Sophie Cunningham’s candid 5-word comment on fever hints at a bigger problem with the WNBA

There has arguably never been a more uncertain time in the WNBA than today. This is due to ongoing negotiations between the league office and the players’ association over the upcoming collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which will dictate, among other important things, how much players can earn on their WNBA salaries for the foreseeable future.

Everything indicates that salaries should increase several times. However, the two sides disagree on how the revenue sharing structure should work, which is why no agreement has been finalized at this stage. And if a new collective agreement is not reached by the end of 2025, then there is a real risk that a work stoppage will occur.

Not only is the CBA a priority for players because of its impact on the amount of money they can make, but also because WNBA free agency cannot begin until the CBA is in place. That means every free agent (that’s basically every WNBA player not on a rookie contract) is stuck waiting to figure out what their future holds.

This must be frustrating and makes it easy to understand why players are fed up with the ongoing negotiations.

Sophie Cunningham’s response to Fan’s Fever future comment says it all

Luckily for Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham, she’s been able to keep herself busy through various off-court events and commitments during this WNBA offseason. But that doesn’t mean CBA negotiations aren’t still a priority, as shown by a fan saying she and Lexie Hull were expected to re-sign with Indiana whenhey, we were framing Caitlin Clark at “The Annika” LPGA golf Pro-Am event on November 12.

“Tell them to pay us,” Cunningham told the fan, “them” being a reference to the WNBA league office, according to an X post from Scott Agness.

Cunningham and Hull were interviewed at another point during the Pro-Am. And speaking of Clark, she said: “I think she elevates everyone around her. She’s a phenomenal player, a generational player. And I think everyone sees that. We missed her on the court this year.

“Depending on the CBA and what happens, hopefully we’ll all be together again,” Cunningham added, according to an X post from @ericaf455. “I think the thing about Caitlin is she’s just a great person. She’s fun, she’s silly. She’s still just a kid. So a lot of people see her in a serious light, but we can kind of see her goofy side.”

Cunningham saying, “Tell them to pay us!” shows that she still thinks a lot about ABC. And those comments suggest his future with the Fever could depend on both sides reaching a new deal before the end of this season.

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