INDIANAPOLIS – As WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert held a press conference in the depths of Gainbridge Fieldhouse ahead of Saturday night’s All-Star game, players used their pre-game warmups as a chance to send a message. “Pay us what you owe us,” the T-shirts worn by each player read.

While the players union and WNBA have met over negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, the players made a statement during warmups.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert feels optimistic that the league and the players’ union will be able to come to a new collective bargaining agreement at some point, even if it’s after the end of October deadline.

The league sits at the precipice of a pivotal financial fork in the road in the form of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The WNBA and its players boast enviable momentum and a great product. They can’t afford to squander those favorable conditions with squabbling and a work stoppage in 2026.

The players' union and the league will meet in-person for the second time since starting negotiations for the collective bargaining agreement, a process that has been contentious so far.

Before the paid appearances, fashion moments and boozy parties, WNBA players are huddling up for a critical collective bargaining meeting ahead of the All-Star Game in Indianapolis. On Thursday afternoon,

The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement is set to expire Oct. 31. If the league and players don’t reach a new deal by then, a work stoppage could begin.

The WNBA appears headed toward a labor stoppage after this season as negotiations between the league and the WNBPA have been lagging up to this point.