Caitlin Clark's Words Ring True as WNBA Deadline Looms

The WNBA cannot afford to squander momentum as CBA negotiations reach a critical point.

Jul 19, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Team Clark guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Team Collier guard Kelsey Plum (10) before the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark summed up the WNBA's current situation well at USA Basketball training camp in December:

"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."

Caitlin Clark shares her thoughts on state of CBA negotiations, avoiding a lockout, etc. at Duke.

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

— Shelby Swanson (@shelbymswanson) December 12, 2025

Clark's message was spot on, and the league is now nearing a critical juncture with the latest extension for CBA negotiations set to expire on January 9 and reports indicating the two sides remain far apart.

WNBA Players Fight for a Bigger Piece of the Pie

Jul 19, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Team Collier forward Napheesa Collier (24) is interviewed after the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

It's not exactly shocking that the negotiations have been contentious, especially after Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier put WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert on blast in what served as a bit of an opening salvo from the players toward league leadership.

And it's easy to see why players are fighting for a bigger piece of the pie, something Collier also articulated using Clark as an example when speaking with Glamour Magazine.

“We are being so grossly almost taken advantage of, and it should be illegal,” she said. “The amount of money that Caitlin Clark has made the league is insane, and she’s getting 0% of it because we have no rev share. She gets less than $80,000 a year, and she’s bringing in, like, hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s insane.”

Napheesa Collier dropped the Caitlin Clark bomb on WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert! pic.twitter.com/VvZSP3Va9V

— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) October 1, 2025

There is no doubt that players will come out with significant raises regardless of what version of the deal is ratified, but revenue sharing seemingly remains the sticking point.

The WNBA Can't Afford to Fumble This Moment

Las Vegas Aces' A’ja Wilson (22) signs autographs for fans Saturday, July 19, 2025, after the WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the bottom line is always paramount in any negotiation, the true bottom line is this: the WNBA cannot afford to squander the momentum it has built over the last two seasons.

The players have already threatened a strike—a leverage play, but also a glimpse of a potentially disastrous outcome.

And while it's impossible to know the precise proposals on either side, it's hard to imagine an acceptable compromise doesn't exist. The players are positioned to benefit in ways that were unimaginable before Clark arrived on the scene and explosive growth followed. Ownership, meanwhile, stands to gain from a new media rights deal, record attendance, expansion, and soaring franchise valuations.

All of which would make it a facepalm of epic proportions if stubbornness prevails during what Clark aptly described as the biggest moment the WNBA has ever seen.

Because as she also alluded to, the greatest payoff for everyone comes through the product on the floor.