WNBA talks reach a critical stage as the calendar tightens. Commissioner Adam Silver emphasizes urgency to finalize a new CBA amid league growth.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wants a new WNBA collective bargaining agreement done soon. How soon? He wouldn't say exactly, but he made clear Saturday that the window is closing fast.
Speaking at his annual All-Star weekend press conference, Silver said talks between the league and its players are approaching a critical point, with training camps roughly two months out and two drafts still to conduct before the season opens.
"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."
The previous CBA expired Jan. 9. Negotiations have continued since without a deal. In December, players voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike if necessary.
Silver didn't hide his frustration with the timing.
"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," he 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 gap between the two sides remains wide. The players' association is seeking 30% of gross revenue. The league's latest offer reportedly sits below 15%.
Adding to the complexity, two expansion franchises, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, are set to join the league, complicating both the expansion draft and roster construction league-wide.
Silver has been through enough of these to know how they tend to end.
"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," he said. "We are awfully close to the 11th now when it comes to bargaining."
He said talks have picked up in recent weeks and that he remains involved directly in the negotiations.