WNBA players receive warning from Charles Barkley
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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley warned WNBA players that they appeared to be full steam ahead on a labor dispute, while Commissioner Cathy Engelbert came under scrutiny.
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier turned up the pressure on Engelbert with reporters in her final press conference of the season. He called out what he called “the league office’s lack of accountability” and claimed Engelbert made harsh comments about rising stars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.
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Team Collier forward Napheesa Collier (24) appears before the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
Collier’s leadership leading into heated collective bargaining negotiations was praised by his league colleagues. However, Barkley said players should be careful not to overplay their hands.
“They need to be very careful, they’re walking on thin ice right now,” he said. “The Rich Eisen Show.” “I know they’ve done great things, but you can’t overplay your hand… As a league with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and hundreds of great players, I think we’ve gone on strike three times. So this idea, just because you have the power and the talent, these billionaire owners will give you anything you want, it’s not going to happen.”
“You can overestimate your hand. In the NBA, we were thinking: ‘No, we’re not going to shoot. They need us.’ Do you know what I do? Sitting at home in my black, unemployed… winking.”
Charles Barkley watches the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers play in Game Four of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 13, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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Barkley added that players need to be a little more careful when going up against billionaires and the power they wield.
“No matter how many millions you have, you’re not a billionaire. So you always have to be careful when you overplay your hand. What you’re doing is you’re trying to get the best deal possible right now and you’re continuing to grow, but you have to be careful when you overplay your hand.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed optimism that a deal would be made between the players and the WNBA, but acknowledged that the relationship between them and Engelbert also needed to be repaired.
Paige Bueckers poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the number one pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft to the Dallas Wings at The Shed at Hudson Yards. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
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“We will make a deal with the players,” he said on Monday. “There is a lot of work to be done, but of course we will sign a new collective bargaining agreement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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