Home US SportsWNBA WNBA Players Association Shares Strong Response to Adam Silver’s Comments

WNBA Players Association Shares Strong Response to Adam Silver’s Comments

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The WNBA season is over, but the offseason drama is just beginning. The WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) and the league are negotiating for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) by the Oct. 31 deadline as both sides try to avoid a lockout.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is at the center of the situation, as six of the 13 WNBA teams are run by NBA owners as well as four out of five of the incoming expansion teams, via Sports Business Journal. Therefore, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s bosses are “Silver and the rest of the NBA owners,” per CBS Sports’ Lindsay Gibbs.

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On Tuesday, Silver was asked during his appearance on NBC’s “Today Show” whether WNBA players should receive a higher revenue share given that they currently get roughly just nine percent compared to 50 percent for NBA players.

“I think share isn’t the right way to look at it because there’s so much more revenue in the NBA…they are gonna get a big increase in this cycle of collective bargaining and they deserve it,” he said.

The WNBPA later responded on its Instagram story.

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Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24).© Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

“Don’t want to share, Adam Silver?” it asked.

This continues the recent trend of players publicly pressuring leadership. Minnesota Lynx star and WNBPA vice president Napheesa Collier ripped Engelbert during her end-of-season interview on Sept. 30, saying that the WNBA’s biggest problem is the lack of accountability from the league office, per ESPN’s Malika Andrews. She also alleged that Engelbert said that Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark should be “grateful” for the league’s platform despite making less than $90,000 annually on her rookie deal while driving record ratings and attendance numbers, per Front Office Sports.

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Revenue Isn’t the Only Issue in WNBA CBA Negotiations

While revenue share is central to the conflict, the WNBPA is also fighting for other accommodations, via CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish.

“Guaranteeing that every team continues to have charter flights for the season is a priority, so is a potential increase in roster sizes,” she reported. “Each year, when a new slate of rookies enters the league their chances of remaining on the team that selected them is incredibly slim because the league only allows a maximum roster size of 12 players. It’s difficult for first-year players to make the cut unless they are the star of the team, leading to many of them getting waived or cut before they even suit up in a single game.”

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The two sides could agree to a deadline extension if they don’t reach a new deal by Halloween, per ESPN.

Related: WNBA Commissioner Speaks Out After Her Caitlin Clark Comments Surface

Related: Indiana Fever Coach Stephanie White Sends Strong Message After Napheesa Collier’s Statement

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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