The NBA legend Charles Barkley makes sure everyone knows the reality. Thus, with just a few days left before the WNBA’s most-anticipated CBA negotiation on March 10, the Hall of Famer issued a stark warning rooted in his own experience with NBA labor disputes.

First, he told Ernie Johnson on The Steam Room, “I hate people have an opinion on everything. That just makes you an a——.” However, the 63-year-old couldn’t help but say a few words to the WNBA players. “The commissioner works for the owners. The commissioner is not trying to be like her. I like Cathy, but she’s speaking for the owners.”

According to Chuck, the players knew the train wreck was coming towards them. Charles Barkley also says that for months, he has heard TV commentators argue that the WNBA players have strong backing from influential men, the league commissioner, and team owners. This implies that they have powerful allies supporting their stance.

“I’m like, well, y’all better be careful ‘cuz you know who has power? People who got damn money,” Barkley forewarned. At the same time, Barkley says he loves the WNBA and genuinely wishes the women success. However, he warns them about how power works in the sports business.

Holding everyone’s feet to the fire will not guarantee everything they want. Instead, players must negotiate the best deal possible. After all, the people with the money usually make the rules. Meanwhile, Barkley offers a blunt history lesson.

League owners told even Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan, three of the biggest NBA icons, to sit at home twice during labor disputes. The 1995 lockout lasted from July 1 to September 12 and disrupted preseason and training camps. Michael Jordan was active then, while Larry Bird had retired in 1992 and Magic Johnson in 1991 before a brief 1996 return.

Later, the 1998 to 1999 lockout stretched 204 days and canceled 464 games. Jordan had just retired after the 1998 Finals, while Bird and Magic were long retired. Even earlier, the 1983 CBA followed tense 1982 negotiations with strike threats.

Therefore, Barkley argues a simple truth. Workers rarely overpower billionaires or multimillionaires in any situation. This is a lesson echoing today as WNBA players risk missing 2026 games.

The WNBA responded with a new offer to the players

The WNBA quickly answered the players’ union. Per ESPN, the league sent its own CBA proposal just one day after receiving the union’s offer. Meanwhile, urgency hangs in the air. The league set a Tuesday deadline and wants at least a handshake agreement to keep the season on schedule. Therefore, both sides are racing the clock while negotiations continue behind the scenes.

However, the exact tweaks in the new proposals remain unknown. Still, revenue sharing stands at the center of the standoff. The union previously asked for an average 26% of gross revenue, including 25% in year one. League leaders called that unrealistic. Instead, recent league offers promise more than 70% of net revenue as growth continues.

Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark urged both sides to stop exchanging proposals and meet face to face until a deal lands. “I don’t understand why we don’t just get in a room and iron it out and shake hands,” the WNBA superstar said. “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.”

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Truth landed like a Charles Barkley fastball. It came with a blunt warning about power and owners. Even big names like Michael Jordan and Larry Bird faced the same harsh reality. Therefore, everything now is a race against the ticking clock for the WNBA players. Now, the message is simple: Deals happen through compromise, pressure, and a handshake waiting somewhere ahead.