Basketball Analyst Backs DiJonai Carrington's Slamming WNBA’s ‘Greedy’ CBA Approach
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Sep 17, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard-forward DiJonai Carrington (3) rallies teammates during warmups before facing the Golden State Valkyries during game two of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Amidst stalled talks, DiJonia Carington called the move “greedy” on the Underground Lounge podcast. Moreover, she believes both the WNBA and Unrivaled can exist simultaneously.
And now, analysts are taking notice. On her Courtside podcast, Rachel DeMita said, “I agree with DiJonai… yes, they are two completely different things… the WNBA is still the Premier League,” backing Carrington’s call for change.
Essentially, DeMita believes even with Unrivaled's wildly successful valuation of $340 million after its first season, the WNBA holds the top spot for the biggest women's basketball league, and it boils down to the format.
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Sep 6, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard-forward DiJonai Carrington (3) motions to a referee from the bench in the second quarter during a game against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
The WNBA sticks to the traditional 5v5 setup with 40-minute games on a 94x50 court and a 24-second shot clock. Unrivaled goes in a different direction: 3v3 play on a smaller 72x49.2 court, three 7-minute quarters, and a target-score finish. Faster, tighter, and built for urgency.
Instead of being a rival league, Unrivaled could be a place to go in the off-season, instead of foreign leagues. It's why when Carrington said, "The league is looking at I think is looking at Unrivaled as competition," DeMita agreed.
Amidst all this, the CBA negotiations take a new development
Per the WNBPA, 98% of players took part in the strike vote, and 93% voted to let the union’s executive committee call a strike “when necessary.” The union said this move comes from frustration over stalled CBA talks and long-standing limits on players’ earnings and mobility.
The WNBPA said the vote shows strong unity. In its statement, the union said players are “prepared to fight for their value and their future.” It also pushed back on the league’s stance, saying the WNBA has resisted major changes for years.
The WNBA pushed back on the accusations. The league said it “strongly disagreed” with the union’s claims and pointed to its proposal, which includes sizable salary increases and an uncapped revenue-sharing model. Negotiations continue as both sides try to reach a deal before the deadline.
Written by
Ishika Ghosh
Edited by
Siddharth Shirwadkar