2025 WNBA All-Star notebook: CBA, expansion dominate the conversation as Indianapolis proves a worthy host

INDIANAPOLIS — The WNBA didn’t hold an All-Star Game until its third year of existence, and up until 2021 it was cancelled during Olympic years. When the event did take place, it was often a forgettable one-day affair. 

Times have changed. 

Over the weekend, Indianapolis was taken over by the league and its legions of new fans. The players, now global superstars, were mobbed everywhere they went. Downtown, the JW Marriott was covered in a giant Caitlin Clark banner that covered 30 of the hotel’s 34 stories and took nine days to install, per Scott Agness. 

Once an afterthought, the league’s midseason showcase is now a true All-Star weekend with a major cultural and economic footprint. Amid the historic labor battle between the players and the league, this year’s edition was particularly important. Here’s a view from the ground in Indianapolis. 

CBA talks take center stage

Late Saturday night, as commissioner Cathy Engelbert was trying to present the All-Star Game MVP award to Napheesa Collier, the fans inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse drowned her out with chants of “Pay them! Pay them!” The players, who had taken the floor for warm-ups with shirts that read “Pay us what you owe us,” were visibly moved by the support.

“I think it’s vital [to have the fans’ support], but it’s nothing that we ever doubted,” Womens National Basketball Players Association president Nneka Ogwumike said after the game in a hallway deep inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “You know, we see the turnout here at All-Star. I’ve been to 10 of these, and each one is bigger and better, and we could not do it without the fans. So, I’m not surprised, but I’m just very grateful to know that they were able to also show that love for us today.”

The players’ ongoing labor battle with the league was the main topic of the weekend. From the first time they were available to the media Friday morning before practice, until minutes before Ogwumike had to rush out to catch a flight Saturday night, the players fielded a constant stream of questions about the negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement. 

I won’t get into all of the details here, but the gist of the fight is this: the league is enjoying more success and making more money than ever, and the players want their fair share. Specifically, they want a bigger percentage of the revenue and higher salaries. The two sides met Thursday for the first in-person sit down since December but made little progress. 

WNBA CBA negotiations: Where things stand after All-Star Weekend as potential work stoppage looms

Erica Ayala

In speaking with the players and seeing their facial expressions and body language up close, their sense of frustration was palpable. New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart called Thursday’s meeting a “wasted opportunity.” At the same time, it was clear the players were a united front. Over 40 of them showed up, a record for union participation, and they were in lock step with their demands. 

As inspiring as it was to see the players’ solidarity, their steadfastness did put everyone on much higher alert for the possibility of a lockout, which has never happened before in WNBA history. While Engelbert said she’s “confident” a deal will get done by the Oct. 31 deadline — which can be pushed back — the general sense around Indy was that there will not be a new CBA in place by then. 

What that would mean for this offseason or the 2026 season remains to be seen. Notably, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo are set to join as expansion franchises next season and nearly every player not on a rookie scale contract will be a free agent this winter. 

Expansion, expansion, expansion

Outside of the CBA negotiations, expansion was the biggest topic of conversation on the ground in Indianapolis. While the league recently announced three new expansion franchises in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, the more urgent questions surround Portland and Toronto, which will join in 2026. 

There was a lot of talk about the Portland situation, and the general consensus matches the outside perception that it is a mess. The organization recently fired Inky Son, its initial president and first employee, after just months on the job. Former Nike executive Clare Hamill has since taken over on an interim basis, but there is still no general manager in place less than a year out from their first game. Until someone is hired for that role, the franchise cannot begin a coaching search or start scouting for the expansion draft. By comparison, Toronto hired its general manager, Monica Wright Rogers, back in February. 

Even Portland’s recent team branding announcement — they’re reclaiming the Fire name, which was used by the city’s original WNBA team — brought some criticism. The city does have a rabid fanbase, and the Fire have surpassed 10,000 season ticket deposits. But as things stand, there’s little reason to have confidence that the organization will be able to give them a competitive team to root for. 

The other pressing matter is the upcoming expansion draft. While last year’s expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries was fairly straightforward, no one knows how this offseason’s two-team edition is going to work. 

Which team will get the first pick in the expansion draft? How will that be determined? Will they alternate picks or will it be a snake format? How will the league account for the fact that the vast majority of players are going to be unrestricted free agents? How many players will the other 13 teams be able to protect? Will the Valkyries be exempt? When will the draft take place? 

Engelbert did not provide any answers during her pre-All-Star press conference, in part because the rules for the expansion draft are collectively bargained, and a new CBA is not yet in place. 

