Breanna Stewart provides encouraging update on WNBA CBA negotiations

WNBA star Breanna Stewartis seemingly pleased with whereCBA negotiationscurrently are with the league.

During a recent episode of herpodcast with NBA star Myles Turner, Stewart provided an update about the current state of negotiations with the league. Stewart revealed that the players are "in a new place."

"I'm feeling better. I'm feeling like the owners are finally really acknowledging and being receptive of what we want and the players as well,"Stewart said.

"We all kind of had to put our business hats on and get into that mindset. I'm hoping we can get this thing done quickly so then we're not late [to start the2026 season]. That's the thing. It's like I've been telling them, is ― now that we're a part of a revenue-shared model, you miss games, it's less money. Not to say that we should submit and just say yes to any proposal that we don't like, but this is a business now. This is how businesses go."

In the league's latest proposal, the WNBA conceded team-provided housing, a person with knowledge of the matter told USA TODAY Sports. In the revised agreement, one-bedroom apartments will be available for players making the minimum salary. The two developmental players on each roster would be provided with studio apartments. The players' union also voiced setting a standard for team facilities that would be codified in the new CBA, the person with knowledge of the situation said.

Still, nothing has changed in terms of revenue sharing or player salaries. The WNBA is offering more than 70% of league and team net revenue. The players' union has asked for 30% of gross revenue. The salary cap would be $5.65 million per year, rising with league revenues.

Game 1: Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) celebrates with teammates after the Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 89-86, at Michelob Ultra Arena.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Jackie Young #0 of the Las Vegas Aces battles for the ball with Alyssa Thomas #25 and Kahleah Copper #2 of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Chelsea Gray (12) and A'ja Wilson (22) of the Las Vegas Aces grab a rebound past DeWanna Bonner (14) and Satou Sabally (0) of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Alyssa Thomas (25) of the Phoenix Mercury shoots the ball against Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) looks to tip a loose ball away from Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb (33).

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Las Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith (3) shoots against Phoenix Mercury forward Natasha Mack (4).

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: A'ja Wilson (22) of the Las Vegas Aces celebrates after making a basket against the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Satou Sabally (0) of the Phoenix Mercury shoots the ball against Megan Gustafson (17) of the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Satou Sabally (0) of the Phoenix Mercury looks to shoot the ball against NaLyssa Smith (3) of the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: NaLyssa Smith (3) of the Las Vegas Aces reacts during the third quarter.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Chelsea Gray (12) of the Las Vegas Aces reacts against the Phoenix Mercury during the fourth quarter.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Alyssa Thomas (25) of the Phoenix Mercury drives to the basket against Jackie Young (0) of the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Alyssa Thomas (25) of the Phoenix Mercury shoots the ball against Jackie Young (0) of the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) dribbles against Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2).

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) drives against Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2).

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Kahleah Copper (2) of the Phoenix Mercury celebrates after her 3-point basket.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Head coach Nate Tibbetts of the Phoenix Mercury looks on during the first quarter.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Maddy Westbeld of the Chicago Sky (left) and Rae Burrell of the Los Angeles Sparks look on.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Jackie Young (0) of the Las Vegas Aces reacts in front of Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon looks on.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Dana Evans of the Las Vegas Aces, shoots the ball between Monique Akoa Makani and Natasha Mack of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces drives to the basket against Alyssa Thomas of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury grabs a rebound against the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces shoots the ball against Monique Akoa Makani of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Game 1: A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces grabs a rebound against Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

The best photos as Aces, Mercury meet in 2025 WNBA Finals

"We're now going to be a part of a revenue-sharing model, which is historic for the WNBA and really for the future to come, and now, it's kind of understanding that," Stewart said on her podcast.

"While it istiring and taxing, you want to be a part of it to make sure that it's for the better of the players, and also the league is going to continue and grow and thrive at such an important point. So you know what? We're not done. Hopefully, eventually, I'll be able to be like, 'Oh, my God, Myles. It's finished. It's over.' It's going to be incredible, but until then, we just keep trucking along."

Stewart's NBA co-host seemed to sympathise with the work that WNBA players are doing in the ongoing negotiations. Turner admitted that many NBA players are in the dark on the work that's been completed.

"I just think that you're fighting the good fight, and I don't think the guys on the NBA side truly see what's really going on the WNBA side," Turner said.

"We only hear headlines. We don't realize that you're on Zoom calls for four hours the day that you have games. We don't realize that you're spearheading these conversations as one of the faces of the league. If the shoe was on the other foot, I think it'd be a lot tougher. I think you're handling it really well."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Breanna Stewart gives positive update on WNBA CBA negotiations

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February 13, 2026

Breanna Stewart provides encouraging update on WNBA CBA negotiations

WNBA star Breanna Stewartis seemingly pleased with whereCBA negotiationscurrently are with the league. During ...

