Lynx star Napheesa Collier provides an update regarding the negotiations between the WNBA and the player’s association.

As Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier is back from her injury, she would also speak about the current negotiations happening between the WNBA and the players’ association. With the return of the Lynx star in Collier, she has been outspoken about the importance of players being paid fairly, an aspect that is covered with a potential new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

Speaking to the media at practice on Tuesday, Collier would give some insight about any updates regarding the negotiations between the league and the WNBAPA. Collier gave a candid response about how “we’re not making a lot of progress,” which she deems “unfortunate” since the players’ association wants to get a deal finished.

“It feels like it’s kind of same old, same old, we’re not making a lot of progress… It’s unfortunate, we obviously want to get a deal done, and it feels like the league doesn’t have that same urgency, and the deadline is quickly approaching, I feel like we’re not close right now.”

There is an Oct. 31 deadline for an agreement to be made, though it seems understood that it won’t happen by then, as reported by Front Office Sports, with WNBAPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson speaking on the negotiations.

“The players are working diligently to achieve a transformational CBA that builds on the growth, momentum, and positive news surrounding women’s sports and the W,” Jackson said in a statement Monday. “As we approach the 60-day mark, the league’s lack of urgency leaves players wondering if it is focused on making this work or just running out the clock. Fans do not want that. They are with the players in demanding a new standard for the W.”

Lynx’s Napheesa Collier, among other players hoping for a new CBA 

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
While Collier and the Lynx will look to continue to take the league by storm, players in the league still want to participate in a fair environment. As the negotiations are disappointing, the WNBA itself would release a statement that says their “number one priority” is, in fact, to get a CBA done.

“We have been clear with the WNBPA, but so there is no doubt—our number one priority is to get a new collective bargaining agreement completed that addresses the players’ priorities while also supporting the long-term growth and success of the league and teams,” a WNBA spokesperson told FOS. “We have been meeting with the union throughout the summer and will continue to meet until this gets done, with additional sessions already scheduled through the rest of the season.”

At any rate, Minnesota’s next game will be on Thursday against the Seattle Storm.