MEDLEY, Fla. — Brianna Stewart, who teamed up with fellow WNBA star Kelsey Plum in a letter to the Players Association this week to express concerns about the status of labor talks with the league, said Wednesday she feels good about the current situation and is confident the players are still unified on what they want from the next collective bargaining agreement.
And the union issued a statement later Wednesday calling the league’s latest offer “not worth accepting.” There is less than a week left until the deadline to complete the deal and preserve the entire 2026 WNBA season.
Stewart participated in a call with other player executive committee members Tuesday night. This came hours after she and Plum wrote a letter to WNBPA Executive Director Terry Jackson. In the letter, they expressed “serious concerns about how (the union) is handling the current negotiations.”
Several media outlets, including The Associated Press, obtained copies of Monday’s letter.
Stewart spoke to the AP after her Mist team completed its final shootout practice Wednesday night ahead of the Unrivaled championship game against a Phantom team featuring Plum. “I felt better when I got the call.” “Sometimes you need to have difficult conversations. I feel better after it and I know I left that call understanding that we represent a larger body (of players) and we have a job to do and we’re going to do it.”
In a statement from the executive committee, of which Stewart and Plumb are members, the union reiterated Stewart’s comments and said it was “united and focused on delivering a transformative CBA and remains committed to negotiations for as long as necessary.”
There is clearly an urgency to get a deal done.
The WNBA has told the players’ union that a contract must be signed by Tuesday to start the season on time. This would allow a new CBA to be drawn up and signed by the end of the month, theoretically followed by an expansion draft for new franchises in Portland and Toronto in the first week of April. Free agency will follow, signings could begin on April 12, training camp will open about a week later and the season will begin on May 8.
The league and players were unable to reach a new collective agreement after the union withdrew from the existing collective agreement.
Stewart and Plum have unique roles. Both are vice presidents of the players’ association, both are among the biggest names in women’s basketball, and both have been dealing with CBA uncertainty while making undefeated playoff runs with their clubs.
“I’ve always approached all adversity in life by staying in the game,” Plum said after Wednesday’s shootout when asked about simultaneously handling an unbeaten title push amid labor uncertainty in the WNBA. “I’m human. It’s hard. I definitely have my moments, but at the end of the day, I know how I feel. I know I’m so excited for tonight, and when I work for something all year, I want it to be done.”
Stewart added: “We’ve been negotiating the CBA for the last two weeks or more. It’s been 17, 18 months. I don’t know exactly how long. And it hasn’t been easy to compartmentalize it.”
In the letter, Stewart and Plum said WNBA players “are at one of the most important moments in the history of this league” and asked Jackson to provide many things, including:
— A detailed analysis of the WNBA’s costs and revenues.
— A breakdown of the potential losses players would face if the season is delayed or strike-shortened versus the gains they could make under the new CBA.
— Player comments on the WNBA’s latest proposal.
— Clarity on rookie salary scales.
— Jackson’s explanation of what he believes the Executive Committee’s “roles and responsibilities should be in this process.”
Stewart said it was not her intention for the letter to be leaked publicly.
“This letter is for Terri and the EC to make sure we actually have a conversation and remain firm on everything that is being negotiated, and I believe we are,” Stewart said. “We remain united and we understand what we are fighting for. That is the message delivered in last night’s call. … Our main goal is to ensure the best possible deal for all players.”
