Lexie Brown predicts new CBA will open floodgates for European players to take over the WNBA

The major topic of discussion regarding the WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement has been the potential increase in players’ salaries and granting them a portion of the league’s revenue. Lexie Brown thinks the new CBA could potentially witness an increase in foreign player participation.

During an appearance on Mariah Rose’s "Full Circle" podcast, Lexie Brown gave her two cents on the Golden State Valkyries' strategy of adding seven international players, including six Europeans, to the team roster.

This led to the Seattle Storm guard shedding light on the possibility of more international players joining the WNBA, indirectly forcing the league to allow one-and-done college players to declare for the draft.

“But with this new CBA, I can predict that more players are going to come over, but they can come over younger. So we always have this conversation. And now everybody's talking about lowering the age, one and done. If young European players start coming over here and taking spots, they're going to have to change the rule,” Lexie Brown said.

Under the CBA, the Prioritization Rule requires players to report on time for WNBA training camp, which could overlap with overseas leagues. This makes it tough for foreign and American players to compete abroad, forcing them to choose between fulfilling international commitments or participating in the WNBA.

But following the WNBA players opting out of the CBA before November 1, 2024, none of these rules will be applicable from November 2025 onwards.

The negotiations for the next CBA are ongoing and if it witnesses an increase in player compensation, foreign players could be incentivized to prioritize the WNBA.

Lexie Brown discussed the WNBA’s state before the rise in popularity

The WNBA has witnessed a monumental rise in popularity over the past few years, particularly after the emergence of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. However, the league didn’t garner as many eyeballs earlier and, hence, couldn’t provide a lavish lifestyle for its players.

On Erica Wheeler’s "Easy Buckets Show" podcast, Lexie Brown narrated their experience of sharing hotel rooms.

"We still talk about how the league was like six, seven years ago... we were sharing rooms," Lexie Brown said (timestamp 8:00 onwards).

"We were definitely sharing rooms. I was just talking to Natty and Tom. I was like 'bro we really were sharing rooms and you were talking in your sleep before games.'"

Since the increase in viewership, the league is now in a position to afford providing their players with luxuries such as private rooms, upgraded travel standards.