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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has warned WNBA players as they appear to be full steam ahead in a labor dispute, while commissioner Cathy Engelbert has faced increased scrutiny.
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier amped up the pressure on Engelbert during her final media availability of the season with reporters. She denounced what she described as the “lack of accountability from 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) 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 ahead of what will be heated collective negotiations has been praised by his colleagues across the league. But Barkley suggested players be careful not to overplay their hand.
“They have to be very careful, they’re walking on ice right now,” he said on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “I know they’re doing great things, but you can’t overplay… 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 are just going to give you everything you want, it’s not going to happen.
“You can overplay your game. In the NBA, we were like, ‘No, we’re not going to hit. They need us.’ Do you know what I was doing? Sitting my Black a– at home, unemployed…playing fucking winks.
Charles Barkley looks on before the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers play 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 careful when facing 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 overplaying your hand. What you do is try to make the best deal you can in the moment and continue to grow, but you have to be careful about overplaying your hand.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed optimism that a deal could 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 Dallas Wings’ number one pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
“We will find an agreement with the players,” he said on Monday. “There is still a lot of work to do, but of course we will get a new collective agreement.
