The ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us’ slogan has taken the league by storm. The players used the All-Star game as a stage to protest against the CBA negotiations’ progress and once again highlighted the idea of ‘sitting out’ the following season. Angel Reese was one of the faces leading the group. However, former player and WNBA megastar Diana Taurasi gave them a reality check.
In conversation with Front Office Sports, the Mercury legend made some points that would upset the Chicago Sky rookie and fellow players who were asking for their fair share.
Diana Taurasi’s Argument Would Upset Angel Reese
With the growth of the league and its popularity, the players in WNBPA have some demands for the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement. They are looking for a better player experience, care for life after retirement, and a bigger profit share. While there is agreement over the first two demands, everything halts at the third demand.
Players even gave a warning to the league over sitting out the 2026 season. The saga has been going on for nearly a year now, with WNBPA opting out of the previous CBA at the end of the 2024 season. Retired player Diana Taurasi tried to make some sense of the argument. She had already talked about the low salary in the WNBA.
But while talking about the ‘work stoppage’, she went on the backfoot and gave some advice to the WNBPA.
“I don’t think a work stoppage benefits anyone. If you go across the board, in any league that has had a work stoppage, there’s just so much damage that can be done,” the league’s leading scorer told Front Office Sports (Via Front Office Sports).
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Angel Reese already declared a shutdown in her podcast before the start of the 2025 season if the demands are not met. While Diana Taurasi opposed the work stoppage, she is not entirely against it either. She admitted that a work stoppage can be a last resort in labor negotiations.
Angel Reese Looking For Active Role In WNBPA
The 2009 WNBA MVP made her point on the ongoing CBA discussions. But the former LSU star is with the players demanding a pay raise, in proportion to the profit. She even attended the meeting with the league authorities along with WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike and other players. She did it to understand the negotiations better.
The vets praised the rookie for her interest and involvement. Chi Town Barbie has plans to be a voice for the players. She mentioned that she has a massive fan following and a platform on which she could raise the issue. Angel Reese even showed interest in taking the authority position in the players’ association when the time comes.
The superstar is not backing down from the authorities. The WNBA has just around three months to decide the fate of the WNBA. With new expansion teams and players’ demands, the situation is delicate for those in power at the moment.