The WNBA-WNBPA CBA Talks are gaining traction with the sides expecting to conclude the discussion earliest, with Commissioner Cathy Engelber setting March 16 as the new deadline. Even though there are no confirmed terms out yet, as per the discussions, the league is ready to raise the salaries, salary cap, and revenue sharing percentage from its 2020 offer. Amid these discussions, Arial Atkins dropped a bombshell on the league, deciding to participate in the foreign league.
While the Unrivaled league and the WNBA are trying to keep players in the USA even during the offseason period, moves like these raise questions over their payouts and players’ intent to make the most of the available opportunities.
Ariel Atkins Makes Move Away From WNBA
Earlier, Breanna Stewart shocked the WNBA world by announcing her move to Turkish club Fenerbahce for the postseason period. Stewart’s move to Fenerbahce raised alarm for the CBA negotiations, considering her position in the WNBPA and also the period she would be staying away from the league.
Now, the Chinese league announced the addition of another WNBA Champion, Ariel Atkins, to the Jiangsu club, who will play in the 2026 playoffs as the seventh seed team. Interestingly, the player will play her first series against her teammate Kamila Cardoso, who is playing for the second seed and defending champions Guangdong.
Breaking: Ariel Atkins has joined Jiangsu for the upcoming WCBA playoffs.
— Chinese Women's Hoop Show (@CWHoopShow) March 14, 2026
The Chicago Sky star is a WNBA champion, World Cup champion, and Olympic champion.
Jiangsu finished 7th in the regular season and is built around team basketball as it chases its first-ever franchise… pic.twitter.com/rRExeZfRXP
The Jiangsu club never won a championship in the WCBA and hopes to achieve its dream with the champion playmaker on the roster. The Chinese playoffs generally conclude in April, which will put a bit of pressure on her return to the WNBA as the league follows strict rules on reporting to the training camps well in advance.
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Atkins already played in Unrivaled league in 2025 but was not part of any franchises in season 2. As for the WNBA’s CBA talks, the league is now working on key issues of the agreement, as the president, Nneka Ogwumike, provided the latest updates on the discussions.
Nneka Ogwumike Opens Up On Current Status Of WNBA-CBA Discussions
After marathon meetings between the league and the players’ association, there was real progress on the CBA front. However, this progress does not guarantee the CBA as president Ogwumike stressed on two key factors holding the deal.
In the recent interview, Ogwumike said, ”The fact we are here talking about housing shows that we care about every single player—in the same way that we do about revenue share. It’s very important for us to nail those two things down, which is the biggest thing on the agenda today.”
As negotiations stretch into Day 5, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike told reporters on site revenue share and housing are taking center stage.
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) March 14, 2026
The latest:https://t.co/5rSLuDxRWW
While the league showed positive intent in Housing offers, the revenue share still remains a big stumbling block for the CBA confirmation, which fans hope to see ‘vanishing’ via constructive dialogues between the two parties.