In this week\u2019s SB Nation Reacts national survey, all eyes are on the WNBA. The 2025 Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury is in full swing. The Aces are leading the series 3-0 and could win it all tonight in Game 4, which will be at 8 p.m. ET tonight and aired on ESPN.<\/p>\n
The survey however focuses on two different issues. One is on the officiating in the WNBA. The second is on what the biggest issue in the WNBA is given that the current Collective Bargaining Agreement will end on Oct. 31 where a lockout, is possible<\/a>.<\/p>\n With officiating, the verdict is clear. Of the respondents to our national survey, 97 percent \u2014 nearly everyone \u2014 believe that there is an officiating problem in the league, in particular with the degree of physical contact that is tolerated. Check out this article by Kendra Andrews of ESPN<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>\n Now, the WNBA is about to enter a period of uncertainty due to the current CBA negotiations. And nearly half \u2014 of 49 percent \u2014 of respondents believe that league leadership is the issue. This sentiment also tends to be pro-player among the fans who voted.<\/p>\n We have seen plenty of clashes between players and league leaders. Former NBA Commissioner David Stern was a notoriously tough negotiator who was both respected for growing the NBA and maintaining a hard line with players, the latter of which made him unpopular with NBA fans, despite his overall respect. While Stern was one of the best marketers and strategists out there (and he was a lawyer bytrade), the reality is that Stern was an employee of the owners \u2014 NOT a players\u2019 union leader.<\/p>\n