Adam Silver Expects Big Raises for VNBA Players in New CBA; they ‘deserve’

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reiterated his belief Tuesday that it is WNBA players and that league will reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, with the current one expiring on October 31.

And Silver made it clear: WNBA players will get “big” raises.

Speaking on NBC’s “Today” show ahead of the NBA’s season-opening doubleheader Tuesday night, Silver responded to a question about whether WNBA players should get a bigger share of the league’s revenue.

“‘Share’ is not the right way to look at it because there’s a lot more revenue in the NBA,” Silver said. “I think it should be looked at in absolute numbers in terms of what they’re making. And they’re going to get a big raise in this collective bargaining cycle, and they deserve it.”

Standard base salaries in the WNBA last season ranged from $66,079 to $249,244, with teams operating under the $1,507,100 salary cap.

VNBA players want a lot more in the next CBA. Players at this season’s VNBA All-Star Game warmed up in their jerseys and said, “Pay us what you owe us,” a clear message of how unhappy they are with the current salary level.

Players exercised their right to opt out of the current CBA last year in hopes of receiving increased revenue sharing, higher wages, improved benefits and a softer salary cap, among other things.

The WNBA’s offers so far have clearly not been to the player’s liking, though it’s unclear how far apart the sides are in terms of salary parameters. VNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said at this year’s VNBA Finals that the league — as well as the players — wants a “transformative deal” with significant increases in pay and benefits.

Mark Davis, who owns the WNBA Champions Las Vegas Aces and is the controlling owner NFL‘s Las Vegas Raiderssaid after the WNBA Finals ended earlier this month that he believed the sides would reach an agreement.

“We’re going to get it right,” Davis said. “I don’t think there are two sides to this. If we look at it as a community and trying to make the future better, I think that’s what we need to do.”

Associated Press reports.

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