Adam Silver Confirms Agreement with WNBA: Priority After Criticism and Growth

Adam Silver Secures New WNBA Deal Despite Tensions

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has confirmed that a new collective bargaining agreement will be reached with the WNBA players, although he acknowledged the need to address the existing relationship issues following recent criticism of commissioner Cathy Engelbert. These tensions reached their peak last week, when Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier expressed harsh criticism of the league’s leadership, threatening to overshadow the WNBA Finals between Las Vegas and Phoenix, which began shortly after.

There is growth in the WNBA, and it’s unfortunate that this is happening right when their most important games and Finals are underway. We’ve had two fantastic games so far, and we want to celebrate the game at this moment, and then we have to sit down with the players and negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.

Adam Silver

Engelbert has also expressed his confidence that a new agreement will be reached, although not necessarily before the October 31 deadline. Negotiators from the league and the players’ association are expected to meet in the coming days. The players are seeking significant changes following the enormous growth of the WNBA in recent seasons, and some have expressed their frustration with Engelbert, although not with the same vehemence as Collier, a finalist for the league’s MVP award.

Cathy Engelbert has presided over historic growth in the league, but there is no doubt that there are problems that we must address with our players, not just economic ones. There are also relationship problems. I am confident that we can solve them over time and that this league can continue on the growth trajectory it has now.

Adam Silver

Silver made these statements at NBC Sports headquarters, where the network’s return to broadcasting the league this season was discussed. It will also televise the WNBA Finals in 2026. Derek Fisher, former Lakers player and former president of the NBA Basketball Players Association in 2011, when the league and the union failed to reach an agreement in time, which shortened the season to 66 games, commented that it is unusual to see someone express themselves as Collier did during the negotiations, but understood the reason.

It’s not the norm, but those were the feelings many times. Whenever you’re in the heat of high-stakes negotiations and conversations, sometimes it gets to the level of distrust, misunderstandings due to poor communication. But, ultimately, until an agreement is reached, there’s a very adversarial nature until you meet again.

Derek Fisher

Silver insisted that an agreement would be reached.

We will reach an agreement with the players. There is much work to be done, but, of course, we will achieve a new collective bargaining agreement.

Adam Silver

Fisher believes that WNBA players feel they haven’t been valued enough and that there’s a disconnect with the league’s management. Fisher added that the league could have reached this point sooner. The arrival of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has accelerated growth, but this has always been a special league. The players feel that they cannot allow some of the things that happened in the last 27 years to happen again. They don’t want to leave the young women of the next 20 years in the same position they were in when they had no influence.