With the WNBA season hanging in the balance, a call for action from rookie phenom Caitlin Clark has earned a powerful endorsement. WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart is backing Clark's push for in-person negotiations as a critical deadline looms.

“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.” Stewart said following CC's comments on the same matter.

Stewart will be available for the in-person negotiation session while heading her way back to New York. Meanwhile, Clark will be busy taking part in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers starting a day after the soft deadline.

"We want the deal to be done, we want to have the season. We just need to find the right numbers that reflect it.” Stewart added.

The league and the players' union are still clashing over revenue sharing. While the players want at least a 25% share in gross revenue, the league has only presented an offer of 70% net revenue, which amounts to less than 15% gross.

A salary cap difference of about $3.7 million further complicates the negotiations.

Caitlin Clark remains confident that both sides will eventually find common ground, as neither wants the season to face any disruption. However, Stewart is not so sure.

“Honestly, I’m 50/50. I just think it’ll be tight. And hopefully, we do come to a resolution sooner than later."

Is the 2026 WNBA Season at Risk of Getting Cancelled?

Neither side intends to put the season at risk during the remainder of the offseason, but that possibility could become real if the CBA negotiations drag on any longer.

The players’ union could go on strike, or team owners could initiate a lockout. Both scenarios would delay the WNBA’s scheduled May 8 opening day and could even jeopardize the entire season.

The current situation puts the league under heavy pressure, as other important events are getting delayed further due to the CBA deal being on hold.

For starters, the league needs to conduct a two-team expansion draft between the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo.

Teams also cannot negotiate contracts with players or their agents until the CBA deal is finalized. At the moment, more than 80% of the league’s players are in free agency.

On top of that, the WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 13, with training camps for the new season set to begin a week after the draft.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar