Overview
- Adam Silver said on NBC’s Today that WNBA players will receive a big increase in the next collective bargaining cycle and that they deserve it.
- The current WNBA collective bargaining agreement expires Oct. 31, and negotiations are ongoing with outcomes ranging from a new deal or extension to the possibility of a lockout if talks stall.
- Players are pressing for higher compensation tied to a larger, more transparent revenue share than the roughly 9.3% they now receive, well below the NBA’s near-50% player share.
- Standard 2025 WNBA base salaries ranged from about $66,000 to $249,000 under a team salary cap near $1.51 million, figures players argue should rise with league growth.
- Public friction with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has intensified, though the WNBA called reports of her potential exit categorically false, and the NBA’s 42% stake gives Silver a direct role in the talks.