Rusty Weiss
Charles Barkley delivered a blunt reality check to WNBA players amid high-stakes collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, warning them not to overplay their hand against the league’s wealthy owners.
In a recent episode of his podcast, The Steam Room, the outspoken NBA Hall of Famer addressed ongoing labor talks between the WNBA Players Association and the league, which face a critical deadline to avoid a strike that could disrupt the upcoming season.
Barkley emphasized the stark power imbalance between the players and the owners.
“The notion that workers are ever going to overpower billionaires and multimillionaires, that’s never going to happen in any capacity,” Barkley explained.
“Ladies, I want you all to get paid, and I wish you the very best. But y’all gotta be very careful. Y’all get in that room and say, ‘Hey, let’s make the best deal.’ You don’t want a strike, you don’t want a lockout,” he added.
“I’ve been watching for months, all these people on TV … you can get paid what you can get. You might not get paid what you’re worth. But you can get paid what you can get.”
Barkley Warns WNBA Players: “Y’all Gotta Be Very Careful” in CBA Negotiations
Not sure how well that plea is going to go over with a group of women who have been arguing that the league needs to “pay us what you owe us” for months.
Barkley also critiqued the narrative that players could pressure the commissioner or owners into major concessions, pointing out that WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert ultimately represents the owners’ interests.
He referenced past criticisms, including from All-WNBA forward Napheesa Collier, who called Engelbert’s stint the “worst leadership in the world,” and cautioned that continued public attacks could backfire and erode support.
“You could see this damn train wreck coming. I didn’t say anything publicly [but] when y’all start bad-mouthing the commissioner, you have to remember one thing,” Barkley argued.
“The commissioner works for the owners … I like Cathy, but she’s speaking for the owners,” he added. “So now, all these people on television for the last few months talking about, ‘You women, y’all got these dudes and y’all go the commissioner, and y’all got the owners.’”
“I’m like, well, y’all better be careful. Because you know who has power? People who got damn money.”
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The league has reportedly offered significant improvements, such as raising minimum salaries from under $70,000 to over $200,000, but the key dispute centers on revenue sharing: the league’s proposal falls below 15% of gross revenue, while players seek 26%.
While the players are very clearly undervalued with ridiculously low salaries, trying to up the ante too much when the league still lost $50 million in Caitlin Clark‘s first year is a bad business move. Compounding that by going on strike and removing their cash cow from the hardwood for a second straight season is tantamount to suicide.
Prolonged hardline stances will alienate fans who have fueled the league’s recent surge in popularity.