WNBA All-Star Weekend is a chance for the league's stars to come together. Despite that, things are not all good. New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart gave her thoughts on the ongoing collective bargaining agreement(CBA) negotiations. WNBA Players' Association(WNBPA) president Nneka Ogwumike continues to work towards a compromise with the league.
The WNBA is welcoming three new teams to the league over the next few seasons. In addition, Stewart, Ogwumike, and the rest of the players in the league will see the salary cap increase when the new media rights deal begins. Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles has advocated for the new deal, wanting the league's future stars to be paid fairly.
Along with being one of the best scorers the league has ever seen, the Liberty's star is an active member of the WNBPA, partnering with Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier to create Unrivaled, an offseason 3v3 league. She spoke with SiriusXM about the negotiations and explained what she wants to see happen.
“There’s money there, and we just want a piece of the pie.”
Liberty star Breanna Stewart breaks down the ongoing CBA discussions between the WNBA and WNBPA with @sportsiren
Hear our @WNBA All-Star special throughout the weekend https://t.co/fc2xtHC29p pic.twitter.com/IZb7Ct9CtF
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 19, 2025
“Obviously some of the numbers are happening so quickly and so dramatically that it's hard to really figure out what's going to happen, even a few years from now,” Stewart said. “Our explanation behind it(the negotiations) is you have new teams coming into the league pending $75 million(entry fees). A lot of money is coming in, plus the new TV deal that's going into effect next year. There's money there, and we just want our piece of the pie. That's really what we want and we know that we're very important to this league and the success that it has.”
Stewart, Ogwumike, and Charles are only a few of the many veterans who have been working hard on a new CBA. This year's All-Star Weekend is a good example of why they want a new deal. There are three rookies in this year's All-Star Game and two more second-year players.
Stewart and the rest of the league's older players want the new CBA to give the players more money. If it goes into affect now, young players and future WNBA additions can benefit from their efforts.
