The post Adam Silver weighs in on ‘unfortunate’ strife amid WNBA CBA negotiations appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The WNBA’s current collective bargaining agreement expires on October 31 and it’s no secret that the league and players association are nowhere near an agreement.
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As players, including Napheesa Collier, publicly call out commissioner Cathy Engelbert, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has spoken out. The NBA owns 42% of the WNBA with many W teams having the same ownership groups as their men’s counterparts.
“It’s unfortunate, particularly at this moment when as the league we’d love all the attention to be on these incredible Finals,” he told the Boston Globe’s Gary Wshburn. “We saw two fantastic games and the quality of play on the floor has never been greater. We do need to sit down and negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with these players.”
The WNBA players opted out of their current CBA, which they negotiated before the 2020 season. That deal saw significant increases in salary as the league’s trajectory was already on the rise. But with that rise accelerating, the players saw fit to renegotiate — something even Engelbert has acknowledged as necessary.
“The WNBA is experiencing some growth pains,” Silver continued. “At the same time Cathy Engelbert has presided over six years of some of the strongest growth we’ve not only seen in the WNBA but any sports league in history.”
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That growth means the league has continued to break its own attendance and viewership records, helped by the influx of popular young talent like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers. The WNBA added a 13th team this year in the Golden State Valkyries, with the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire set to join in 2026. The league will grow to 18 teams by 2030 with Philadelphia, Cleveland and Detroit also joining the fray.
Silver also noted the personal nature these negotiations have taken, particularly with Collier publicly calling WNBA leadership “the worst” in sports.
“It’s become too personal and we’re going to have to work through those issues, and of course I’ll be available to help in any way I can,” he said. “I’m not planning to step in at the moment but I have strong relationships with many of the constituent groups in the WNBA. They know the main issue here is getting a new collective bargaining agreement done. And then focusing on collectively how we can continue to grow the WNBA along the same trajectory we’ve seen over the last six years.”
Related: WNBA sources warn Ramona Shelburne about Unrivaled competition amid lockout threat
Related: WNBA rumors: Napheesa Collier-Cathy Engelbert relationship ‘beyond repair’