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Chris Paul announces NBA retirement after 21 seasons: 'It's hard to really know what to feel'

Chris Paul officially ended his 21-season career as one of the NBA's greatest point guards, announcing his retirement on Friday onInstagram.

"This is it! After 21 years I'm stepping away from basketball," Paul wrote in the social-media post. "As I write this, it's hard to really know what to feel, but for once — most people would be surprised — I don't have the answer lol! But, mostly I'm filled with so much joy and gratitude!

"While this chapter of being an 'NBA player' is done, the game of basketball will forever be engrained in the DNA of my life."

The fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft out of Wake Forest, Paul ranks second on the NBA's all-time assist list — his 12,552 assists trail only John Stockton's 15,806. He is also second behind Stockton in steals. He leaves as a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA point guard, five-time single-season assists leader, nine-time All-Defense selection and a member of the NBA's 75th anniversary team.

For his career, Paul averaged 16.8 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds. He was also a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. men's national team. His next stop will be the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Paul and the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James are the only players with at least 20,000 points and 10,000 assists in their careers.

"Playing basketball for a living has been an unbelievable blessing that came with lots of responsibility," Paul also said in his Instagram post. "I embraced it all. The good and the bad. As a lifelong learner, leadership is hard and is not for the weak. Some will like you and many people won't. But the goal was always the goal, and my intentions were always sincere (Damn, I love competing!!)"

Paul had previously announced this would be his final season, a farewell tour of sorts, after he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in the offseason. The Clippers struggled to a 5-16 start and then sent him home from a roadtrip on Dec. 3, saying they planned to part ways with him after he reportedly clashedClippers head coach Tyronn Lue and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.

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The Clippers kept Paul on the roster until trading him to the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline earlier this month. There was never an expectation Paul would play for the Raptors, and the team waived him on Friday shortly before his retirement announcement.

The final game of Paul's career was a 140-123 loss to the Miami Heat on Dec. 1 in which he had eight points and three assists in 14 minutes. He averaged a career-low 2.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 16 games with the Clippers this season.

This was Paul's second stint with the Clippers. He also played for the San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets after beginning his career with the New Orleans Hornets.

Last season with the Spurs, Paul was the oldest player in NBA history to start all 82 games. It was only the second time in his career Paul played all 82. He finished his career having played in 1,370 regular-season games and 149 playoff games.

Despite Paul's success and longevity, he never won an NBA championship. Untimely injuries sometimes limited his advancement in the playoffs, including in 2018 when he missed the last two games of the Western Conference finals as the Warriors beat his Rockets. He reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 2021 with the Suns and took a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks only to lose the next four games.

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Chris Paul announces NBA retirement after 21 seasons: 'It's hard to really know what to feel'

Chris Paul officially ended his 21-season career as one of the NBA's greatest point guards, announcing his retiremen...

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Teammates ‘Heartbroken’ After College Baseball Player, 19, Dies In Bus Crash on Iowa Highway While Traveling to Game

Iowa Lakes Community College

NEED TO KNOW

• The college baseball player killed in Wednesday's bus crash in Iowa has been identified as 19-year-old Carter Johnson from South Dakota

• The bus carrying more than two dozen athletes and staff members from Iowa Lakes Community College crashed while it was en route to Arkansas

• Teammates performed CPR on Johnson but he died at the scene, police said

An Iowa college baseball team is "heartbroken" this week as it mourns a 19-year-old freshman who died afterthe team's bus crashedon the way to a series of games this weekend in Arkansas.

Iowa Lakes Community College announced Carter Johnson died in the crash Wednesday morning, according to local affiliatesKCRGandKHAK.

"Carter was a great teammate, a friend, and a valued member of our athletic community," Iowa Lakes Community College's athletic director Troy Larson said in a statement, according to KCRG. "We're heartbroken for this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with Carter's family, we cannot imagine the depth of their loss, and we are holding them close in our hearts."

Johnson was a freshman from South Dakota, according to the outlet.

The crash, which also injured the other 32 passengers aboard the team's bus, happened on Highway 4 near Twin Lakes just after 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11, the Iowa State Patrol (ISP) confirmed in apress release.

Citing police, KCRG reported that the team's 74-year-old bus driver veered off the road and crashed when he overcorrected while trying to get back in the lane, rolling the bus over into a ditch along the highway. Two of the passengers were reportedly ejected from the bus and trapped under the bus when it came to a stop. A van carrying other student-athletes that was traveling behind the team's bus stopped, and the classmates attempted to perform CPR on Johnson, who died at the scene, according to the outlet.

