ESPN reporter Holly Rowe deleted her social media post after accidentally including source attribution notes while sharing WNBA CBA negotiation details
Holly Rowe accidentally leaked the details of the WNBA’s CBA negotiations(Image: Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Holly Rowe was compelled to remove her social media post after inadvertently revealing information about the WNBA’s CBA negotiations.
Currently, the league and its players remain at an impasse, with both parties continuing discussions on a new CBA. They have been exchanging counterproposals, though no deal has been finalized as the start of the 2026 WNBA season draws nearer.
That being said, representatives from both the players’ association and the league are meeting in New York to work out an agreement, hoping to prevent any disruption to the season. However, Rowe’s post contained a misstep that led her to delete it entirely as negotiations pressed on. It comes after Sophie Cunningham revealed a strict dating rule that many men can’t follow.
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On X, Rowe’s initial post started with: “Feels like we are getting closer to a deal … Latest league proposal.”
The ESPN reporter then shared the most recent figures the two parties were discussing as they work toward a deal satisfactory to both players and the league, according to Awful Announcing, reports the Mirror US.
“Just so have on background- no attribution to me or the league.. heere are some updates – WNBA latest proposal includes: a salary cap of $6.2M, up from $1.5M in 2025 – a more than 4x increase. An average salary starting at $570K in year one and growing to $850K in year six – a significant bump for middle tier players. Max salaries exceeding $1.3M growing to nearly $2M.”
That said, whilst the update appeared routine initially, Rowe seemingly forgot to remove a crucial sentence: “Just so have on background- no attribution to me or the league.”
Notably, “on background” refers to a situation in which a source provides information to a journalist without being directly attributed.
Approximately an hour after the initial posting, Rowe removed the post with no explanation.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert has stated her desire to get a new deal done soon(Image: Bess Adler/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Regarding the error, a fan posted on X: “Holly Rowe just posted and deleted a WNBA bombshell with source notes still attached…no harm done, but it sure feels like a big new deal is coming. Let’s play ball.”
With the details, another claimed that what the league is proposing does not make sense. “The math doesn’t add up. The league is lying and Holly literally just candp’d what the league told her to say,” the fan responded.
Regardless of the circumstances, it is evident that those around basketball are monitoring the negotiations between the players and the WNBA closely. NBA legend Charles Barkley took a moment to send a warning to Caitlin Clark and other WNBA stars amid the ongoing struggle.
“Ladies, I want you all to get paid, and I wish you the very best, but y’all gotta be very careful,” he said on a recent episode of The Steam Room podcast.
“Y’all get in that room and say, ‘Hey, let’s make the best deal.’ You don’t want a strike. You don’t want a lockout.”
He continued: “When y’all start bad-mouthing the commissioner, you have to remember one thing. The commissioner works for the owners. You might not get paid what you’re worth, but you can get paid what you can get.”
It’s unclear when the standoff between the WNBA and its players will reach a resolution. However, one thing is certain: leaked information about the negotiations never reflects well on either party.