Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley warned WNBA players as they appear to be full steam ahead for a labor dispute, while Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has come under scrutiny.

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier amplified the pressure on Engelbert during her final media availability of the season with reporters.

He also took aim at league executives, insisting that the responsibility for building a fair and profitable model doesn’t rest solely with players. “The owners and the commissioner have to meet them halfway,” he said.

“You can’t expect these women to keep playing through unfair conditions. If you want to grow the game, you have to invest in the players. Give them better travel, better resources, better promotion. But you’ve got to do it smart, not emotional.”

The phrase “don’t let pride ruin the future” quickly began trending after the segment aired, with fans interpreting it in different ways. Some viewed it as a warning for the WNBA Players Association to tread carefully in its negotiations, while others saw it as a coded message to league leadership to avoid dismissing player concerns out of arrogance. Either way, Barkley had, once again, managed to spark one of the most heated sports debates of the week.

In a follow-up appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Barkley doubled down on his comments, clarifying that he wasn’t taking sides but urging both parties to “see the bigger picture.” “Listen, I’ve been through this before,” he said, referencing the NBA lockouts of 1998 and 2011.

“When players and owners stop talking and start trying to win the PR war, nobody wins. Fans lose interest, sponsors pull back, and the product suffers. The WNBA can’t afford that right now. They’re in their best moment ever — don’t ruin it with bad business.”

She called out what she described as the “lack of accountability from the league office” and alleged Engelbert made scathing comments about rising stars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.

Team Collier forward Napheesa Collier (24) looks on before the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

Collier’s leadership heading into what will be heated collective bargaining negotiations was lauded among her colleagues around the league. But Barkley suggested the players should be careful to not overplay their hand.

“I love what these women are doing — the game’s growing, the ratings are up, the attendance is up, the interest is higher than it’s ever been,” Barkley said. “But you can’t let ego or pride get in the way of building something sustainable. You’ve got momentum — don’t kill it trying to grab too much, too fast.”

Barkley emphasized that his comments weren’t meant to minimize the struggles WNBA players have faced for years, particularly regarding pay equity and working conditions

Instead, he framed his remarks as a “reality check,” saying the league’s growth — while promising — is still in its early stages compared to other professional sports. “You can’t compare yourself to the NBA yet,” he said. “The NBA’s been around 75 years and built an empire.

The WNBA’s still young. It’s doing great, but it’s not there yet. If you push too hard and the owners walk away, the league could take a step backward. Nobody wants that.”

Unsurprisingly, Barkley’s comments divided fans and pundits. Some praised him for offering what they viewed as a dose of realism in an emotionally charged moment.

Others accused him of being patronizing, arguing that his perspective overlooks decades of systemic inequities that have kept women’s basketball undervalued and underfunded.

“They need to be very careful, they’re walking on thin ice right now,” he said on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “I know they’re doing some great things, but you can’t overplay your hand…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 got power and talent these billionaire owners are just gonna give you everything you want, that’s not gonna happen.

“You can overplay your hand. In the NBA, we were like, ‘No, we’re not gonna strike. They need us.’ You know what I was doing? Sitting my Black a– at home, unemployed … playing damn tiddlywinks.”

Charles Barkley looks on before the Oklahoma City Thunder and the 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)

Barkley added that players have to be a little more cautious when going up against billionaires and the power that they wield.

“No matter how many millions you got, you’re not a billionaire. So, you always have to be careful overplaying your hand.

What you do is, you try to make the best deal possible in the moment and keep growing, but you have to be careful overplaying your hand.”

Indeed, many of the players’ current demands center on structural improvements that would modernize the WNBA’s operations — such as full charter flights, expanded revenue-sharing models, and enhanced marketing opportunities.

With new TV deals on the horizon and corporate sponsorship at an all-time high, players see this as the moment to secure the kind of systemic change they’ve been fighting for since the league’s founding in 1996.

Barkley’s comments also underscore a broader cultural shift in how the public perceives athlete activism and financial advocacy. What might once have been dismissed as “complaining” is now widely recognized as a legitimate effort to ensure equity and growth.

