WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart was not a fan of the three-page letter she and first vice president Kelsey Plum sent to the Executive Director, Terri Jackson, getting leaked.

“That letter was supposed to be in private. Plum and I had some concerns we wanted to address with Terri and get the entire executive committee back on track, just making a path forward to get the best deal possible."

"It was unfortunate that became public knowledge.” Stewart told the media during a Team USA practice held in Miami.

The letter mainly focused on "a lack of adequate player involvement in the process" and “serious concerns about how the PA is handling the current negotiations.” 

The duo had a conversation with Jackson in what Stewart described as a "tough call" after the letter was leaked. The letter also stated that the negotiations are also dragging due to a lack of communication between the players and Terri Jackson.

But Stewart has publicly backed the Executive Director and suggested that the letter was not meant to cause any discourse among the executive committee and the players' union, nor was it intended to undermine Jackson's efforts.

“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.” The 31-year-old said.

Meanwhile, Jackson believes it was a "good conversation." The executive director has previously stated that the best way to put pressure on the league to accommodate their demands is to wait for them.

But the fans have a different outlook.

Fans are Divided Over How the Letter was Leaked

Questions arose over who the culprit was as soon as fans found out the letter had leaked, while conspiracy theories and over-the-top reactions began surfacing on social media.

"Okay, so then who leaked it?" One user commented curiously, as there has been no official confirmation about the letter intended to be shown to the public.

Meanwhile, a user believes that someone within the players' union leaked the letter, acting as a double agent in favour of the league: "I have a theory that someone is being paid by the league. That's why negotiations have been so weird with Plum and Stewart saying they aren't doing anything."

"So Terri Carmichael Jackson or Nneka Ogwumike leaked it." Another user commented about the leak coming from the WNBPA itself, this time from the executive committee led by Jackson. Multiple users have agreed with this statement.

"Stewie needs to stand on business. Either you have concerns, or you don’t." One user criticised Stewart for backing Jackson in public while expressing concerns over her actions in writing.

Other comments included "'leaked'" and "'it was unfortunate'", with a hint of sarcasm, as the majority of the fans could not fully believe in Steward's words.

Confusing times lie ahead with the March 10 deadline becoming less and less unlikely, as the final few days of closing the CBA deal go by.

Read more at She Got Game!

Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joyita Das