The WNBA CBA (collective bargaining agreement) negotiation has been at the forefront of the league's, players', and fans' minds throughout 2025, even resulting in a flurry of boos from the crowd at league commissioner Cathy Engelbert during the Las Vegas Aces' Finals trophy ceremony. But the players' active fight for equitable pay, among other key issues, has gone as far as to catch the attention of United States government officials.
Over 70 elected legislators from seven WNBA markets around the nation, including New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, penned a letter to Engelbert and the league's leadership, petitioning for them to “bargain in good faith to reach a fair [CBA] in a timely manner.” The welcome support comes after months of tense public back-and-forth between the W and its players, who have often led the way in standing up for causes that affect society outside of basketball.
New York City councilmember Tiffany Cabán, who is also a long-standing New York Liberty fan, spearheaded the organization of the letter, demonstrating how problems in the sports world can overlap with issues that regular people face and fight against every day.
“We all want to be able to take in a full season, but we know that they deserve to get paid what they deserve to earn,” Cabán said.
“It mirrors the fights that everyday working-class women are having every day when they're saying to their bosses, ‘We need childcare, we need good health benefits, we need an environment that allows us to be present with our loved ones and values labor that allows you all to make as much money as you do,'” Cabán added.
WNBPA senior advisor and legal counsel Erin Drake echoed Cabán's sentiments about how the unresolved CBA debate has an effect on the public that goes far beyond basketball.
“The league jeopardizing the start of the 2026 season — it's not just basketball, it's not just the players who would feel that,” Drake explained. “It's their constituents, too. I think people feel that.”
Although the CBA negotiation October 31 deadline has been looming over the W for months, a new wave of attention was brought to the topic after Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier called out commissioner Engelbert in her scathing exit interview in late September. Regardless of when people tuned in to the discussion, Cabán is hopeful the spotlight partially provided by the letter would help encourage people to stand up for players who themselves have a long history of standing up for others.
“I don't care when you got in this fight, I just care that you're here. As there's more energy and attention being put on this WNBA [CBA] negotiation, you're going to see more people join the fight, and that's exactly what we want,” Cabán concluded. “What I hope is that the message is heard.”
