What's Going On With The WNBA
WNBA superstar Cameron Brink made it clear this week there’s a very good chance she’ll one day grace the pages of Playboy.
During an interview with TMZ Sports, the Sparks forward said she’s open to the idea of posing for the magazine, though she did add it would all first require the green light from her future husband, Ben Felter.
WNBA superstar Cameron Brink said this week there’s a possibility she could one day model for Playboy. Cameron Brink“We’ll see,” she said of the possibility. “Maybe. If my fiancé approves.”
Brink, of course, is no stranger to appearing in front of cameras in barely there clothing. She modeled several bikinis for last year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and also revealed she went “fully naked” for a separate gig with Players magazine.
Cameron Brink was drafted by the Sparks in the first round of the 2024 WNBA Draft. NBAE via Getty ImagesIt also would not be unprecedented for a WNBA player to show off in Playboy — Kysre Gondrezick just blazed that trail last year.
The former Sky guard — who recently dated Celtics forward Jaylen Brown — was named the magazine’s Miss June 2025.
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Brink, 24, actually shouted out the Playmate during her interview with TMZ Sports, calling Gondrezick’s shots “absolutely beautiful.”
Cameron Brink returned to the Sparks in the 2025 season after tearing her ACL in 2024. NBAE via Getty ImagesWhile some bunny ears could one day be in her future, one of Brink’s biggest current priorities is her upcoming wedding with Felter.
The two, who got engaged in Sept. 2024, are still working out all of the wrinkles involved in getting a party together while they officially tie the knot, she said.
“Just figuring the venue and everything and timing with the season,” Brink said. “But, I’m very blessed. Love my fiancé so much. So, I’m just very excited.”
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn ImagesOn Monday, the WNBA and the players union met for the first time in 2026 in an attempt to reestablish "status quo" negotiations over the latest collective bargaining agreement. Though negotiations have been ongoing since October, the meeting concluded without significant progress. According to The Athletic, the last official proposal was submitted by the WNBPA back in December and has yet to elicit an official response.
Since negotiations began, players have publicly expressed frustration with the league. During WNBA playoffs in late September, WNBPA Vice President Napheesa Collier called WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert's leadership the "worst in the world." At an Unrivaled press conference this past Friday, New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud addressed the WNBA directly: "We will not f***ing move until y'all move." After the league failed to make any moves during Monday's meeting, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham called the WNBA the "laughingstock of sports."
As negotiations have carried on and players have continued to publicly voice their frustrations, criticism has moved from the league's inaction to player response. On her Jan. 16 appearance on WNBA legend Sue Bird's podcast A Touch More, former WNBA star Rebecca Lobo stated she believed the most recent league proposal was a good one and that players' reactions have been unnecessarily negative.
"Some of the rhetoric I've heard from their side has been a little bit troublesome. When a deal is presented that's over a million max salary and revenue share, it's called a 'slap in the face.' Like, just use different words. And I'm worried the players might be getting to a point where they might be losing some of the support from the public. And I think that has been a big part of this all along."
Tone is the last thing WNBA players should be worried about right nowLobo's comment refers to Satou Sabally's comments back in July. After being asked what she thought about the league's decision to add three expansion teams - one in Cleveland, another in Detroit, and the other in Philadelphia - Sabally responded that she'd rather focus on the latest CBA proposal and how it could impact current players.
Though rhetoric by players may be blunt, it reflects an economic reality that WNBA players lag behind female athletes in other sports despite substantial market demand. In a recent article, The Athletic analyzed Forbes' 2025 world's highest-paid female athletes. They concluded that the most notable outlier was the fourth-highest-paid female athlete, two-time Olympic gold medalist and one-time silver medalist skier Eileen Gu. Of her $23.1 million in earnings, just $0.1 million came from skiing, with the remainder ($23 million) coming from endorsements.
