Chicago Sky star Angel Reese said WNBA players could strike if the league doesn’t give them the salaries they want in their next collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
Chicago Sky Forward Angel Reese Says WNBA Players Could Strike In 2026 For Higher Salaries
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) opted out of the league’s CBA last October, stating that players are seeking a “business model that reflects their true value, encompassing higher salaries,” among other benefits.
The most recent agreement was due to expire in 2027. To ensure better CBA terms, Reese reiterated that WNBA players could refuse to play in 2026 until their demands are met.
“The women coming in — what not this year but next year — [because] the ones coming in this year will still be in the rookie contract. … The ones in the year after [will] probably be making more than us,” said Angel Reese, who was speaking on her Unapologetically Angel podcast.
“I need to be in the [players’ union] meetings because I’m hearing that if [the league] don’t give us what we want, [we’re] sitting out. … When it’s my time, I need to be getting paid.”
WNBPA Executive Director Responds To Reese’s Comments
WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson released a statement to SportsPro earlier this week, stating that the union would not comment directly on Reese’s comments, but it was committed to securing “a transformational deal.”
“As a union, we’re fully engaged in the CBA negotiation process with the league, and our focus remains on securing an agreement that reflects the value and contributions of our players,” said Jackson.
“Our members are passionate about the future of this league, and we’re proud to represent a group that’s united, dialed in, and pushing for a transformational deal that’s fair.
“We won’t comment on individual statements right now. Our priority is the work happening at the table. We’ll provide updates as we move forward together.”
Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark Made The 2024 WNBA Season The Most-Watched Regular Season In 24 Years
Reese was one of the leading athletes in a standout draft class that carried the WNBA to several viewership and attendance milestones in the 2024 season, including the league’s most-watched regular season in 24 years.
During the 2024 regular season, the WNBA delivered a record $136 million in media value for sponsors. The league is also due to receive as much as $2.2 billion over 11 years from the 2026 season as part of the NBA’s next domestic broadcast rights deals.
Caitlin Clark, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA draft out of the University of Iowa, won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award and made the All-WNBA First Team and WNBA All-Star Game.
An economist at Indiana University Columbus interviewed by the Indianapolis Star recently calculated that Clark was responsible for almost 27% of the WNBA’s economic activity for the 2024 season and approximately $36 million in economic impact to the city of Indianapolis, including attendance, merchandise sales, and television.
WNBA Stars Say Their Salaries Are Too Low
Clark and the rest of a star-studded rookie class helped drive the WNBA’s most-watched regular season in 24 years and its highest attendance in more than 20 years. Her agent, Erin Kane, told ESPN’s Michele Steele last month that Clark is underpaid based on her financial impact on women’s basketball.
“Will Caitlin Clark ever be paid by the WNBA what she’s really worth to that league? I don’t think that’s possible,” said Kane, who also represents WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier and Arike Ogunbowale for Excel Sports Management.
“She’s part of a larger player body. They all need to be paid more. She should be recognized for what she has done and what she’s brought to the league from an economic standpoint. It’s as simple as that.”
WNBA salaries are collectively bargained and range from roughly $64,154 to $241,984 for a player on a supermaximum contract, per Steele.
In April 2024, Caitlin Clark signed a four-year, $338,056 contract with the Fever. Her deal includes a $97,582 team option for the 2027 season. She is slated to make $78,066 for the 2025 season.
Likewise, Angel Reese signed a four-year, $324,383 deal with the Sky last April. She earned $73,439 last season and is slated to make 74,909 in 2025, then $82,399 in 2026, and then $93,636 in 2027.
