Megan Rapinoe is no stranger to fighting for equitable pay in women's sports. As a star member of the US Women's National Team (USWNT), Rapinoe was on the front lines of the historic lawsuit that led to equal pay between the US men's and women's soccer teams in 2022. So, as the wife of WNBA legend Sue Bird, it only makes sense that she'd have some thoughts on the current CBA fallout in the W.
On a live version of her and Bird's podcast “A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe,” former NWSL star Rapinoe voiced her opinion on the state of the league after Napheesa Collier's scathing callout of commissioner Cathy Engelbert and Engelbert's controversial response.
“The similarities that I’m seeing that I feel, obviously, it’s a different situation, but I’m seeing like ‘own goals,'” Rapinoe started.
“It’s going to be contentious. Negotiation is hard. You both ultimately want the same thing, but you’re on opposite sides, and both sides are trying to get the absolute most that they possibly can.”
Rapinoe emphasized that there needs to be a level of “respect, trust, and relationship dynamic” present from the WNBA leadership for any progress to happen, adding that there's a “breakdown of trust and respect” resulting in the “players not feeling heard.”
“What is happening now, or what I see happening, is kind of a ball drop on the league and on Cathy’s responsibility to have a good relationship with the players,” Rapinoe offered.
“Clearly something has devolved. Even in Cathy’s comments and Napheesa’s comments, there’s discrepancies. So either there was a mishearing, or a misunderstanding, or a miscommunication, or somebody is saying something that didn’t happen. Or somebody is saying somebody else is lying.”
Rapinoe continued on to say that she hopes both sides can regain the trust they've lost and communicate to cap off another “incredible moment in women's sports” and continue the WNBA's “meteoric rise.”
Bird joined in on the conversation by sharing her own experiences from interacting with the leadership during her playing days. She mentioned that the messages the W's front office was saying behind the scenes and what they were voicing to the public didn't always match up.
“[It] is really frustrating, and it doesn't really lead to a lot of trust.”