The highest-paid basketball player on the list is Caitlin Clark. As the eleventh-highest-paid female athlete in 2025, Clark's earning breakdown mirrored Gu's almost exactly: out of her $12.1 million, only $0.1 million came from on-court play, with the remaining $12 million generated off-court. The same applies to Paige Bueckers, who earned $9.1 million in total - $0.1 million on the court and $9 million from endorsements.
Similar trends hold true for the two other WNBA players on the list. Sabrina Ionescu earned $10.5 million in 2025, with $0.5 million coming from league salary and $10 million from endorsements, while Angel Reese earned $9.4 million total, split between $0.4 million on-court and $9 million off-court. The only other athlete on the list with just $0.1 million in on-field earnings was Ilona Maher, a former Olympic bronze medalist in rugby, who ranked 20th overall with $8.1 million in total earnings.
When compared to other top earners, the difference in WNBA pay structure is stark. Even the names responsible for boosting fan engagement and ushering in this new age of women's basketball rely overwhelmingly on endorsements for compensation rather than league salaries. Until this changes, the focus of CBA negotiations should not be on players' tone, or rhetoric, but on how the WNBA's current pay structure continues to lag behind proven player merit.
More WNBA news and analysis:Paige Bueckers taking another leap is the most important breakout of Unrivaled4 most shocking stats from the Unrivaled season so farThe WNBA and its players are back at the bargaining table with a strike loomingUnrivaled Power Rankings: Breanna Stewart and Mist BC emerge as title contendersThis article was originally published on www.fansided.com as WNBA CBA drama isn't about rhetoric, it's about money.
NEW YORK (AP) — WNBA players’ union president Nneka Ogwumike said significant work remains for the season to start on time but said she remains confident games will be played in 2026.
"I know our players 100% want to play this year,” she said in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Friday. “We want a season.”
Ogwumike said the league and union are not close on key issues like revenue sharing in their effort to strike a new collective bargaining agreement. The clock is ticking. The season is supposed to begin May 8, but an expansion draft, free agency and a rookie draft also need to happen before the league tips off.
Ogwumike said once revenue sharing is solved, the rest hopefully will fall into place quickly.
“We made the point that once we nail this, we can get everything else done,” Ogwumike said.
The league submitted a new proposal to the union Friday evening according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions. This ended a more than six-week wait from the players association for a counter to their last offer.
After a three-hour meeting Monday at the NBA offices, the union left with the understanding it would have a new proposal soon. It came Friday.
The major sticking point has been revenue sharing. The players want around 30% of the gross revenue — money generated before expenses — for the first year in their latest proposal. Under the league’s last proposal, players would receive in excess of 70% of net revenue, though that would be their take of the profits after expenses are paid. Those expenses would include upgraded facilities, charter flights, five-star hotels, medical services, security and arenas.
The league's previous offer last month would guarantee a maximum base salary of $1 million in 2026 that could reach $1.3 million through revenue sharing. That’s up from the current $249,000 and could grow to nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement.
That was on slides that were presented to players at Monday's meeting and obtained by the AP.
The slides also outlined 37 areas where the league was willing to make concessions players wanted. Some of those proposals included adding two developmental player slots to teams, giving pregnant players the right to refuse trades, increasing the guaranteed contracts on a team and codifying charter flights as well as other first-class travel considerations.
If a new CBA isn’t agreed upon soon, it could delay the start of the 2026 season. It’s already delayed the expansion draft for Toronto and Portland.
The last CBA was announced in the middle of January 2020, a month after it had been agreed to. It could easily take two months from when a new CBA is reached to get to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin last month. With a massive salary raise expected in a new CBA, 80% of players in the league are free agents this offseason, which makes this the biggest opportunity for player movement in the history of the WNBA.
A delay would hurt both sides as every game that is missed, revenue would be lost, as would be sponsorships, television money and fan support.
Ogwumike, who is in her third term as union president, said that the long wait for a response hasn't been all bad, as she and union leadership have had a chance to talk with WNBA players. She was in Nashville on Thursday with union leadership at Athletes Unlimited. It was a chance to take a pulse of the players. Ogwumike has been talking to as many players as she could over the last few months to keep them abreast of discussions and hear their opinions.
