WNBA playoffs tip off Sunday with possible work stoppage looming

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00:00The longest regular season in WNBA history, 44 games, is now over.

00:05It's playoff time.

00:07Eight teams gunning for the title, record viewership and attendance is expected,

00:12even without injured superstar Kaitlyn Clark.

00:15It seems nothing can slow the league's momentum,

00:17but there are some dark clouds on the horizon.

00:22Surprisingly, those clouds are nowhere to be found in San Francisco,

00:26where the expansion Golden State Valkyries made the playoffs.

00:30The team sold out every one of their 22 home games this season,

00:33establishing a new benchmark for attendance and total fans,

00:37becoming yet another symbol of the league's growth and popularity.

00:41The Valkyries face an uphill climb in the first round.

00:44The Minnesota Lynx, the top seed with MVP candidate Nafisa Collier, await them.

00:49They beat Golden State in the regular season finale Thursday by 19 points.

00:54The rematch is a best of three series,

00:57and coach Natalie Nakasi has that underdog vibe.

01:01I think all of our players have that type of mentality.

01:03You know, I think they like to be doubted.

01:05They like to prove people wrong.

01:06And I think that's what's connected us, too.

01:08I think that's kind of the beauty of our season,

01:09is that we've kind of been connecting on all different levels of past experiences,

01:14past trauma, past everything.

01:17The Lynx-Valkyries matchup is the first shot in an ABC ESPN Sunday quadruple header,

01:23featuring all eight playoff teams.

01:25The Fever, without Kaitlin Clark, out for the season with an injury,

01:29will take on Atlanta at 3 Eastern,

01:31followed by the Liberty and Phoenix Mercury,

01:34and the Nightcap, the hottest team in the league,

01:37Las Vegas Aces, hosting Seattle.

01:39The Aces wrapped up their season on a 16-game winning streak.

01:44They won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 23,

01:47and with MVP candidate Asia Wilson hitting her stride,

01:51they'll be a tough out.

01:52It speaks volumes as to how our offense is running.

01:55Obviously, we love to keep the ball popping,

01:57and that's something that Becky harps on a lot,

01:59and it's something that we probably struggled with in the first half of the season,

02:02was just ball movement, player movement.

02:04There has been no movement when it comes to negotiations

02:07between the Players Union and the league

02:09over a new collective bargaining agreement.

02:12The impending deadline of October 31st

02:14is just two weeks after Game 7 of the WNBA Finals.

02:19If no deal is reached by that time,

02:21there could be a work stoppage,

02:22a scenario that threatens to undo all the positive momentum

02:26the league's produced in the last two record-breaking seasons.

02:29Revenue sharing is the biggest roadblock

02:32the Players Union believes they should receive

02:34a percentage of league revenue that grows each year.

02:38They also want an increased salary cap

02:40and larger base salaries,

02:42which are currently capped at $249,000 per season.

02:47Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum

02:49said during the All-Star break,

02:50the fans can help their cause.

02:52I'm just going to continue to harp on it,

02:53that awareness piece,

02:54and maybe someone that tuned in today

02:56that hasn't seen a WNBA game before

03:00or not super familiar with the climate

03:03of what's going on and where salaries are at.

03:05I know a lot of times we're gaining a ton of new fans

03:07and it's really important to educate them

03:09on what we're asking for,

03:11why we're asking for it,

03:12where it's at now,

03:13where it could be.

03:14That fan support will certainly be there

03:16during the playoffs.

03:17Will the looming deadline spur action

03:19or will the league head into the offseason

03:21with an uncertain future?

03:24For Straight Arrow News,

03:25I'm Chris Francis.

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