At USA camp, Clark pushes for CBA compromise: 'Need to play' - ESPN

DURHAM, N.C. — Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark said Friday that while the WNBA players will «fight for everything we deserve» during their current round of collective bargaining agreement negotiations, they at the same time must seek «compromise on both ends» and «need to play basketball» next season.

«That's what our fans crave — the product on the floor,» Clark said after the first day of USA Basketball training camp at Duke University. «That's what the fans want to show up for. So, it's business, and it's a negotiation, and there has to be compromise on both sides. And we're starting to get down to the wire of it.»

The WNBPA and WNBA agreed to a second extension of the current CBA through Jan. 9, 2026, as both sides continue to work toward a new deal.

But questions persist on whether both sides will be able to come to an agreement by then — or even whether a work stoppage could be on the horizon.

Kelsey Plum, first vice president of the WNBPA, said at camp on Friday that talks have been «a little bit disheartening, just the frustration in the negotiation and how far away we are.»

Among the players' priorities are transforming the league's salary structure and revenue sharing system, introducing standards for team facilities and staffing and garnering more robust benefits.

The league has said it wants to substantially increase player salaries and other cost commitments, while also incentivizing owners to continue to invest in operating the business and building sustained profitability.

The most recently reported league proposal included a maximum salary for 2026 with a guaranteed $1 million base, and projected revenue sharing pushing total earnings for those players to more than $1.2 million. The salary cap would