Lady Vols' Janiah Barker 'thankful' for WNBA players who negotiated historic deal
Lady Vols senior and WNBA draft prospect Janiah Barker said she's thankful for the players who negotiated a historic CBA for the future of the league.
ANN ARBOR, MI – The WNBA and WNBPA reached a verbal agreement for a new collective bargaining agreement on March 18, and the historic deal includes significant jumps in salary cap and average salaries across the board. It didn't go unnoticed by Lady Vols basketball senior and 2026 WNBA Draft prospect Janiah Barker. "I'm just so thankful for the players, who are not only fighting for themselves, but they're fighting for everybody that's behind them," Barker told Knox News on March 19.
"They're definitely putting their foot down, and I think they really are trailblazing. "It's just such a selfless thing to do, and it's bigger than them, and I think that they know that. I'm just glad we had the right people at the table to fight for us.
" Barker will wrap up her college career at the NCAA Tournament with No. 10 seed Tennessee (16-13), which faces No. 7 seed NC State (20-10) at the Crisler Center on March 20 (8 p.
m. ET, ESPN). The 2026 WNBA Draft will be held April 13.