“I actually like the fact that we’ve had these six weeks now, still waiting for a proposal. It’s given us the gift of time,” she said. “And so, you know, in December, after the strike authorization vote, we were able to meet in Miami and talk to players.”
Players voted to give union leadership the right to strike in December. Ogwumike said despite that, a strike is not imminent, although the union did post on social media a video about the 1964 NBA All-Star Game strike. The NBA All-Star Game is next weekend in Los Angeles.
“Having the strike on the table is something that we’re very much aware of, but there’s so many more conversations that have to happen,” Ogwumike said. “You know, we’re not just going to say, `Hey, today’s the day (we’ll strike).' You know, I think that’s what what we’re demonstrating right now is negotiating in good faith.”
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Sep 18, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shown on the court against the Atlanta Dream during the first half during game three of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images ©Dale Zanine-Imagn ImagesIn the ongoing CBA talks between the WNBA and the WNBPA, the players have been clear with their demands. Their pay should increase as the league continues to boom. According to them, they deserve a higher salary because they are the driving force behind its growth. And if we are being fair, they are correct. Take Caitlin Clark, for example. After she entered the league, the craze for the WNBA has been surreal.
Her impact in this league has been so big that even Joe Tsai, owner of the New York Liberty, publicly praised the young star.
“Caitlin Clark definitely had an effect on the WNBA,” he said on the All In Podcast. “All the metrics went up, so this was last season, right when she first came into the league from college, and we’ve seen all of our metrics from viewership, ticket sales, (and) sponsorship. Everything went up like almost 4x. So the economic impact that she’s made to the league is extraordinary.”
However, Tsai said this back in October 2025. But this clip has resurfaced on social media after the WNBA’s recent proposal.
After the players’ union submitted their ask back in December, where they demanded 30% of the gross revenue, the league has finally countered their offer.
The WNBA recently presented a proposal that would give players more than 70% of net revenue, meaning profits after operational costs like charter flights, upgraded facilities, security, and travel are deducted.
In their last offer, the league presented to increase the maximum base salary to $1 million in 2026, with the possibility of reaching $1.3 million through revenue sharing, giving the players a massive jump from the current $249,000 ceiling.
However, while on paper this offer looks like progress, the real battle isn’t about the headline number.
This gap is the main reason for both these parties not finding common ground, even after negotiating a new CBA for over a year now. With the union yet to respond to this offer and the WNBA already releasing its 2026 season schedule, which is all set to kick off on May 8, all eyes are on the WNBA and the WNBPA until they reach an agreement. Because if the talks keep getting delayed, it would be inevitable for the upcoming season to get delayed.
Caitlin Clark’s Colleagues Send Clear Message Amid CBA UncertaintyWhile the numbers remain the focal point of these talks, the WNBPA still holds the power to call for a strike if they think the league is being unfair to them. However, President Nneka Ogwumike made it clear that the players are not looking to shut the league down.
“I know our players 100% want to play this year,” Ogwumike said as per AP News. “We want a season.”
Jul 19, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Team Collier forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) looks on before the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn ImagesBut that still doesn’t mean they are close to an agreement.
“Having the strike on the table is something that we’re very much aware of, but there are so many more conversations that have to happen,” she said. “We’re not just going to say, ‘Hey, today’s the day.’ I think that’s what we’re demonstrating right now, negotiating in good faith.”
For now, both sides keep talking. However, until that gap is closed, fans are left hoping that one of the biggest seasons in league history won’t be overshadowed by sheer uncertainty.
via Imago ©via ImagoAs the WNBA held a crucial CBA meeting in New York, two of its player-leaders, Kelsey Plum and Napheesa Collier, drew sharp criticism for their absence, an issue magnified by their commitments to the new Unrivaled league.
