Collier\u2019s news conference in which she lambasted Engelbert\u2019s leadership<\/a>, but the bargaining session remained respectful, sources said.<\/p>\nThe WNBPA and WNBA met again last Thursday in Midtown Manhattan, where conversations around the future revenue-sharing system and player salaries remained sticking points.<\/p>\n
Silver said on Tuesday in an appearance on NBC\u2019s \u201cToday\u201d that WNBA players will be getting \u201cbig\u201d raises in the future agreement, but he reframed the question regarding whether WNBA players should receive a larger share of WNBA revenue in the future agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. I mean, I think share isn\u2019t the right way to look at it because there\u2019s so much more revenue in the NBA,\u201d he said. \u201cI think you should look at it in absolute numbers in terms of what they\u2019re making. And they are going to get a big increase in this cycle of collective bargaining, and they deserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silver\u2019s perspective is important. In the aftermath of Collier\u2019s criticism of Engelbert, multiple sources in the WNBA and NBA wondered to The Athletic if Collier\u2019s comments would set in motion a movement for the WNBA to change commissioners. Silver has firing power over Engelbert. She said at her annual WNBA Finals press conference that he remains a \u201cgreat supporter\u201d of hers. Engelbert said she gives Silver \u201cperiodic\u201d updates on the talks, and the league has undergone explosive growth since she assumed the commissioner role six years ago.<\/p>\n
Both sides will continue to meet as next week\u2019s deadline approaches.<\/p>\n
They have discussed other topics throughout the negotiation, including formalizing the leaguewide charter program, which the league enacted at the start of the 2024 season. They have also discussed expanding roster sizes, and improving family planning benefits and health insurance, sources said.<\/p>\n
Despite any purported progress on those matters, players have said they can\u2019t foresee agreeing to a deal that does not increase player compensation and include a new revenue-sharing system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe league\u2019s response has been to run out the clock, put lipstick on a pig, and retread a system that isn\u2019t tied to any part of the business and intentionally undervalues the players,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cThe fact that the league now wants to call any part of its proposal \u2018uncapped\u2019 is precisely why its leadership, transparency and accountability are being challenged right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
The WNBA has disputed the characterization of running out the clock.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is frustrating and counterproductive for the union to be making misrepresentations about our proposals while also accusing the league of engaging in delay. That is simply not true,\u201d a WNBA spokesperson continued in its statement. \u201cWhile we have delivered comprehensive proposals that seek an agreement that will benefit all, the Players Association has yet to offer a viable economic proposal and has repeatedly refused to engage in any meaningful way on many of our proposal terms. We stand ready to continue negotiating in good faith and hope they will do the same so that we can finalize a mutually beneficial new CBA as quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The WNBA players union executive director issued a rebuke of NBA commissioner Adam Silver\u2019s framing of players\u2019 financial…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":325719,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[1503,1497,2472,2470,2473,234,4144,1488,1519,1520,1502,1494,62,222,67,132,68,1514,232],"class_list":{"0":"post-325718","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-atlanta-dream","9":"tag-chicago-sky","10":"tag-connecticut-sun","11":"tag-dallas-wings","12":"tag-golden-state-valkyries","13":"tag-indiana-fever","14":"tag-las-vegas-aces","15":"tag-los-angeles-sparks","16":"tag-minnesota-lynx","17":"tag-new-york-liberty","18":"tag-phoenix-mercury","19":"tag-seattle-storm","20":"tag-sports","21":"tag-sports-business","22":"tag-united-states","23":"tag-unitedstates","24":"tag-us","25":"tag-washington-mystics","26":"tag-wnba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115421884401793618","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=325718"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325718\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/325719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=325718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=325718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=325718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}