The WNBA is celebrating the halfway mark of the 2025 season this weekend in Indianapolis, but looming labor issues could dampen spirits. The big picture: The WNBA is the hottest brand in pro sports. Owners who in the early aughts struggled to find investors for their distressed assets are now clamoring for a piece of a rapidly expanding pie.

The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement is set to expire Oct. 31. If the league and players don’t reach a new deal by then, a work stoppage could begin.

Los Angeles Sparks's Kelsey Plum poses on the orange carpet for WNBA All Star basketball events (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston, elegant in a long, dark gown and heels, echoed the sentiment.

SportsLine's Jimmie Kaylor locked in his picks, predictions, props, and WNBA best bets for the Chicago Sky vs. Minnesota Lynx game on Monday, featuring Angel Reese

So, for which franchises do players most want to compete? And what do they think about a host of topics around the league, like who is the league’s best player, where should expansion head, who is the face of the league and what issues are important in the next collective bargaining agreement?

The first-place Minnesota Lynx (18-4) are on the road on Monday night to take on the Chicago Sky (7-13) in WNBA action.

In a poll published Thursday by Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman of The Athletic, a plurality of players voted the Sky as the worst-run organization in the league. With 40.7% of votes received, Chicago beat out the Connecticut Sun (29.6%), Los Angeles Sparks (14.8%) and Dallas Wings (7.4%).

The Sky were selected by a poll of unnamed WNBA players as the worst-run organization in the league. The poll was conducted by The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman, and the results were released this week.

Also, Griner etched her name further into the WNBA history books. With an early second‑quarter basket, she passed Jewell Loyd (5,768 points) to become the 19th player in the WNBA’s All-Time Scoring list with 5,769 career points. By game’s end, Griner had also added five rebounds and two blocks.