WNBA: Agreement will be agreed but relationships must improve, Silver
Adam Silver, NBA commissioner, said that the problems of the players with the WNBA commissioner must be solved.
Stamford, Connecticut – the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, said that a new collective agreement will be reached with the WNBA players, but acknowledged that the relationship problems must be solved after the recent criticisms of Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
These problems reached their peak last week when Napheesa Collier, from the Minnesota Lynx, indicated that the League has the “worst leadership in the world”, and threatened to eclipse the WNBA finals between Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury, which began days later.
“There is no doubt that the WNBA is going through initial difficulties, and it is unfortunate that this happens just when its most important matches and their finals are being played,” said Silver this Monday. “We have had two fantastic games so far, and we want to hold the game at this time, and then we will have to sit with the players and negotiate a new collective agreement.”
Engelbert also noted that a new agreement will be finalized, although not necessarily before the deadline of October 31. The negotiators of the League and the association of players were expected to meet this week.
The players look for significant changes after the enormous growth of the WNBA in recent seasons, and some have expressed their frustration with Engelbert, although not as strong as Collier, the second in the race for being the MVP of the League.
“Cathy Engelbert has led historical growth in the league, but there is no doubt that there are problems that we must address with our players, not only economical,” said Silver. “There are also relationship problems. I trust that we can solve them over time and that this league can continue in the growth trajectory that it currently carries.”
Silver was at the headquarters of NBC Sports to talk about the chain’s return to the league broadcasts this season. The WNBA finals in 2026 will also television.
The former Los Angeles Lakers, Derek Fisher, was president of the National Association of Basketball Players (NBPA) in 2011 when the League and the union failed to reach an agreement in time and a employer closing reduced the season to 66 games. He said it was rare to see someone express themselves as Collier during the negotiation, but understood the reason.
“It is not usual, but that was the feeling many times,” said Fisher, who also trained in the WNBA and will be one of NBC’s parties analysts for NBA coverage.
“Whenever you are in the heat of negotiations, conversations and discussions of high risk, sometimes the point of distrust is reached, misunderstandings due to lack of communication or poor communication. But ultimately, until an agreement is reached, there is a very conflictive nature until it reconcile again.”
Silver insisted that they will.
“We will reach an agreement with the players,” he acknowledged. “There is a lot of work to be done, but, of course, we will achieve a new collective agreement.”
It may not be easy. Fisher added that he perceives that the WNBA players feel that they have not valued enough and that they have a disconnection with the league directive.
“I think the W could have reached this point before,” said Fisher. “Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, in a way, reactured growth, but this league has always been special. That’s why I think the players are simply saying that we cannot allow some of the things that have happened in our 27 years of previous history. We do not want to leave the girls for the next 20 years in the position in which we were when we had no influence.”
