Adam Silver says he expects big raises for WNBA players in new CBA, and that they ‘deserve it’

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver again expressed confidence Tuesday that WNBA players and that league will strike a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement, with the current one set to expire on Oct. 31.

And Silver made clear: WNBA players will be getting “big” raises.

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Speaking on NBC’s “Today” in advance of Tuesday night’s season-opening NBA doubleheader on that network, Silver responded to a question about whether WNBA players should get a larger share of that league’s revenues.

“’Share’ isn’t the right way to look at it because there’s so much more revenue in the NBA,” Silver said. “I think you should look at it in absolute numbers in terms of what they’re making. And they are going to get a big increase in this cycle of collective bargaining, and they deserve it.”

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

WNBA players want much more in the next CBA. Players at this season’s WNBA All-Star Game warmed up in shirts saying, “Pay us what you owe us,” a clear message about how unhappy they are with current salary levels.

The players exercised their right to opt out of the current CBA last year with hopes of getting, among other things, increased revenue sharing, higher salaries, improved benefits and a softer salary cap.

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

Mark Davis, who owns the WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces and is the controlling owner of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, said after the WNBA Finals ended earlier this month that he has confidence the sides will get a deal done.

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