The WNBA is in the midst of an injury crisis, with several marquee players, including Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, sidelined. As fans and media look for answers, some have pointed fingers at the league’s jam-packed schedule. But Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is not buying that argument.
Cunningham pushed back on the growing criticism of the WNBA calendar, calling it a necessary trade-off for a league looking to grow in both exposure and pay. Speaking on the latest episode of her Show Me Something podcast with co-host West Wilson, Cunningham didn’t hold back when the topic of back-to-back games came up.
“We are always going to have back-to-back games because our season is so short and they’re trying to cram as many games in,” Cunningham said. “If we’re asking to get paid more, then we’re going to have to produce more product.”
Her comments come as the league hits a new record of injuries. As of this week, the 2025 WNBA season has already seen 176 injuries, matching the entire total from the 2023 season. And with more than a third of the regular season still left, that number is expected to climb.
Tuesday night alone saw four WNBA All-Stars out with injuries. Caitlin Clark missed her 17th game of the season. Napheessa Collier (ankle), Breanna Stewart (knee), and Reese (back) also watched from the sidelines.
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CBA talks heat up
The regular season was expanded to 44 games this year, the maximum allowed under the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which expires at the end of the 2025 season. With two new expansion teams (Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo) entering the league in 2026, talks of further schedule growth are inevitable.
Meanwhile, the CBA negotiations keep going with the revenue sharing being one of the top priorities for players. WNBA players are pushing to receive a percentage of the league’s revenue that increases as the league grows financially. This could include not just league-wide earnings but also money made by individual teams.
