THE LATEST IN CBA NEGOTIATIONS

We’ve officially reached a turning point in CBA negotiations.

On December 18, the WNBPA announced that the players have voted to authorize a strike “when necessary” if an agreement isn’t reached between the union and WNBA management.

“Time and again,” the WNBPA statement said, “the players’ thoughtful and reasonable approach has been met by the WNBA and its teams with a resistance to change and a recommitment to the draconian provisions that have unfairly restricted players for nearly three decades.”

Per the PA, 93 percent of players participated in the strike authorization vote, and 98 percent voted in favor of a strike. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean a strike is imminent.

However, the players’ decades-long frustration with the league’s business practices and their current behavior have united them and made them even more determined to secure the best possible agreement.

Shortly afterwards, the WNBA released a statement of their own, saying in part that they’re committed to reaching an agreement as soon as possible. We later got reporting that their latest proposal includes an uncapped revenue-sharing model that would raise maximum salaries for players.

That sounds nice, but the PA has continually shared their frustration with the WNBA not offering a real revenue sharing model and the league’s attempts to squeeze the WNBA’s veteran middle class.

For the players at the bargaining table, the negotiations have been an exercise in frustration and obstinacy from their counterparts in the league.

"More often than not, we're the ones that are willing to compromise, and they still aren't budging. So if they're not going to budge, we're going to get to this point where we're just going to be at a standoff. That's kind of where we're at right now,” Breanna Stewart said.

It’s gotten to the point where Stewie and the WNBPA are publicly calling for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum to join the sessions to reach an agreement. They have… other WNBA business they’re tending to right now, which we’ll discuss next week at the Women’s Basketball Roundup.

We discussed the latest in women’s basketball on the most recent edition of Gotta Get Up, featuring SkyE Jordan of Shea Butter FC!

The CBA negotiations have been arduous and have taken their toll on. With the players authorizing a strike, it raises the stakes immensely.

This is the most leverage they’ve ever had, and they will use it to get the best deal possible. If they can’t, then we enter a world of even more uncertainty.

SOME OF THE GAME’S BEST RETURN TO THE COURT

While we wait for the WNBA to return, Unrivaled is gearing up for its sophomore season! The season tips off on January 5 in Florida, but before we get there, the 3×3 league held Media Day.

One of the big stories coming into season 2 is the debut of Indiana Fever star, Kelsey Mitchell. When we last saw Mitchell on a basketball court, she left Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals with what we later learned was Rhabdomyolysis. Mitchell is back at full strength, and reflected on her experience and what would happen if she found herself in the same situation again.

"I did play to the wheels fell off, literally,” Mitchell said at Media Day, “but I think it was just for the better cause of what our season was. I would do it all over again. I'm gonna do my best to be me and try to be me. And if that does happen again, I guess it'll happen again."

This is Mitchell’s first time in Unrivaled, and it’s an excellent opportunity to see how she operates in a 3×3 setting that gives her even more room to work. Kelsey’s playoff run cemented her status as one of the best guards in the WNBA, and as she prepares for 2026, a great showing in Unrivaled will boost her stock even more.

Also making her return to the court at Unrivaled is Breanna Stewart! When we last saw Stewie, she was fighting through a sprained left MCL as the Liberty’s season ended in the first round against the Phoenix Mercury.

Since then, she’s been healing and has taken a rare month off from basketball. After a season in which she fought through offseason surgery and a regular season season knee injury, Unrivaled is a chance for Stewart to return to her superstar form.

That begins with Stewart solving her three-point woes. Since joining the Liberty, her three-point percentage has decreased each season, reaching a career-worst 24.1 percent in 2025. In 2025, she also attempted a career-low 2.8 threes per game. It’s the one blemish in her otherwise excellent game, and it’s something new Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco will try to fix when the season begins.

At Media Day, Stewart spoke of her off-season recovery and plans to address her three-point struggles.

Stewart is one of the greatest players ever. She’s done everything possible and won everywhere she’s been.

Now that she’s healthy, she will look to reestablish herself in that superstar tier and push her game to higher heights. It starts with Unrivaled and should carry over to the WNBA season.

THE CHASE FOR THE (WORLD) CUP

We’re officially on the road to the World Cup!

Team USA held a training camp in Durham, North Carolina. It’s the first camp new Team USA Managing Director Sue Bird is running, and things have gotten off to a great start.

Bird took time to speak to the media during the camp, and she gave a great answer about Angel Reese that might give a tell as to what she may prioritize in roster building:

“I think we're seeing a lot of different players expand what their position can do whether it's a post player being able to initiate an offense. Whether it's guards who can use post play to their advantage. I think that's just the modern game that we're seeing. I love to see it. I think it's really valuable, if I'm being totally honest.

In the international experience, the teams you play against, a lot of them play pressure full court. If you go watch the gold medal game from Paris, [it was] very physical, very physical with the guards. Anytime you can have players on the court that can do multiple things, it's so advantageous to your whole group.

To see a player like Angel putting that in her package, I think that's great. It's great for her. It's great for us. I think it's great for her in whatever league she plays in.”

Reese was asked about Bird’s comments and said:

As competition around the world has gotten better, the need to have as deep and diverse a roster as possible has grown. Having bigs with the motor and determination of Reese could help the USA keep their competition at bay and maintain their dominance in international competition.

The other big story at Team USA camp was the return of Caitlin Clark. Clark suffered multiple injuries in 2025 and last played on July 15. The superstar guard has been recovering ever since and is feeling great now that she’s back and playing with her peers on the US National Team.

“I really did kind of feel like myself out there and just continue to get my lungs back,” Clark told the media. “But I felt like I was moving really well, so it was pretty satisfying."

With Clark, Team USA gets another guard that has amazing court vision and an ability to singlehandedly change the flow of a game.

As we get closer to the Cup, camps like these will help build the chemistry and camaraderie needed to keep the United States on top of the basketball mountain.

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