Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum Letter Exposes WNBPA Leadership Failure

This is significant not only because Stewart and Plum are two of the best players in the WNBA, but also due to the fact that Plum is first vice president of the union, while Stewart serves as a vice president. So if they aren't feeling looped in on communication, it's safe to assume the vast majority of the players are in the same boat—and the pair expressed as much in what they wrote.

"When we and other players have attempted to express concerns about negotiations, we have been made to feel as though we are acting against the interests of the PA. Many other players across the league feel these same frustrations and have expressed them to us, but feel afraid or unable to speak out."

And this development comes on the heels of a similar sentiment being expressed by numerous top WNBA player agents who pleaded for "transparency and coordinated communication" in a letter of their own that was also addressed to Jackson.

Agents work for players, so the implication there is that they were speaking on behalf of those who may have felt hesitant to speak out. Not to mention, they also work on commission and negotiate brand deals for clients that could be impacted by a work stoppage, thus the need to know the specifics of the situation in order to best advise their clients.

Such a lack of communication from union leadership would be concerning at any point, as it is the job of the union to act in the best interest of all the players, but it is a blaring alarm given the looming March 10 deadline for a new deal to be reached without the WNBA schedule being affected.

A WNBA Strike Has Never Been a Sensible Option

The WNBAPA has used the strike card at nearly every turn in negotiations. But what should be a nuclear option, has seemed to be a default threat.

And to be frank, the WNBA deal on the table that would increase average player salaries by 4.5x never seemed like a starting point to incite such drastic action.

Or as Plum put it when speaking from Unrivaled Monday, "Obviously a strike would be the worst thing for both sides, because we are in a revenue [sharing system], so no revenue, no revenue to share."

What that revenue share model looks like has been a sticking point in talks so far, but that doesn't take away from what appears to be a clear win waiting for the players when it comes to compensation and share in the growth of the league in whatever the final version of the CBA becomes.

Unprecendented WNBA Momentum at Risk

Caitlin Clark previously called these CBA negotiations, "the biggest moment the WNBA has ever seen."

That is no overstatement given the unprecedented growth of the league over the last two years. And while the players should absolutely look to capitalize on said surge with the best deal they can get, squandering all the momentum that has been built is now at risk.

Given the chorus of calls for better communication, WNBAPA leadership has clearly failed to meet the moment. In a time where transparency and urgency are paramount, their efforts have more visibly resulted in awkward social media messages rather than actual action.

The phrase "strike while the iron's hot" does not apply to the type of strike that would halt the WNBA's current surge. Yet, it seems precious time has been wasted by PA leadership in leaning into that premise rather than working with its members and expediting negotiations to get the best deal possible in time to preserve the 2026 season.

Considering the stakes for the future of the WNBA and its players, clarity in reaching an agreement should have always been paramount. Union leadership had no reason to need a letter to spelling that out.