Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese commented on looming labor issues in the WNBA, suggesting players are willing to strike if the league doesn’t pay them more.
A league that lost something on the order of $50 million last year, that is.
Reese made the comments on her podcast late last week, discussing the matter with Dallas Wings guard Dijonai Carrington.
“I’ve got to get in the meetings because I’m hearing like, ‘If y’all don’t give us what we want, we sitting out,'” Reese said.
“That’s a possibility,” Carrington replied.
Reese has long been a critic of the WNBA’s pay rates, which are, to be fair, woefully inadequate, bordering on comical. The problem is that the league has never turned a profit—not even in Caitlin Clark’s first season—and is subsidized by the NBA just to stay afloat.
If WNBA disappears, no one will notice. pic.twitter.com/Z3ca7p221r
— Clown World ™ 🤡 (@ClownWorld_) March 8, 2025
If WNBA Players Strike, The League Is Finished
Listening to Angel Reese’s comments about the WNBA players being disgruntled provides a closer look at their mindset in negotiations. They seem all too happy to self-destruct.
As reported at Bounding Into Sports, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) opted out of the league’s current collective bargaining agreement. It will become effective in October of 2025.
The WNBPA is seeking an “equity-based” economic model. But not really. Their “equity” at this point would be millions in debt.
WNBA All-Star and former Russian prisoner Brittney Griner suggested the league needs to fork over more money to the players as well.
“Unrivaled is showing that you don’t need a lot of time to pool resources together,” she said at a press conference for the off-season league.
“Being happy with what we already have is not gonna fly [here]… it’ll definitely put pressure on [the W] to do better.”
They might want to consider “being happy” that the league even still exists.
They Sittin’ Out?
It’s quite the conundrum the WNBA finds itself in. Yes, star players like Clark and Reese are not paid according to their value to the game, but even their added value doesn’t make the league one red cent in profit.
How to fix that? I’m not sure, but I know going on strike isn’t going to improve matters. In fact, it might be the final nail in the WNBA’s coffin.
WNBA Player’s Association President Nneka Ogwumike pointed out in a statement that players are demanding more than just higher paychecks. They want a piece of what they’ve supposedly “built.”
“Opting out isn’t just about bigger paychecks—it’s about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today’s players and the generations to come,” she said.
“We’re not just asking for a CBA that reflects our value; we’re demanding it, because we’ve earned it,” added Ogwumike.
The implosion will be something to watch, considering what they’ve “built” is a sub-brand of the NBA that loses tens of millions every year and depends on subsidies from the men’s league. This isn’t sustainable.
Meanwhile, Reese is concerned about what happens to Angel and Angel alone. After all, she has an $8,000 monthly rent to cover on her $73,439 annual salary.
Thank God for endorsements.
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