Still, his warning reflects an understanding of the delicate balance between ambition and patience that defines most labor negotiations in sports.

As one sports columnist put it, “Charles Barkley isn’t trying to shut players down — he’s trying to remind them that timing is everything. The WNBA has the spotlight now. The next move has to be the right one.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed optimism that a deal between the players and the WNBA would get done, though he acknowledged the relationship between them and Engelbert would need to be repaired as well.

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. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has never been one to hold back — and this week, he proved it once again. As the WNBA hurtles toward a potentially explosive Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) showdown, Barkley has stepped into the conversation with his trademark bluntness, urging WNBA players to think long-term rather than emotionally as negotiations heat up.

“Don’t let pride ruin the future,” Barkley warned on Inside the NBA, sparking intense debate across both men’s and women’s basketball circles.

The outspoken analyst’s comments came amid reports that the WNBA Players Association is preparing to opt out of the current CBA following the 2025 season — a move that could set the stage for tense negotiations with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and league owners.

The players are reportedly pushing for major salary increases, improved revenue sharing, enhanced maternity and family benefits, and a restructured travel policy.

But Barkley, while expressing full support for the players’ right to demand fair compensation, cautioned them against “overplaying their hand” at a time when the league is finally gaining mainstream traction.

“Charles Barkley is saying the quiet part out loud,” tweeted one user. “He’s not wrong about sustainability, but players are tired of being told to ‘wait their turn.’ They’ve waited 29 years.” Another wrote, “If the league is making more money than ever, players deserve their fair share — not another lecture on patience.”

Still, Barkley’s take resonated with some insiders who share his concern about the potential for short-term tension to derail long-term progress.

“He’s not saying don’t fight — he’s saying fight smart,” said former NBA executive David Falk, who represented Barkley during his playing career.

“The WNBA is at a delicate inflection point. Everyone’s watching, sponsors are coming in, networks are investing — now’s the time to negotiate strategically, not emotionally.”

The timing of Barkley’s comments couldn’t be more critical. The WNBA just completed its most-watched season in history, fueled by breakout stars like Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu, as well as record-breaking Finals viewership numbers.

With expansion teams set to debut in San Francisco (2026) and Toronto (2027), the league appears to be on the verge of a financial boom.

However, as Barkley pointed out, growing revenue doesn’t automatically translate into financial stability — especially in a league still heavily reliant on strategic partnerships and broadcast deals.

“People see the crowds and the ratings and think the money’s pouring in — it’s not that simple,” Barkley explained. “This isn’t just about what’s fair today, it’s about what keeps the lights on 10 years from now. You can’t win the battle and lose the war.”

Meanwhile, several current and former WNBA players responded to Barkley’s comments with mixed reactions. Sue Bird, now a special advisor with the Seattle Storm, said she understood his point but felt the tone was off. “I think Charles means well,” Bird said on ESPN’s Around the Horn.

“He’s right that sustainability matters, but for 20-plus years, we’ve been told to wait for the right time. When is the right time? Growth requires risk. If the players don’t push now, they might never get what they deserve.”

A’ja Wilson, fresh off another Finals MVP win with the Las Vegas Aces, took a more balanced approach. “I love Chuck,” Wilson said in an interview.

“He’s always gonna tell it straight. But we’re not negotiating out of pride — we’re negotiating out of necessity. We’re asking for investment that matches the growth we’ve already created.”

With the current CBA set to expire after the 2025 season, both sides face mounting pressure to strike a deal that ensures long-term stability without stifling progress.

Barkley’s voice — polarizing as ever — has added fuel to an already complex conversation, highlighting just how high the stakes are for the future of women’s basketball.

Whether his advice is heeded or not, one thing is certain: the WNBA stands at a crossroads. And as Barkley himself put it, “This is the moment that defines whether the league grows into something great — or fights itself into a corner.”

“We will get a deal done with the players,” he said Monday. “Lots of work left to be done, but we’ll of course get a new collective bargaining agreement.