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Kelsey Plum's True Feelings on WNBA Development

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Christian Alamodin | Last updated Mar 2, 2026 9:34 PM ET

The WNBA and WNBA Players Association (WNBAPA) are in the midst of talks for a new CBA, and the recent surge in attention makes this new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) more interesting for all the parties involved.

The emergence of outstanding young talents like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers brought much-needed views and revenue to a league that's always struggled to gain followers. The 2025 WNBA Finals garnered 1.5 million pairs of eyes, making it the second-most watched finals in league history.

With the league alloting around $16 million in shared revenue for the 2025 campaign, the players are looking to get their share of the money flowing in. While the two parties are ironing out details to finalize the new CBA, Kelsey Plum gave the public an idea of what's happening behind the scenes.

Sabrina Ionescu (left) and Kelsey Plum answers questions Saturday, July 19, 2025, at a press conference after the WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.© HG Biggs/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kelsey Plum: The WNBAPA Will Negotiate Without Striking

Plum explained during an Unrivaled shootaround that she and the rest of the WNBAPA top brass wilol be working to increase the share of the players' revenue, which amounts to less than 15% of gross revenue in the league's latest CBA offer.

"I want to play, and players want to play," Plum said, per ESPN's Alexa Philippou. "And so obviously we're going to continue to negotiate and do everything we possibly can to get this done in a timely fashion. But 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."

However, she also explains that she doesn't look at the pay gap between the NBA and WNBA and instead focuses on the gains the league is providing its players.

"You can continue to negotiate without striking," Plum explained. "I've always been someone that's focused on the gain, not the gap. And to be honest, I think if you look at where we've come from, shoot, since I came into the league until now, and now that we're in a revenue share, it's a tremendous win."

She also clarified that she and her fellow WNBAPA officers will not settle and fight for more fair terms for her and fellow athletes.

Plum is a four-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA champ. She joined the Los Angeles Sparks for the 2025 season, where she averaged 19.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.2 steals.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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