WNBA talks reach a critical stage as the calendar tightens. Commissioner Adam Silver emphasizes urgency to finalize a new CBA amid league growth.
With training camps looming and two drafts on the horizon, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says negotiations on a new WNBA collective bargaining agreement must accelerate.
Speaking Saturday during his annual All-Star weekend press conference, Silver described the current state of talks between the WNBA and its players as approaching a critical stage. While he declined to impose a hard deadline, he acknowledged that the timeline is tightening with significant logistical hurdles still ahead.
Silver framed the moment as a frustrating one given the league’s recent surge in visibility and business growth.
“Let me begin by saying I think it’s unfortunate where we find ourselves right now, both from the team standpoint and from the players,” Silver said. “We’re coming off tremendous momentum in the WNBA. It’s not lost on anyone. I feel like in the last few years in particular, the league has turned a corner in terms of fan interest, commercial success, popularity of players. All arrows are pointing up in terms of the WNBA, and as one who was involved from the earliest days, now going into our 30th season, I couldn’t be prouder to be part of that movement.”
The previous CBA, reached in 2020, expired Jan. 9. Since then, negotiations have continued without a finalized agreement in place. In December, players voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if necessary, with 98% supporting that measure.
Silver made clear that while he is not prepared to declare a “drop-dead” date, the practical realities of the league calendar leave limited room for delay. Training camps are scheduled to open in roughly two months, and the WNBA must conduct both an expansion draft and its annual collegiate draft before the season begins. Free agency also remains to be completed.
“I’m not ready to set a drop-dead date,” Silver said. “But I will say, as I look at the calendar and the amount that we need to get done, really over the next two months, because training camps are scheduled to open roughly two months from now. To your point, we have to get not one but two drafts done. We have an expansion draft and a collegiate draft, and then we need to fit in free agency. Plus, whenever we shake hands on a collective bargaining agreement, the lawyers have to go to work and memorialize it.”
Complicating matters further is expansion. The league is preparing for two new franchises — the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo — which increases the complexity of roster construction and draft planning.
At the center of negotiations is revenue sharing. The players’ association has proposed receiving 30% of the league’s gross revenue, while the league’s most recent offer reportedly does not exceed 15%.
Silver suggested that collective bargaining history shows deals often materialize under pressure. He indicated that moment may be fast approaching.
“What I’d love to accomplish is sort of putting pressure on everybody and saying, okay, I’ve been through so many cycles of collective bargaining, and often things tend to get done at the 11th hour,” Silver said. “We are awfully close to the 11th now when it comes to bargaining.”
Silver added that communication has increased in recent weeks and that he remains involved behind the scenes as discussions continue. With the WNBA entering its 30th season and carrying unprecedented momentum, the outcome of these negotiations could shape the league’s next phase of growth — provided an agreement is reached in time.