their first senior national team camp appearance. pic.twitter.com/JWSYC5Bw1Z
Insider Points To Caitlin Clark’s Calculated Approach Amid CBA Talks
Clark hasn't spoken about the CBA since then, and there is still no deal between the two sides. While Clark keeping quiet might raise some people's eyebrows, Front Office Sports WNBA insider Annie Costabile explained why this should not be the case during her March 3 appearance on "Yahoo Sports Daily".
When asked how obligated Clark should feel from her peers and the league to stand up and try to help the CBA negotiations forward, Costabile said, "So, I get what you're saying in the sense of, 'Caitlin is the face of the league, she has power, when she speaks, people listen.' That's very valid. But she's also a very calculated person when she does speak," per an X post from Yahoo Sports.
"I think the people leading these negotiations are not necessarily asking that of her. And so, if you're Caitlin, is it your job to supersede player leadership? I don't think that is a tactic that seems like one Caitlin would ever take on," Costabile continued.
"The people leading these negotiations are not necessarily asking that of her."@AnnieCostabile weighs in on whether Caitlin Clark should have been more vocal in WNBA CBA talks 🗣️
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 3, 2026
(via Yahoo Sports Daily) pic.twitter.com/sDzGlwJoTG
Costabile later added, "Now, she will be at USA basketball this weekend. A lot of us will be there. So that will be a time, a moment, where we'll hear from her regarding CBA negotiations. We heard from her in USA camp in North Carolina. But as far as her putting herself in a position that isn't required to speak up, I just don't know if that seems like something Caitlin has ever really taken on."
It will be intesting to see what Clark says about the negotiations when she speaks this weekend.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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