"Asking for a bigger cut" - After Angel Reese, Unrivaled founder Napheesa Collier indicates possibility of WNBA lockout amid CBA negotiations

By Sameer Khan

Modified Mar 14, 2025 05:28 GMT

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Napheesa Collier is the latest WNBA star to suggest that players could sit out during the ongoing CBA negotiations. The WNBPA opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in October. The new CBA, which is currently being negotiated, will go into effect starting with the 2026 season.

The WNBPA and WNBA held preliminary talks in December, yet no significant developments have been reported. Collier, an Unrivaled founder, highlighted what the players expect from the new CBA in an upcoming episode on CBS’ "We Need to Talk Now" podcast.

Collier said that while "no one wants" a lockout, the players are "prepared for any possibility right now."

“We're not asking for the same salaries as the men; we're asking for the same revenue shares," Collier said. "That's where the big difference is. We get such a small percentage of revenue share right now that affects our salary. We're asking for a bigger cut of that, like more equitable to what the men's revenue share is.

“It wouldn't get us anywhere close to their salaries. We're not asking for the same salaries. We're asking for the same cut of the pie of what is made in our league."

The minimum salary a veteran with three years of experience can earn in the WNBA is $78,831. Meanwhile, the minimum salary for an NBA player stands at $1,157,153, according to Spotrac.

Earlier this month, Angel Reese said players would be prepared to sit out if their demands weren't met.

"I got to get in the meetings, because I'm hearing, if y'all don't give us what we want, we sitting out," Reese said on an episode of her podcast.

Stephen Curry is newest investor in Napheesa Collier’s Unrivaled

The Unrivaled League, founded by Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, has found a new investor in Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. The league has already raised close to $35 million and offers its athletes the highest average salary in the U.S. women’s professional sports scene.

After Curry’s investment was revealed on Tuesday, the two-time NBA MVP issued a statement:

“I am incredibly proud to be joining the Unrivaled family as the league continues to set a new standard for how women’s professional sports should operate- empowering athletes and ensuring they have a real stake in their own success.”

It’ll be interesting to see what Collier's Unrivaled has in store next season now that an NBA legend like Curry has given the league his stamp of approval by investing.