The WNBA’s labor negotiations remain unresolved. Scheduling, however, is not waiting. As collective bargaining talks continue to stall, two franchises made the same early-season decision within days of each other. The New York Liberty and the Dallas Wings both announced preseason games against the Indiana Fever, once again centering their earliest public dates around Caitlin Clark.

The timing stood out. While league-wide roster movement remains limited by the CBA impasse, teams are still locking in games they know will draw attention. The Liberty confirmed their preseason opener on social media, announcing an April 25 matchup against Indiana at Barclays Center. “Preseason game against the @IndianaFever is locked in,” the team posted, setting a 3 p.m. ET tip as they prepare for the upcoming season.

Days later, the Wings followed with their own announcement, revealing that their first preseason game will come on April 30 against Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The decisions created a clear throughline. New York and Dallas both chose the Fever for their first public on-court showcase of the year, even as broader league uncertainty remains unresolved.

Preseason scheduling is rarely treated as news. This time, it mattered. Games between Dallas and Indiana in 2025 became focal points for the league, driven by Clark’s presence and the attention surrounding her rookie season. Those matchups helped reshape how teams think about exposure, venue selection, and early-season momentum.

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That context explains why these announcements landed differently. Amid stalled labor talks, teams still prioritized matchups that reliably command interest, even before rosters are finalized.

The contrast is notable. Negotiations between the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association remain at a standstill, with deadlines pushed back and offseason activity operating under restrictive conditions. Yet scheduling around Clark has remained a constant.

The league and the union continue to disagree over the financial framework of the next agreement. Players have pushed for compensation tied to gross revenue, arguing the current model undervalues their market impact. The league has countered that such a structure would be financially unsustainable.

While those talks drag on, free agency and most player transactions remain limited. That reality has slowed roster construction, but has not stopped teams from signaling where they expect attention to land once play resumes.

Scheduling Clark early accomplishes that without requiring movement elsewhere.

 Caitlin Clark’s impact on WNBA strategy shifts

Clark’s influence on league strategy was evident throughout 2025. Teams adjusted venues, marketing, and promotional focus around her availability. This season, that approach appears more measured, shaped in part by her injury-affected year.

Even so, the Liberty and Wings made the same calculation. When choosing which opponent to spotlight first, they landed on Indiana. That choice reinforces a broader truth. Even in a season clouded by labor uncertainty, Clark remains the league’s most reliable point of gravity for attention.

The question now is whether the league’s momentum can sustain itself without leaning so heavily on one player. Last season showed how dramatically Clark could shift the spotlight. This one will test whether the WNBA has built enough structural interest to carry forward regardless of who is on the floor on a given night.

For now, teams are answering in the only way they can. They are scheduling certainty where it exists, even as the business side waits for resolution.