CWNO Historical Archive : Feb. 11, 2027

OIB Players Begin Strike; Remainder of Season in Jeopardy

Portland’s Thorn Arena and other arenas across the world may remain empty this season if the OIB and OIBPA can’t resolve the player strike announced yesterday afternoon.

February 11, 2027; Los Angeles, CA- Today, after months of back and forth between the OIB players, owners, and executives from the league’s office, the OIB Players Association has announced a player strike will begin tomorrow. The strike was formally declared by OIBPA President Damian McCollum at a short press conference.

“This is not where I or any of the players wanted to be at this point. We’ve negotiated in good faith for months, and while the league office has seemed committed to salvaging this season, a core group of franchise owners has seemed committed to nothing more than maintaining a hard line in the sand,” said McCollum, who was visibly upset. “I want the fans to know that we have tried incredibly hard to save what’s left of this season, but this process has not felt like a negotiation. It’s felt like we’re being stonewalled in the interest of protecting the power of owners.”

The strike comes near the midpoint of the 2026-27 season and McCollum acknowledged that, while players will remain ready to return to playing, it is likely there will be no more games this season.

Long-time OIBPA President Damian McCollum is somber as he announces the commencement of a player strike. McCollum, who is highly respected by fans, players, and owners alike, was visibly upset while making the announcement.

St. Louis Arch owner Kristin Montgomery stated, “This is incredibly unfortunate, and as of now, nobody is winning in this situation. We need to work with the players to resolve this immediately if there can be any hope of saving this season and crowning a champion for the season. We must all put greed and self interest aside and focus on serving the fans.”

OIB President Sonya Gutierrez is expected to have a press conference tomorrow to discuss the path forward.