It is interesting to note that, according to ESPN, the meeting was viewed as “helpful” in the ongoing push toward a new collective bargaining agreement, with the discussion centered on openly sharing philosophies and perspectives behind each side’s stance rather than presenting new proposals.
Yes, you read that right. The WNBA did not present a counterproposal at Monday’s meeting. Rather, the league communicated to the players’ union that it would begin drafting an official response to the proposal.
“They volunteered that they did not have a proposal prepared at the top of the meeting,” Nneka Ogwumike told Front Office Sports. “That kind of set the tone for the conversation because we were hoping to hear otherwise.” You can understand the frustration from the players’ union. However, with the league now set to draft an official response to the union’s latest proposal, there is renewed hope that meaningful progress can finally be made in the WNBA CBA negotiations.
That said, Kelsey Plum and Napheesa Collier were expected to attend the meeting in their roles as vice presidents of the WNBPA. Neither was able to make it, a development that sparked considerable backlash on social media. Here are some of those reactions.
A Lighthearted Moment That Sparked a Serious Fan BacklashSocial media erupted after a video surfaced showing Kelsey Plum pushing Napheesa Collier through an airport in a trolley. While the clip was lighthearted, several fans felt it sent the wrong message given the stakes of the WNBA’s CBA talks.
“Can you imagine complaining about WNBA owners not taking the players or the negotiations seriously, then releasing this video and missing the face-to-face meeting you wanted?” one fan said after the video went viral. Another fan simply added, “Clowns.” And while the criticism may sound harsh, the frustration is understandable.
Collier and Plum’s absence was not due to a lack of intent. An undisclosed travel issue prevented them from making it in time while flying from Miami, where Unrivaled players are currently staying.
Both later shared on social media that they did make their flight to New York, a point highlighted by one fan who posted with the caption, “What’s this about lmao from last night?” However, they were ultimately unable to attend the WNBA CBA negotiations in person, probably because of bad weather.
Another fan jumped in, saying, “Being the professional WNBA players that they are, they proceed to miss their key meeting with owners for the CBA. Simply pathetic.”
Yes, a smaller group attended in person, but the union was still heavily represented, with around 40 players joining the meeting via Zoom, including members of the executive committee.
And on the league side, we had commissioner Cathy Engelbert in the room, along with Suzanne Abair (Atlanta Dream), Nadia Rawlinson (Chicago Sky), Jennifer Rizzotti (Connecticut Sun), Kelly Krauskopf (Indiana Fever), Greg Bibb (Dallas Wings), Mat Ishbia (Phoenix Mercury), and Ginny Gilder (Seattle Storm).
Sue Bird was also believed to be part of these negotiations.
In early December, the league submitted a proposal featuring a $1.3 million maximum salary and an average salary north of $530,000, figures tied to a revenue-sharing framework that deducts a percentage from combined team and league revenues. But the players wasted no time in rejecting it.
They responded by seeking a significantly higher $10.5 million salary cap, along with a revenue-sharing structure that would allow players to receive a percentage of total revenues prior to any deductions.
We now know that the WNBA is preparing a revised proposal after declining to formally counter the union’s offer, which league sources viewed as unrealistic. While negotiations continue behind the scenes, some fans came away believing that Unrivaled mattered more to Phee and Kelsey than the WNBA itself.
“Conflict of interest. Wearing Unrivaled gear and missing the meeting. Let CC and the new wave of young players handle it. They don’t seem serious. No season would kill the W,” one fan said.
That sentiment has been around for a while now. A few months back, when Napheesa Collier publicly pushed back against Commissioner Cathy Engelbert during her exit interview, we saw some fans take it less as a league issue and more as a way to help Unrivaled gain traction.
Back then, skepticism followed Phee and Stewie, with some fans believing their involvement in Unrivaled created a conflict of interest in WNBA CBA talks. That perception persisted despite both players consistently emphasizing that Unrivaled was not designed to compete with the WNBA, but to serve as an offseason destination that allows players to stay stateside instead of traveling abroad to sustain their careers.
