Breanna Stewart Addresses Hard Truth Amid WNBA CBA Stalemate
There is still no resolution on a new collective bargaining agreement between the WNBA and the players' association, with the threat of missed games becoming more of a possibility as each day passes.
The two sides did meet Monday, and while the stalemate continues, a source close to the situation described the meeting as helpful, given it allowed the players and owners to engage in conversations and ask questions of one another.
One prominent voice on the players' side is New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart, who is a vice president of the union, in addition to a co-founder of Unrivaled.
Stewart recently launched the Game Recognize Game podcast with NBA player Myles Turner, and on an episode uploaded Monday (but seemingly recorded prior to the recent meeting), she addressed some of the pertinent topics surrounding CBA negotiations.
She shared that the players are prepared to strike, but made it clear they hope it doesn't get to that point and want to play. Stewart also discussed why revenue share has been a sticking point in illustrating that she and her peers don't want to settle for a deal that doesn't age well amid the WNBA's growth, while acknowledging players are in line for a huge salary increase.
The reported proposal from the league would bring max salaries up from around $250,000 to close to $1.3 million in 2026, with average salaries going from $120,000 to a projected figure of $540,000.
Adding to @alexaphilippou recap from yesterday, ESPN has obtained some of the information that was was presented to players at yesterday’s meeting—summarizing the WNBA’s current positions https://t.co/imM5elSO6H pic.twitter.com/T9p2XRP42n
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 3, 2026
Those numbers become particularly significant when factoring in something else Stewart said when comparing WNBA salaries to their counterparts in the NBA.
"The W and the NBA, contracts are vastly different," Stewart stated.
Breanna Stewart discusses the ongoing WNBA CBA negotiations with podcast co-host and NBA player, Myles Turner.
— haus hoops | wbb (@haushoops) February 4, 2026
“The closer it gets to WNBA season[…] we’re prepared to not play[…] but we want to play.”
(via Game Recognize Game Podcast) pic.twitter.com/lJMeIPtEME
"The top 10, maybe 15 players can survive without a WNBA contract. But the rest, no you don't want to go that much without getting paid," she added in addressing the hard truth of the financial reality that a large contingent of players could be facing in the event of a work stoppage.
Stewart Speaks on Unrivaled Conflict of Interest Argument
Some of the players who are better positioned to miss games participate in Unrivaled, as the 3-on-3 league Stewart co-founded with Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier made a splash by reportedly paying an average salary of $220,000 in 2025, with that number said to have increased in 2026.
Given her and Collier's stake in that league, questions have arisen about whether they might have a conflict of interest in CBA negotiations, something Stewart also spoke on.
“I know a lot of people are kind of like hating about [me] being apart of Unrivaled and also trying to negotiate the WNBA, but it’s like, I want two things to both be successful," she said.
That before Stewart again emphasized the importance of the 2026 WNBA season taking place. Perhaps all parties can agree on that sentiment in acting with urgency to get a deal done.
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Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!
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