Multiple WNBA executives viewed the Ogwumike announcement—again, she is the WNBPA president—as an intentional move to exert pressure on labor negotiations. There was a similar feeling last year when union leaders Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart cofounded Unrivaled. At the time, both players acknowledged the start-up 3-on-3 league—complete with lucrative salaries and player amenities that were superior to those offered by several WNBA teams—came at a perfect time as negotiations for a new CBA were just beginning.
