If an agreement isn’t reached on a new CBA by Oct. 31, a player strike or league lockout could imperil multiple years of progress. However, with all the brand and fan support—and alternatives like Unrivaled—the pressure is mounting for the WNBA.
“The driest commercial value of any league are brand partners and media partners,” said Alex Bazzell, co-founder of Unrivaled, NBA and WNBA skills coach, and Collier’s husband. “Then you start to understand where the value comes from: It’s the fans, it’s the brands, and it’s the partners, collectively, and I think the players understand that mountain now more than ever, which I think is important for our league, along with every other league that operates.”