$250K for 3-on-3. $76K for the W? Make It Make Sense. The WNBA CBA Fight Is Here

“We Don’t Want a Lockout… But We’re Prepared.” — The Case for the WNBA to Shut It All Down.

Napheesa Collier didn’t flinch.

Not after dropping 28 and 10. Not after logging her fifth straight double-double. Not after helping keep the Lynx undefeated and casually torching the Dallas Wings like it was just another Tuesday cardio session.

She cooked. She conquered. Then she stepped up to the podium looking like she had one more item on the night’s to-do list: shake the damn league.

Because Phee wasn’t just there to talk about buckets. Phee showed up to the podium ready to speak not just for herself — but for every player trying to build a future in this league.

She came to talk business — big business.

And she didn’t mince words.

“Just recognizing that we’re working really hard to get that done… we’re asking for what we deserve, what we earned,” she said of the ongoing CBA negotiations. “We’re hoping the league reciprocates that energy.”

Translation: Don’t play with us. This isn’t a wishlist scribbled on a napkin. It’s a line in the sand drawn in Sharpie — and it’s permanent.

And if that sounds like labor talk? That’s because it is.

And if that sounds like labor talk? That’s because it is. Phee’s not just grabbing rebounds — she’s grabbing bargaining power. Phee is out here hooping and organizing like she’s going for MVP and union rep in the same week.

This isn’t polite lobbying. This is a soft-spoken All-Star saying: “Either we get a real seat at the table, or we’re flipping the whole damn table over.” And she’s not bluffing. When she says they’re “prepared to do what it takes,” it’s not metaphorical. It’s “we will absolutely sit out and burn the league’s momentum to the ground if we have to” vibes.

 

“We are prepared to do what it takes… no one wants a lockout… but we’re prepared for all options.”

And honestly? They should strike. They really, really should.

Phee even admitted, “I think it’s a bad time for a stoppage,” then immediately followed that up with “but we’re prepared for all options.” That’s like saying, “I don’t want to punch you… but I’ve already made a fist.”

So yeah — she dropped 28, cleaned the glass, hit the podium, and casually threatened to halt the fastest-growing league in sports if things don’t change.

Peak Phee. Peak power play.

Strike While the Iron Is Hot

Look, the idiom is old-school — blacksmith energy, tongs, fire, all that. But the meaning is still sharp: take your shot when the moment’s right.

For the WNBA? This is the moment.

Ratings are through the roof. Merch is flying off shelves. TikTok clips are pulling millions. ESPN, Amazon, Nike — the partnerships are deepening. The culture is here. The hype is real.

But the money? Still dusty.

Angel Reese is getting $82K a year. Caitlin Clark signed for $338K total over four years. That’s $76,000 this season — and she’s the most watched, most talked-about women’s basketball player on the planet.

So while the league is growing, the salaries are still stuck in a time capsule. And players? They’re done waiting.

 

“We’re not asking for the same salaries as the men,” Collier has said before. “We’re asking for the same revenue shares.”

You know what that means? These women aren’t saying, “Give us $50 million.” They’re saying, “Let us eat from the same pie we helped bake.”

Unrivaled Changed Everything

Let’s keep it all the way real: the existence of Unrivaled — a player-run, 3-on-3 league where Angel Reese is racking up $250K checks for, like, ten games and a light sweat — has completely exposed the WNBA’s bag fumble in HD.

Like… Unrivaled pulled up with vibes, investors, cute jerseys, and a season shorter than a group chat beef — and they’re still paying players more. No practice player contracts. No charter flight drama. Just hoop, cash, repeat.

If Unrivaled can lock down funding, build a whole brand, and hand out life-changing money over brunch, what’s stopping the WNBA? A Word doc from 1999?

Reese literally said her bonus from Unrivaled was “more than half” her rookie salary and joked that she had to keep it on the low. That’s not funny. That’s financial stand-up comedy — and also a blueprint. And also a warning shot with glitter and a ribbon on it.

Because the second Reese, Clark, Brink, Jackson, and Cardoso wake up and go, “Wait, why are we doing 40 games and cross-country flights for less money and more stress?” — that’s the ballgame, folks. Not just talent leaving. That’s your whole ecosystem peace-ing out in matching Yeezys.

And guess what? The next generation — JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers, Flau’jae Johnson, Milaysia Fulwiley — they’re watching all of this like it’s a case study. You think they’re gonna be cool with $74K and Greyhounds after watching Reese hit the runway and the rim in designer while making NBA role-player money?

Nah. They’re already asking questions. And not the polite kind.

Labor Talks with a Jump Shot

This isn’t a league filled with rookies who don’t get it.

The veterans — Breanna Stewart, Skylar Diggins-Smith, A’ja Wilson, Collier — are built different.

They’re not just playing the game. They’re rewriting the rules.

“I do think it’s a bad time for a stoppage,” Collier admitted. “We don’t want one. We hope the league feels the same way.”

But here’s the kicker: if you really want to avoid a stoppage, you have to respect the players before they walk.

This league is on the edge of something massive. More teams are coming. More fans are tuned in. The stories, the rivalries, the highlights? They’re everywhere. The only thing missing?

A CBA that reflects the power of the product.

And if it takes a strike to get there?

Then maybe that’s the final torch that lights the fire.

So here’s the headline:

The players don’t want to sit out.

But if it comes down to making history or staying silent?

Bet on them to make noise.