WNBA players authorize strike
\n![\"Sky](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/CTC-L-SKY-0716-99_231468004.jpg\")
Sky forward Michaela Onyenwere, left, speaks to center Elizabeth Williams before a game against the Atlanta Dream on July 16, 2025, at Wintrust Arena. (Eileen T. Meslar\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n
The WNBA players union is ready for the next step in a contentious negotiation over a new collective bargaining agreement<\/a>.<\/p>\n The players voted<\/a> Thursday to authorize a strike with a 98% majority vote from participating players. The vote doesn\u2019t mean a work stoppage will occur in the near future; however, it gives the union\u2019s executive committee the authority to initiate a strike in the future.<\/p>\n Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams is one of seven players on that committee along with Nneka Ogwumike, Kelsey Plum, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and Brianna Turner.<\/p>\n \u201cThe players\u2019 decision is an unavoidable response to the state of negotiations with the WNBA and its teams,\u201d the WNBPA said in a statement. \u201cTime and again, the players\u2019 thoughtful and reasonable approach has been met by the WNBA and its teams with a resistance to change and a recommitment to the draconian provisions that have unfairly restricted players for nearly three decades.<\/p>\n \u201cThe players\u2019 vote is neither a call for an immediate strike nor an intention to pursue one. Rather, it is an emphatic affirmation of the players\u2019 confidence in their leadership and their unwavering solidarity against ongoing efforts to divide, conquer and undervalue them.\u201d<\/p>\n The league issued its own statement that the owners \u201cstrongly disagree with the WNBPA\u2019s characterization of the current state of negotiations.\u201d The parties will continue their work toward a Jan. 9 deadline, which was extended several times from an original expiration date in October.<\/p>\n Can Coby White get back up to speed? This season is coming along slowly for Coby White, who played only his 12th game in Sunday\u2019s road win over the Atlanta Hawks.<\/p>\n White missed the entirety of training camp, the preseason and the first three weeks of the season with a calf strain that occurred in late August. Even after his return Nov. 16, the guard has been hampered by tightness and discomfort in both calves, which resulted in four additional missed games.<\/p>\n White wears sleeves on both calves during practice and games to facilitate recovery in both legs \u2014 and avoid the risk of worse damage to his calves or Achilles tendons.<\/p>\n In recent weeks, the Bulls have seen a return of the version of White who could lead their offense in scoring. White scored 20 or more points in three of his last four games, including a 25-point heater in a Dec. 17 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He dived back into a heavier workload to play nearly 30 minutes per game without setbacks. But one area of White\u2019s game still hasn\u2019t caught up \u2014 his 3-point shooting.<\/p>\n White is shooting 29.8% behind the arc, nearly eight percentage points below his career average of 36.7%. No one on the Bulls \u2014 teammates, coaches, staff \u2014 is worried about this bumpy start from 3-point range. It\u2019s expected for a player still getting his wind and bearings back after an extended absence. But White is eager to regain his comfort on the court and from his favored spot behind the arc.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still trying to get it back,\u201d White said. \u201cI\u2019ve never not had a training camp and preseason, so this is my first time ever not having this. It\u2019s going to take some time. I was like, \u2018Nah, I\u2019ll be good.\u2019 And now I\u2019m starting to go through it. It\u2019s tough for sure because everybody else is kind of ahead of the curve and I\u2019m trying to catch up.\u201d<\/p>\n Illinois\u2019 international pipeline continues<\/p>\n Illinois men\u2019s basketball brought in yet another international player<\/a> last week, though this one won\u2019t play this season.<\/p>\n The Illini signed 6-foot-8, 210-pound Croatian forward Toni Bili\u0107, who played three seasons for KK Cedevita Junior Zagreb in the Favbet Premier League in Croatia. Illinois announced that once Bili\u0107 arrives on campus, he will focus on strength training and development for the rest of this season and won\u2019t play in games.