Caitlin Clark’s Injury Exit Leaves Fever in Troubled Waters as Looming CBA Battle Clouds 2026 Return

The news we all feared has been confirmed. Caitlin Clark is officially out for the season. Her sophomore year was supposed to be the one where she made a real push for MVP, building off her electric rookie campaign. Instead, it ends with her playing just 13 games in total. For the Indiana Fever, it’s a devastating setback as their playoff hopes still hang in the balance with three games to go. And for fans, it’s a tough pill to swallow knowing this could be the last glimpse of Clark on the court for a long time.

Everyone is aware of the tense situation surrounding the ongoing CBA talks between the players and the league. With an October 31, 2025, deadline looming, both sides need to reach a compromise soon. If they don’t, the league could face a lockout — meaning all basketball activity comes to a halt. For fans, that would mean no games, no chance to watch their favorite players on the court. And beyond the heartbreak for fans, the league itself would face a huge economic setback, something that could stall all the momentum the WNBA has built in recent years.

The players have been very clear — they’re not asking for the exact same salaries as NBA players, but for the same share of revenue. Right now, WNBA players only receive 9.3% of the league’s revenue. For comparison, NBA players get a 49–51% split of basketball-related income. That gap is massive, and when you put it in perspective, it’s easy to see why the players feel entitled to ask for a fairer share.

“We’re not asking for the same salaries as the men, we’re asking for the same revenue shares,” Napheesa Collier said. “That’s where the big difference is. We get such a small percentage of revenue share right now that affects our salary. We’re asking for a bigger cut of that, like more equitable to what the men’s revenue share is. It wouldn’t get us anywhere close to their salaries, we’re not asking for the same salaries, we’re asking for the same cut of the pie of what is made in our league.”

But giving players a bigger slice of the pie isn’t as simple as it sounds. The WNBA’s revenue model is complicated. The NBA still owns about 42% of the league, while the other 42% is owned by WNBA team owners. That split makes it tricky to restructure things, and breaking it down would take time. This complexity is likely one of the biggest reasons why both sides haven’t been able to reach a resolution yet.

But as Robin Lundberg pointed out in his latest YouTube video, “the CBA negotiations and a potential lockout are in between ( Caitlin Clark and the 2026 season for now)”

(This is a developing story…)

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