So why the sudden shift in perception? We may never fully know. What we do know, though, is that players are ultimately advocating for what they believe is best for them.
They are fighting for better pay, stronger benefits, and higher professional standards. No committee member is prepared to accept a deal that compromises housing, retirement security, facilities, or staffing standards, all while ensuring revenue sharing remains a key pillar of any new deal.
Given how difficult travel has been across the country amid ongoing weather disruptions, it is entirely plausible that despite boarding a flight, circumstances beyond their control prevented them from reaching the meeting on time. Regardless, there is little doubt that Napheesa Collier, Kelsey Plum, or Breanna Stewart would ever want the league to head toward a lockout.
Without the WNBA, the entire women’s basketball ecosystem suffers.
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA's newest proposal to the players' union that was delivered Friday made small increases to its revenue sharing offer and concessions on housing according to two people familiar with the negotiations.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press on Saturday because of the sensitive nature of the discussions.
The major sticking point continues to be revenue sharing. Union president Nneka Ogwumike told the AP on Friday — before the league's proposal was submitted to the union — that the two sides weren't close on that topic in their effort to strike a new collective bargaining agreement.
“We need to get to a percentage that makes sense for us. That really does take on the value that the players are looking for and the players are seeking,” she said.
The players want around 30% of the gross revenue — money generated before expenses — for the first year in their last proposal sent in December.
Under the league’s new proposal, they slightly increased their revenue sharing offer which would give players over 70% of net revenue. That would be their take of the profits after expenses are paid. Those expenses would include upgraded facilities, charter flights, five-star hotels, medical services, security and arenas.
The salary cap for 2026 in Friday's offer would be $5.65 million the first year — up slightly from the previous proposal.
The people said the league offered players a change in housing. Teams have paid for housing since the league first started. Now, players receiving the league's proposed minimum salary as well as rookies in their first season will receive one-bedroom apartments paid for by the team. That would last for the first three years of the new CBA. After that players would have to pay for their housing.
Players who were traded during the season would have their housing taken care of as well. The two developmental players who teams would add this year would get studio apartments.
All other players would pay for their own housing.
“Housing is a really, really big one. It’s a matter of safety, efficiency — being able to get to get from home to the practice facility to the arena,” Ogwumike said. “Being able to know where all the players are. It’s something that has always been provided. To be honest, I think that it’s probably the largest benefit that we’ve had as professional athletes.”
Ogwumike said that the union has offered ways to have the cost of the housing paid for by the players share of revenue.
The league's proposal also offered meeting specific standards on practice facilities.
The new proposal came a few days after the two sides had a three-hour meeting Monday at the NBA offices. Many of the changes in the new offer came directly from discussions at the meeting.
The union had been waiting for more than six weeks from a response from the league to its last proposal.
According to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to the AP last month, the league previously didn’t feel that proposal was much different than an earlier one the union had sent as the revenue sharing numbers hadn't changed much at all and didn’t warrant a new response. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
If a new CBA isn’t agreed upon soon, it could delay the start of the 2026 season. It’s already delayed the expansion draft for Toronto and Portland.
The last CBA was announced in the middle of January 2020, a month after it had been agreed to. It could easily take two months from when a new CBA is reached to get to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin last month. With a massive salary raise expected in a new CBA, 80% of players in the league are free agents this offseason, which makes this the biggest opportunity for player movement in the history of the WNBA.
A delay would hurt both sides. The season is supposed to start May 8 and every game that is missed, revenue would be lost, as would be sponsorships, television money and fan support.
Players voted to give union leadership the right to strike in December. Ogwumike said despite that, a strike is not imminent, although the union did post on social media a video about the 1964 NBA All-Star Game strike. The NBA All-Star Game is next weekend in Los Angeles.
“Having the strike on the table is something that we’re very much aware of, but there’s so many more conversations that have to happen,” Ogwumike said. “You know, we’re not just going to say, `Hey, today’s the day (we’ll strike).′ You know, I think that’s what what we’re demonstrating right now is negotiating in good faith.”