<\/p>\n Bili\u0107 joins a group that already consists of Croatian twins Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivi\u0161i\u0107<\/a>, Montenegrin forward David Mirkovi\u0107 and Serbian point guard Mihailo Petrovi\u0107. The players share an agent.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity for him to come in here and not have any pressure of having to play,\u201d Illinois coach Brad Underwood told reporters. \u201cVery, very skilled downhill player. He fits what we\u2019re looking for in terms of positional size. I love his IQ and his feel is extremely, extremely competitive. He plays really hard.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got tremendous perimeter skills. He sees the floor. He\u2019s a passer. He\u2019s got a lot of ability to make plays for others as well as himself and just needs strength. This will give him a great opportunity to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Intra-Indiana stunner Notre Dame men\u2019s basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry offered a unique thank-you Sunday after his Irish lost to Purdue Fort Wayne 72-69<\/a> at home.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoever booed me on the way out, thank you,\u201d Shrewsberry said in his postgame news conference. \u201cThank you. I appreciate it, every single bit of it. Because it was deserved. It was deserved by us and how we played and how we coached them. But we\u2019re not going to quit after tonight.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat it did is ruin my Christmas. I\u2019m going to watch this film. And there ain\u2019t no Christmas in my house. There might be for everybody else in the family. But I have a huge chip on my shoulder.\u201d<\/p>\n Shrewsberry said the Irish had a \u201ctotal lack of leadership\u201d that started with him, but he also gave Purdue Fort Wayne credit.<\/p>\n Corey Hadnot II scored 29 points and had six rebounds, three steals and two assists to lead Purdue Fort Wayne to the program\u2019s first victory over Notre Dame. The Mastodons have previous wins over major-conference opponents against Indiana in 2016 and 2017 and DePaul in 2023.<\/p>\n Number of the week: 12 Career 30-point games for Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo. She broke the Irish record, held by Arike Ogunbowale, on Sunday when she scored 30 points<\/a> on 13-for-17 shooting in 22 minutes against Bellarmine. Hidalgo also had 13 steals and 10 assists for the first 30-point triple-double in Notre Dame history in the 110-38 win.<\/p>\n Week ahead: Bulls<\/p>\n Tuesday: at Hawks, 6:30 p.m. (CHSN) It\u2019s early to talk about tiebreakers, but the Bulls already face several key matchups for the Eastern Conference standings. One of those is Tuesday against the Hawks, when the Bulls can sweep their season series with Atlanta. The Bulls already clinched a tiebreaker over Atlanta with Sunday\u2019s win, and sweeping the series would allow them to leapfrog the Hawks, who are currently one game ahead.<\/p>\n Week ahead: Best college basketball games<\/p>\n Sunday: Illinois women at Purdue, 11 a.m. (Big Ten Network)
\n![\"Bulls](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/CTC-L-bulls-cavaliers028_254929098.jpg\")
Bulls guard Coby White drives on the Cavaliers’ Thomas Bryant on Dec. 17, 2025, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n
\n![\"Notre](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/CTC-L-BIG-TEN_0f9cf5.jpg\")
Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry reacts to a play during the first half against Houston in the Players Era tournament Nov. 26, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay)<\/p>\n
\n![\"Notre](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/CTC-Z-2251917438_253702770.jpg\")
Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo handles the ball against James Madison’s Bree Robinson on Dec. 14, 2025, in Harrisonburg, Va. (Greg Fiume\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\nFriday:\u00a0vs. 76ers, 6:30 p.m. (Prime Video)
\nSaturday:\u00a0 vs. Bucks, 7 p.m. (CHSN)
\nMonday: vs. Timberwolves, 7 p.m. (CHSN)<\/p>\n
\nMonday: Southern men at No. 20 Illinois, 2 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
\nMonday: Pittsburgh women at No. 18 Notre Dame, 5 p.m. (ACC Network)<\/p>\n