From the start of the 2025 season, the CBA negotiations took over the league. Though the regular season games and playoffs took attention away from the topic, players kept pushing for their demands with activities like ‘Pay Us what You Owe Us’ t-shirts at All-Star games and occasional interviews. Sophie Cunningham also spoke on the topic after the end of the season.
The deadline date for the CBA negotiation is October 31, and looking at the current status, not many players, including the Fever forward, are optimistic about its conclusion. As per reports, Napheesa Collier met Cathy Engelbert after publicly criticizing the WNBA Commissioner, but there is no major update from the meeting.
Sophie Cunningham And Erin Drake Are Not Optimistic About CBA Negotiations
In the CBA discussions, there is a war of words and a blame game. Recently, the WNBA thrashed the WNBPA for spreading misleading information, while the WNBPA criticized Adam Silver for his comments on the revenue sharing. Amid this, there is no positive sign of a conclusion as per the 29-year-old veteran forward.
Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham recently said, “a potential lockout … is kind of where it’s headed”, given that the deadline is Oct. 31. Her coach, Stephanie White, pushed for a fair CBA showing support to players’ demands. Another insider–advisor and legal consultant, Erin Drake, also sounded concerned for the CBA deal before October 31.
She clearly stated, “Unfortunately, I’m not confident” on the “Good Game with Sarah Spain” podcast while responding to the possibility of the deadline date.
Erin Drake, Senior Advisor & Legal Counsel for @TheWNBPA, shares whether or not she believes a new CBA will get done before the deadline October 31st.
— Sarah Spain (@SarahSpain) October 16, 2025
Listen to the full episode: https://t.co/tqKd96nbhj pic.twitter.com/nS3ZP44AE2
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One good thing about the discussion is that both parties can extend the deadline date, allowing them more time for discussion and coming to a conclusion.
But this will again push the dates for offseason trades and also expansion drafts to equivalent dates. Fans are eager to see the final result of the CBA negotiations as the future of the 2026 season depends on the negotiation’s conclusion.
Sophie Cunningham Insists On Fair Profit Share In CBA Negotiations
The Fever forward put her views on the CBA negotiations and emphasized a fair share of revenue. Many WNBA players also shared the same sentiments as Jackie Young dropped bold comments advocating for fair pay and revenue share. Cunningham also didn’t mince words on her podcast.
“I think all of us are in our agreement that our salaries should be tied to the business that we bring in. And it is not at all. It is the most disrespectful percentage that any league has ever seen,” Cunningham said.
The WNBPA found support from many other players outside the league, and even some political personalities came forward in support. With just over a week remaining until the deadline day, it will be interesting to watch the WNBA’s next step in the negotiation.