The WNBA has previously indicated that it would need at least a handshake agreement with the players by Tuesday, March 10 in order to start the season on time with no delays. As that deadline looms, it sounds like WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark is voicing her frustration with the league and the situation.
Throughout the negotiations, Clark has largely remained silent, allowing
While some had called for Clark to be more vocal amidst the negotiations, Front Office Sports’ WNBA insider Annie Costabile explained during a recent appearance on “Yahoo Sports Daily” that this was likely a “calculated” move from Clark.
“So, I get what you’re saying in the sense of, ‘Caitlin is the face of the league, she has power, when she speaks, people listen.’ That’s very valid. But she’s also a very calculated person when she does speak,” Costabile explained.
“I think the people leading these negotiations are not necessarily asking that of her. And so, if you’re Caitlin, is it your job to supersede player leadership? I don’t think that is a tactic that seems like one Caitlin would ever take on,” Costabile continued.
That said, Costabile went on to explain that she expected Clark to weigh in during her media appearances at Team USA camp this weekend, ahead of the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament. As expected, Clark did just that, voicing her frustration with the league for the way negotiations have gone.
“I don’t understand why we don’t just get in a room and iron it out and shake hands,” she said via Front Office Sports. “That’s how business is. You look each other in the eye, you shake hands, you respect both sides. For me, that’s what I would love to see.”
Union vice president Breanna Stewart agreed with Clark on this point, suggesting that the sides should simply get in a room and refuse to leave until a deal is done.
“I think that would be great for us all to sit in a room until we really get it done,” the New York Liberty star said. “If that means sitting in there for hours and hours at a time, let’s do it. That’s for the better of the player. While a situation like that has never happened before, there’s a first time for everything.”
Obviously, the two sides are now running out of time to make a deal happen, and Clark clearly is not all that happy about it.
About Dave Kelsey
Bets on sports stuff.