The WNBA’s situation is becoming more worrisome with each passing day. Things have reached such a point that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a serious warning to the league’s leadership and the Players Association, clearly revealing his feelings about the failed negotiations.
No sooner had the WNBA regular season ended than the league and the players engaged in intense negotiations to draft a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
However, the talks have made virtually no progress. On one side, the WNBPA is seeking a larger share of the league’s profits; on the other, team owners maintain that they are still operating at a loss.
With the new regular season fast approaching, Silver issued a stark reminder this weekend: “We’re getting awfully close to the 11th hour.” As Robin Lundberg pointed out, those aren’t the words of someone happy with the situation.
Silver’s message reveals his frustration
Silver began by praising the WNBA’s progress in terms of viewership and global recognition. However, he also reminded everyone that the window to start the 2026 season on time is closing dangerously fast.
The commissioner remarked:
I’ve been through so many cycles of collective bargaining, and often things tend to get done at the 11th hour. We’re getting awfully close to the 11th hour now when it comes to bargaining.
Regarding this, Lundberg, a veteran sportscaster and basketball expert, explained: “You heard the NBA commissioner. The 11th hour of urgency. Unfortunate. That’s not messaging from somebody who’s happy about this.”
The message is contrary to Silver’s character
As Lundberg noted, it’s not usual to see the commissioner speak like that. “You can’t get that read from him because that’s just not his personality,” the analyst warned.
He admitted that many fans would like Silver to be more like his predecessor, David Stern, “an iron fist kind of deal.” However, according to Lundberg, Silver’s message was more than clear:
“It’s time to get the ink to the paper. Get that signed, and stop messing around.”
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