A’ja Wilson speaks on possibility of WNBA lockout

The WNBA appears to be looking at dire straits soon enough.

As the WNBA is currently in its All-Star break, approximately 40 players met with the league to discuss reaching a collective bargaining agreement. However, the meeting did not end with an agreement, as the two sides remain far apart in negotiations. With the Women’s National Basketball Players Association backing out of the current CBA last October, the league now runs the risk of their first-ever lockout if a new deal cannot be reached this October, leading to losing games due to a work stoppage for the first time since the WNBA started in 1997.

“We’ve told the league and teams exactly why their proposal falls so short,” the WNBPA said in a statement. “The business is booming — media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, and ticket sales — are all up in historic fashion. But short-changing the working women who make this business possible stalls growth.

“The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever.”

How do the Las Vegas Aces feel about this?

The Aces, like the rest of the WNBA, are affected no matter what the outcome of negotiations are, and superstar A’ja Wilson spoke her opinion on the matter.

“I think the biggest thing is understanding that this is no laughing matter. This is no trend. This is no moment just right now,” Wilson said, per the Sports Business Journal’s Rachel Axon. “We’re talking about long-term stuff. This is a business. This is a brand. You’re dealing with me, my livelihood and my future, the next generation. So we’re gonna take this very, very seriously, and I think we’re not gonna stop until they understand exactly what we want.”

A lockout is the last thing Wilson or the WNBA wants, especially as the league is starting to head on an upwards trajectory.

The arrival of superstars such as Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers has put more eyes on the WNBA than ever before, and it is showing in how quickly the league is growing. The league’s new $2.2 million media rights deal begins next season, and expansion is set to explode over the next five years. The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire are set to join the Golden State Valkyries as recent additions in 2026, and the WNBA is set to launch expansion franchises in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia by 2030.

The WNBA and its players are working hard to prevent a lockout, so Wilson and the Aces are going to do their part to keep the momentum going.