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
credit- Imagn ©credit- ImagnA fracture is forming inside the WNBA Players Association, and it has nothing to do with owners. According to an ESPN report, the league’s ongoing CBA negotiations have sparked a growing divide within the WNBPA itself, with leadership split over how hard to push and how far to go.
At the center of the tension are two competing approaches. One faction believes this is the moment for players to hold firm, refuse compromise, and force meaningful change to the league’s revenue-sharing model. The other believes the players have already gained significant ground and that prolonging the standoff or risking a strike could do more harm than good.
That internal disagreement has now spilled into public view, creating uncertainty not just among players but across the fanbase. And with the threat of a strike still on the table, the divide inside the WNBPA may be the most consequential development in the league’s labor talks yet.
However, there was one thing that both these parties agreed upon, which was to hear it directly from owners instead of having layers of middlemen and lawyers separating the sides. According to reports, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, first vice president Kelsey Plum and vice president Napheesa Collier are set to join in person, and vice president Breanna Stewart said she’ll participate over videoconference, which goes without saying, is to bring in the people who won’t be able to physically be present at the meeting.
Fans at this point don’t know which side to believe and are naturally perplexed about how this will turn out. Although they did decide to voice their opinions on the same through their respective social media handles.
Fans Divided Over the Ongoing CBA SituationNot only are the WNBPA committee members, but the fans, too, are divided after this piece of information made its way to the public’s ears. The question that is probably bothering them right now is will the WNBA happen or will it not amidst this ongoing ‘drama’ everyone is being subjected to. Fans are keen to have the WNBA return and, as such hoping that the players give their nod to the deal.
“Group 2 is correct,” said basketball analyst Robin Lundberg, who thinks it would be the right time to call off the strike as they are inching closer to having their demands met. If this drags on any further, it would not only complicate matters but also not be good for the sport. Other fans feel that way, too.
“Group 2 is 1000% correct,” said another fan on the matter.
However, other fans are not so forgiving and believe that the WNBPA should wait it out and not do anything drastic, and if possible, involve their biggest draw into the mix.
“It’s better than signing a bad deal IMO If CC is 100% down with her fellow players & strikes then joins unrivaled or Project B she completely changes their business models & future outlooks. CC is the leverage because shes the only revenue generator. She decides who wins it’s…,” said the user siding with the first group.
Credit: IMAGOSo is Caitlin really the solution to the problem? Well, that again is debatable, despite being the biggest draw in women’s basketball her signing up with Project B or Unrivaled might not cause problems for the league bosses, no doubt, but the fact that it will totally alter the scenario is a big stretch. And that again is speculation cause Caitlin has already turned down offers from Unrivaled prior. Morepver these decisions will be taken by the main members assigned with the task – Nneka Ogwumike, Sue Bird, Elena Delle Donne, Chiney Ogwumike, Elizabeth Williams, Layshia Clarendon, and Natalie Achonwa, so that argument might not hold up.
One user, however, feels that this is exactly how decisions are reached and says.
“It’s normal for there to be multiple disputes and factions during a labor negotiation, btw,” he goes
Well, that is true, and it does happen quite a lot in factories, but having this in an elite sport is quite new for everyone. Yes there have been disputes, but not like this, where things just keep on getting more cloudy every day. So you can very well imagine how tough this phase is for the WNBPA.
One comment stands out among the fray that makes a critical comment on the matter.
“So the PA itself isn’t even aligned on anything…. We all know they’re NOT getting the rev split they want; they know it as well. Long term, the first group is essentially going all-in on Unrivaled, taking over, and willing to risk destroying women’s pro basketball in the process,” he says, hinting at a certain conspiracy theory.
The Unrivaled group, he believes are looking end the WNBA for good so that they can keep on making millions in the 3 vs 3 league. Foul play is getting hinted at accusations made. These are really dark times for women’s basketball.