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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley warned WNBA players as they appear to be in overdrive over a labor dispute, while commissioner Cathy Engelbert has come under scrutiny.
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier amplified the pressure on Engelbert during his final availability of the season with reporters. He denounced what he described as a “lack of accountability on the part of the league office” and alleged that Engelbert made scathing comments about rising stars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.
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Team Collier forward Napheesa Collier (24) watches before the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Image Images)
Collier’s leadership heading into what will be heated collective bargaining negotiations was praised among his colleagues across the league. But Barkley suggested that players should be careful not to overplay their hand.
“They have to be very careful, they’re walking on thin ice right now,” he said on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “I know they’re doing great things, but you can’t overdo it… as a league that had Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and a hundred great players, I think we went on strike three times. So this notion, just because you have power and talent, these billionaire owners will give you everything you want, that’s not going to happen.
“You can overplay your hand. In the NBA, we were like, ‘No, we’re not going to attack. They need us.’ Do you know what I was doing? Sitting my Black at home, unemployed… playing damn tiddlywinks.”
Charles Barkley watches before the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers play in Game 4 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 cautious when faced with 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 about overstating your hand. What you do is try to make the best possible deal at the moment and keep growing, but you have to be careful about overstating your hand.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver expressed optimism that an agreement would be reached between the players and the WNBA, although he acknowledged that the relationship between them and Engelbert would also need to be repaired.
Paige Bueckers poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the number one overall pick to the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards. (Images by Vincent Carchietta-Imagn)
“We will manage to reach an agreement with the players,” he said on Monday. “There is a lot of work to do, but of course we will get a new collective agreement.
