WNBA Star Caitlin Clark Proposes Simple Solution to CBA Standoff

Clark suggests the league and players union "get in a room and iron it out" as deadline looms.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark believes the WNBA and its players union are making the collective bargaining negotiations harder than they need to be. Clark says the two sides should stop sending proposals back and forth and instead sit down face-to-face until a deal gets done, rather than risk delaying the start of the league's 30th season.

Why it matters

The WNBA is facing a March 10 deadline to reach at least a handshake agreement on a new CBA. If a deal isn't reached by then, the start of the 2026 season, currently scheduled for May 8, could be delayed. Clark's suggestion to get both sides in a room together is seen as a potential way to break the impasse and ensure the season starts on time.

The details

Negotiations have intensified in recent weeks as the league pushes toward the March 10 deadline. WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart endorsed Clark's idea, saying "if that means sitting in there for hours and hours at a time, let's do it." However, Stewart recently walked back criticism she and Kelsey Plum had made about the union's leadership in a leaked letter. The biggest gap between the sides appears to be revenue sharing, with the WNBA proposing players receive roughly 70% of net revenue while the players union has asked for about 26% of gross revenue.

  • The WNBA's 30th season is currently scheduled to begin on May 8, 2026.
  • The league has set a March 10, 2026 deadline to reach at least a handshake agreement on a new CBA.

The players

Caitlin Clark

An Indiana Fever star who believes the WNBA and its players union should "get in a room and iron it out" to resolve the CBA negotiations.

Breanna Stewart

The WNBPA vice president who endorsed Clark's idea to have both sides sit down together until a deal is reached.

Kelsey Plum

A WNBA player who, along with Breanna Stewart, privately criticized the players union's leadership in a letter that was later leaked publicly.

Terri Carmichael Jackson

The WNBPA executive director who received the letter from Stewart and Plum criticizing the union's leadership.

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What they’re saying

“I don't understand why we don't just get in a room and iron it out and shake hands. That's how business is. You look each other in the eye, you shake hands, you respect both sides. For me, that's what I would love to see.”

— Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever Star (outkick.com)

“I think that would be great for us all to sit in a room until we really get it done. If that means sitting in there for hours and hours at a time, let's do it. That's for the better of the player. While a situation like that has never happened before, there's a first time for everything.”

— Breanna Stewart, WNBPA Vice President (outkick.com)

“Terri is our executive director. We know that she's leading us in the best way possible. And while there might be some differences of opinions or questions that are being asked, it's all good faith of knowing that we want to make sure that we do what's right for all the players.”

— Breanna Stewart (outkick.com)

What’s next

If an agreement is reached by March 10, the expansion draft for the Portland and Toronto franchises could take place in early April, followed shortly by free agency and training camps ahead of the league's planned May 8 season opener.

The takeaway

This standoff between the WNBA and its players union highlights the challenges of collective bargaining in professional sports, with both sides needing to find common ground on key issues like revenue sharing in order to ensure the league's 30th season can start on time and without disruption.