The WNBA and WNBPA are yet to reach an agreement on the new CBA deal, but both aim to have the 2026 season up and running. While the league is still seeking a compromise with the players’ demands, a recent statement released by the WNBPA highlighted the non-negotiable points. Vice President Breanna Stewart also spoke about the CBA deal at the Unrivaled press conference.
The player, representing the WNBPA as vice president and also as co-owner of Unrivaled, spoke about her duties for both leagues and shared her preferences in a recent interview.
Breanna Stewart Expects Generational Shift
The former UConn star had been a very influential figure in the WNBA and earned a place as vice president of the players’ association. With the CBA discussions constantly hitting a roadblock, players passed a resolution to go on strike. For fans, Stewart makes intentions clear on lockout following expiry of CBA deadline.
During the interview, she said, “Whenever I am here (unrivaled), I am locked in, I am practicing with my team. And when I am at home, we have all these things that we have to be part of, to make sure everything is going exactly according to plan… the league, when it comes down to getting down to that (CBA), it’s gonna be something that’s gonna be generational shift.”
Breanna Stewart on the compartmentalization required right now as she navigates Unrivaled amidst CBA negotiations. pic.twitter.com/ygNJopWIjB
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) January 11, 2026
The pay rise and other terms, including the revenue sharing, have already made a huge buzz and are proving to be a massive change in the way the WNBA operates. The new CBA will undoubtedly mark a generational shift for both players and the league.
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As for the WNBA, the veteran forward calls on Adam Silver and Mark Tatum amid WNBA CBA negotiations to find a solution. This indicated the players’ intention to secure the deal as soon as possible.
Even though her work as the WNBPA president and key member in the CBA discussion is still going on through a rough patch, her performance as the Unrivaled’s co-founder received huge recognition.
Breanna Stewart Earns Special Recognition For Unrivaled’s Success
The Unrivalled League came into existence with the idea of providing WNBA stars with an option to continue playing in the US instead of going abroad during the offseason. Naphesa Collier and Stewie took the initiative and launched the 3-on-3 league, emphasizing that it is not a rival to the WNBA.
Sports Illustrated awarded the duo Innovators of the Year and shared the news on social media. The post reads, “Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier changed the landscape of women’s basketball by co-founding the player-owned league Unrivaled. Congrats to Stewart and Collier on being named Innovators of the Year.”
Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier changed the landscape of women's basketball by co-founding the player-owned league Unrivaled. Congrats to Stewart and Collier on being named Innovators of the Year 👏 pic.twitter.com/btBuqVjpcd
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 18, 2025
While both stars received special recognition for their work at Unrivaled, players and fans might also reward them for their tough negotiation work at the WNBA CBA discussions.