“I would just say stay tuned in on that,” Engelbert said. “We’re still looking at what the expansion draft would look like with a two team. If it followed what we did with the Valks, you’ll probably figure out what that looks like… Expansion draft should occur before [free agency], assuming we stick with the same timing. We’ll know a little more after that expansion draft who truly then has the free agency status.”

StudBudz steal the show

If you’re still unfamiliar with the StudBudz, you must be living under a rock. Minnesota Lynx teammates Courtney Williams — who suited up for Team Collier — and Natisha Hiedeman were the breakout stars of All-Star Weekend after their incredible 72-hour livestream, which took everyone behind the scenes in Indianapolis. 

Our Isabel Gonzalez has a rundown of their best moments, so I won’t get too in depth here. 

Who are StudBudz? Explaining WNBA’s most entertaining duo and their best moments from All-Star Weekend

Isabel Gonzalez

What I will say is that it their audacious idea to stream the entire weekend — they even kept the cameras rolling while they were sleeping — turned out to be the best PR the league could have hoped for. Every event they attended instantly became more fun when they walked through the door, and they allowed everyone to get an authentic look at the players and their personalities. 

Late Saturday night, I inadvertently made my debut on the stream when I interviewed Williams after the All-Star Game for my column on Napheesa Collier. My colleague, James Herbert, somehow captured the only moment during the entire weekend where Williams wasn’t smiling, but she was as gracious as always and a terrific quote. 

It was awesome to see the love that the StudBudz received all weekend, and this should only be the beginning of their success. 

A glimpse at the league’s future

When you walk through the doors at Nicoson Hall on the University of Indianapolis’ campus, you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Aside from a new floor, the gym remains largely unchanged since it was built in 1959, and the rows of wooden benches that serve as the stands look like something out of “Hoosiers.”

On the court this weekend, however, was the game’s future. The NBA, WNBA and FIBA hosted the third Basketball Without Borders Global women’s camp for top high-school-age prospects from outside the U.S. Forty players from more than a dozen countries participated, and all were hoping to catch the eye of one of the many college coaches and WNBA personnel in attendance. After last year’s camp, 34 players received Division I offers. 

The players got to learn from current and former WNBA players, including Tonya Edwards, Nika Muhl and Georgia Amoore. Following two days of drills, skill sessions and scrimmages, the campers were broken up into teams for a mini tournament Saturday that the media was invited to watch. Despite a lack of chemistry and some language barriers, the talent on display was obvious. As was the fact that the “too small” celebration has transcended borders. 

Allison Feaster, the Boston Celtics’ vice president of team operations, served as the camp’s director and said the “beauty” of the event was the “elite of the elite from around the world, with the front offices from WNBA teams and the very best in college basketball all coming together to identify the future of college basketball and the WNBA.” 

Since Basketball Without Borders began in 2001, 142 former campers have gone on to play in the NBA or WNBA, including Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Ezi Magbegor and Dominique Malonga. Croatia’s Lea Vukic, who was recently named to the All-Star 5 at the FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket Division B tournament, hopes to add her name to the list one day. 

“Honestly, this was the best camp I’ve ever been to,” Vukic said. “Just being able to compete with these amazing girls and knowing that we’re the best of the best in the whole world is truly humbling and just an amazing experience.

The All-Star Game should soon be back in Indy

This was only the second time I’ve been to Indianapolis, and it didn’t take long to see why it is so often picked to host major sporting events. The hotels, the convention center, Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium (where the NFL’s Colts play) are all in the same area of downtown, well within walking distance from each other. As are restaurants, bars and parks. For visitors, the set-up is perfect. 

Considering the city’s success with the Indy 500, Finals Fours and a Super Bowl, it’s surprising the WNBA had never given them a chance with All-Star weekend, especially when the Fever were routinely one of the best teams in the league from 2005-2015. It may have taken the Fever 25 years to host their first All-Star Game, but they shouldn’t have to wait long for their second opportunity. 

The energy in the city all weekend was incredible. “we in indy but it feel like miami LMFAOOO,” Chicago Sky star Angel Reese posted on social media. The city and the Fever organization went all out — even the buildings were covered in giant banners recognizing the All-Stars — to create a memorable experience, and the fans came out in tremendous numbers. Visit Indy estimated more than 70,000 people were in town. Caitlin Clark’s injury and a bit of hard rain Saturday afternoon, both of which were out of anyone’s control, were the only negatives I could think of.  

“That was special. That was really, really special,” Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, said. “You guys made it special. I think everybody played a big part in making this weekend what it was supposed to be. Shout out to the city of Indianapolis for putting on a great show for everybody and hopefully the players from the W, from the other teams, enjoyed themselves.”

Thanks in large part to Clark, who didn’t participate on the court but was still a major attraction at events, Indy has become the epicenter of the WNBA. The league would be foolish not to bring the All-Star Game back there in the next few years.