Images from the scene showed the Iowa Lakes Community College baseball team's bus overturned on its side with visible damage to the front as it lay in a ditch before eventually being towed away.

KCCI/youtube

At the time of the deadly crash, the baseball team was on their way to play North Arkansas College in Harrison, Ark., the Northark Pioneers confirmed in aFacebook post.

"Our hearts are heavy as we grieve alongside the Iowa Lakes College community," Dr. Rick Massengale, North Arkansas College president, said in a statement. "The loss of a life is a tragedy that reaches far beyond one campus."

Read the original article onPeople

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Teammates ‘Heartbroken’ After College Baseball Player, 19, Dies In Bus Crash on Iowa Highway While Traveling to Game

Iowa Lakes Community College NEED TO KNOW The college baseball player killed in Wednesday's bus crash in Iowa has been identified as...

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Judge grants Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss an injunction to play for Rebels in 2026

Trinidad Chambliss' push for an extra year of eligibility has paid off.

The Ole Miss quarterback was granted an injunction in Mississippi state court on Thursday that allows him to play for the Rebels in 2026. Chambliss, who transferred from Ferris State, had argued that he should have received a medical redshirt in 2022 while he was playing for the Bulldogs and dealing with health issues before his tonsils were removed in 2024. Chambliss redshirted in 2021 while he was at Ferris State and didn't appear in a game in 2022.

The injunction from Judge Robert Whitwell came afterthe NCAA twice denied Chambliss' requestfor a sixth year of eligibility. In January, the governing body denied his request for a waiver and then subsequently denied his appeal. During the hearing Thursday, news emerged that the NCAA had denied Chambliss' request to reconsider its decision.

Whitwell noted before he issued the injunction that the NCAA's lawyers had left the courtroom and were not present at the time of his ruling Thursday afternoon. Whitwell talked for over an hour before issuing his ruling, and it was obvious over the course of his remarks that he was going to rule in Chambliss' favor as he noted that the NCAA had operated "in bad faith" and that it disregarded Chambliss' medical issues in refusing to grant him the waiver.

Whitwell also made clear that he was not ruling that the NCAA's rules were illegal or making a larger example of the NCAA's eligibility system.

Chambliss, 23, was one of college football's breakout stars in 2025. After relieving an injured Austin Simmons in Ole Miss' second game of the season, Chambliss totaled 30 touchdowns and threw just three interceptions as the Rebels made it to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff before losing to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.

Chambliss' performance in the quarterfinals against Georgia was a game that will live forever in Ole Miss lore. He was 30-of-46 passing for 362 yards and two scores as the Rebels outscored the Bulldogs 27-13 in the second half for a 39-34 Sugar Bowl win.

His return to Ole Miss is a huge boost for the Rebels as they look to get back to the College Football Playoff under new coach Pete Golding. The former Ole Miss defensive coordinator became the team's head coach ahead of the playoff in December as Lane Kiffin decided to leave Ole Miss for the open job at LSU.

To say that having Chambliss back for a second season in Oxford is massive may be an understatement. Simmons transferred after the season to Missouri and, had Chambliss not come back, Auburn transfer Deuce Knight would have been the prohibitive favorite to start for the Rebels.

Chambliss will likely be one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy ahead of the 2026 season even with Kiffin and former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. now at LSU. Ole Miss added the No. 18 transfer class in the country this offseason, according to On3, and signed Michigan State RB Makhi Frazier and(controversially) Clemson LB Luke Ferrelliamong others.

With Chambliss now set to play for the Rebels next season, there's still one more eligibility case among starting quarterbacks in the SEC remaining. Tennessee QB Joey Aguilarhas received a temporary restraining orderin his efforts to play for a seventh season of college football, with a hearing set for Friday over a possible injunction that would clear the way for him to play next season.

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February 13, 2026

Judge grants Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss an injunction to play for Rebels in 2026

Trinidad Chambliss' push for an extra year of eligibility has paid off. The Ole Miss quarterback was grant...

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Ex-Colorado star explains motive behind his Deion Sanders criticism

FormerColoradostar tight end Christian Fauria added some clarity and context tohis recent harsh criticismofColoradocoachDeion Sanders, telling USA TODAY Sports he became especially disenchanted with Sanders last year when Coloradoretired the jersey numberof Sanders' quarterback son Shedeur.

Fauria, a two-time Super Bowl champion, also wanted to make it clear his publiccritique of Deion Sandershad "nothing to do" with his son Caleb, who was on the Colorado team when Sanders was hired in December 2022 but then left the team in 2023 before transferring to Delaware.

