Clark was voted WNBA Rookie of the Year ahead of the Chicago Sky ace

Kaitlin Clark is the only player who matters in the WNBA according to an analyst, in a crushing snub for the likes of the Las Vegas Aces‘ A’ja Wilson, as he hits back at the Chicago Sky‘s Angel Reese.

The development comes after the 22-year-old claimed she would sit in meetings to make sure her and her colleagues get the salaries they believe is worth their talents and values, with Reese claiming her $73,439 rookie paycheck isn’t enough ot support her alone.

But for Dan Dakich, he is simply not interested in the ex-LSU Tigers‘ comments as he insists the Clark-led Indiana Fever are the only team watching in the WNBA, claiming their protests only work in favor of the NBA.

“So, you’re going to sit out. You lost 40, 50 million,” Dakich told OutKick. “You know who would clap for you all sitting out?

“The NBA. So, they don’t have to subsidize your dumb a**es to the tune of 40 to 50 million a year.

“Like, if I’m an NBA owner, I didn’t get rich by wasting a couple million on something that has no chance of making money. Honest to God. So, these two sit out. Sit out. See what happens.

“Now, I personally, I would miss watching the Fever. I would miss watching Caitlin Clark. But I wouldn’t miss anything else.”

Why are WNBA players pushing for more money?

There has been a slow, but steady, growth of criticism about WNBA salaries from the players over recent years and that now appears to be building up to a crescendo after Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart‘s successful Unrivaled league.

The 3×3 format allowed WNBA pros to remain in the United States to top up their earnings instead of jetting around the world, and proved to be successful in Miami with TNT collecting the TV rights showing the interest behind it.

The push comes off the back of an explosion in popularity for women’s basketball, in part thanks to Clark and Reese‘s rivalry. As per NBA Communications, the WNBA raked in 54 million individual viewers across ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ION, and NBA TV in 2024.

The average of 1.19 million marked a 170% increase as fans tuned in to watch Clark hit the court along with her other co-stars including the likes of Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu and Diana Taurasi.

Reese’s brother was snubbed for a notable award

Angel Reese may have to help her brother bounce back from a tough college basketball snub after Julian was blanked for the All-Defensive team, despite starring throughout 2024/25 with the Maryland Terrapins.

The Terrapins are into the quarterfinals of the Big 10 and have a good chance to even win a national championship, having previously crushed the Northwestern Wildcats 74-61 on Saturday, March 8.

And Julian has been a big part of that on defense, with the 6ft9in senior making 9.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game whilst also contributing averages of 13.2 points and 1.2 assists.

He also makes 74.1% of his free throws and has a 55.5% field goal rate as well as producing 14 double-double statlines. However, in the eyes of the NCAA that wasn’t enough to impress and fans were shocked.

One user wrote to X.com, formerly Twitter, “I was surprised he was not on there, but also Tre Holloman was snubbed.”

A second added, “MD near the top in all team defensive categories in Big Ten play, but nobody on all defensive team.”

And a third commented, “All time robbery.”

Reese can help Julian rebound

Fortunately, the 21-year-old has strong people around him to rebound from the setback from within his own collegiate camp but also in his sister, Angel Reese, who plays in the WNBA for the Chicago Sky.

The older sibling, now a professional, won the national championship with the LSU Tigers in 2023 and has had to face her own challenges through her journey to the top of the sport.

Angel Reese has suggested a player strike is on the table if the WNBA does not meet demands for the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) has already opted out of its current CBA, meaning the deal will expire in October this year, rather than in 2027.

With a number of sticking points between players and the league office, a prolonged dispute is said to be looming.

And speaking on Friday, Reese claimed her fellow WNBA stars are ready to take action.

“I need to be in the (players’ union) meetings because I’m hearing that if (the league) don’t give us what we want, we’re sitting out,” the Chicago Sky power forward told Dijonai Carrington on her Unapologetically Angel podcast.

“That’s a possibility, for real,” Carrington responded.

Reese’s comments caused a social media frenzy, and on Saturday she responded to the furore.

“I love how yall have selective hearing,” she posted on X.

“I said ‘I’m hearing if they don’t give us what we want, we sitting out’ and that’s the truth. I never said anything about the NBA. We are prepared to stay at the negotiating table for as long as it takes.

She then posted a link to her podcast, encouraging people to hear the conversation for themselves.

“Here’s the link to my podcast so you can hear the conversation too. I will continue to use my voice to speak for what WE want & deserve as a league. Thank ya😘”.

According to Sportico, Carrington was the WNBPA union rep for the Connecticut Sun last season, before being traded to Dallas last month.

Reese, meanwhile, doesn’t have a formal role in the organization, as Diamond DeShields served as the Sky’s rep in 2024.

Her former teammates, Elizabeth Williams and Brianna Turner, who are now with Indiana Fever, are the WNBPA’s secretary and treasurer, respectively.

Reese, though, was part of a rookie class that helped change the dynamics of the WNBA last year, with the arrival of Caitlin Clark also contributing to an explosion in popularity.

Last July, the league struck an 11-year media deal with Disney, Amazon Prime Video and new rights holder NBCUniversal, that is said to be worth a massive $2.2billion, or $200m annually.

That will begin in 2026, while expansion teams in San Francisco, Portland and Toronto have been confirmed.

Reese herself signed a four-year, $324,383 rookie contract ahead of her first pro season, with a base salary of just under $75,000.

During her conversation with Carrington, she noted that the 2025 WNBA Draft class will probably make significantly less money than the one that follows due to the next CBA changing the salary structure.

She added that it is even possible rookies under the next CBA will out-earn her.

“We deserve more, everybody,” Reese, who was named a WNBA All Star in her debut season, said.

Last October, the WNBPA announced its decision to opt out of its collective bargaining agreement with the league, giving the parties 12 months to negotiate a new deal in the wake of the sport’s massive growth.

“The players made the decision to opt out of the last CBA to realign the business and save the league from its own limitations,” WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson said in a statement.