Fauria had ripped Sandersduring a podcastwith host Zach Gelb on Tuesday, Feb. 10, saying Sanders is not "very bright" and that "brainwashed" people support him "regardless of how stupid he is sometimes."

Oops:Why Devin Hester's help was among two Colorado NCAA violations

USA TODAY Sports followed up on those remarks with Fauria, who played at Colorado from 1990 to 1994 before moving on to the NFL, where he won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

"I don't want Colorado to fail — I want them to succeed!" Fauria said in an email. "But I find the head coach's priorities off-putting. I officially tapped out in April 2025, when athletic director Rick George allowed the University of Colorado to retire Shedeur Sanders' No. 2 jersey."

2003: Deion Sanders and family celebrate Kids Day at the New York Knicks vs. New Orleans Hornets NBA game at Madison Square Garden in New York, on Nov. 29, 2003.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 2000: Washington's Deion Sanders jukes the Detroit Lions' Brock Olivo at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, on Sept. 10, 2000.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 1997: Deion Sanders at the plate for the Cincinnati Reds during the 1997 season. The Reds were among four different MLB teams that Sanders played for during a nine-season career.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See Deion Sanders' 'Prime Time' career in football, baseball and coaching

The jersey retirement beef at Colorado

This is a sore subject for many former Colorado players, particularly those who played at Colorado around the time the Buffaloes won the1990 national championship. USA TODAY Sports previously reportedColorado went against previous standards for lifetime player honorslast year when itretired the jersey numbersof Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Colorado hasn't even retired the jersey number of Darian Hagan, who led the Buffaloes to three straight Big Eight titles and the national championship with a 28-5-2 record as quarterback. Shedeur Sanders' starting record was 13-11 with no championships or bowl games victories, including 9-4 in 2024.

Hagan even told USA TODAY Sports last year he was"flabbergasted" by the decision, which the school said was made at the discretion of the athletic department administration and head coach. Before last year, Colorado had only retired four football jersey numbers in school history.

"Believe me, I can root for Shedeur as a player while still calling his jersey retirement what it was: a vanity project driven by his father," Fauria told USA TODAY Sports. "It's this strange, twisted loyalty from Sanders die-hards — now spilling over into the NFL — that I want no part of. So I hold my nose and move on."

Fauria clarifies some criticism about Deion Sanders

In the podcast, Fauria said he wasn't a fan of Sanders' coaching style or messaging. He also said he wasn't very smart. USA TODAY Sports asked him to clarify.

(USA TODAY Sports also reached out to Colorado to see if Sanders or the university wanted to respond. Colorado declined comment.)

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Fauria said Sanders' messaging is "confusing and contradictory."

"It flips as fast as the weather at the base of the Flatirons," Fauria told USA TODAY Sports. "One minute it's all empowerment, family and toughness; the next it's excuses, deflections, or bizarre postgame word salads that leave you scratching your head. What boggles my mind most is how reporters rarely challenge him onlate-game managementor coaching decisions."

Criticism of Deion Sanders unfairly labeled as hate

Fauria said Sanders and some of his followers have "thin skin," where any criticism is considered "hate" even if it's valid and constructive. Sanders' three-year record is 16-21, including 3-9 in 2025.

"What I find comical is that any criticism of Deion Sanders gets labeled as 'hate,'" Fauria told USA TODAY Sports. "Apparently, only blind loyalty is acceptable — no matter how self-serving or self-promoting his personality comes across. Those traits are ones I personally don't value and never will.  Ask anyone who knows me or anyone I played with at any level."

Does issue with Deion Sanders involve Fauria's son?

Some questioned whether Fauria's criticism had something to do with the fact his son left the team under Sanders. Fauria said that's not true.

"He loved it there and his teammates," Fauria said ofhis son Caleb. "That angle is fabricated and used to create a narrative that isn't true. Responding to those comments is just a waste of my time and energy."

Fauria's remarks also aren't isolated among former Colorado players. They want the program to succeed but have questioned Sanders'roster-building strategy, hisclock management in gamesand his perceived lack of care for Colorado history and tradition, such as not having his team learn the fight song.

Former Colorado lineman Matt McChesney talked about it Feb. 12 onhis own podcast"Zero 2 Sixty." McChesney questioned the need to attack Sanders' intelligence but otherwise supported Fauria.

"I'm glad that Christian's saying some of the stuff he's saying," McChesney said. "I can't sit here and disagree with him, honestly."

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer@Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Why Deion Sanders was slammed by ex-Colorado star Christian Fauria

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February 13, 2026

Ex-Colorado star explains motive behind his Deion Sanders criticism

FormerColoradostar tight end Christian Fauria added some clarity and context tohis recent harsh criticismofColoradocoach...

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