"No Caitlin Clark hoops until 2027": Fans fear the worst as Adam Silver drops huge statement amid WNBA labor talks

The WNBA and its players have been at an impasse for the past month as labor talks continue between the two parties. NBA commissioner Adam Silver broke his silence about the collective bargaining negotiations, which was not received well by WNBA fans.

In his appearance on the "Today Show," Silver said that the players will receive a significant salary increase, as they have been deserving of it, but believes their salaries should not come from shares of the league or a percentage of revenue from the WNBA.

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

With Silver's statements, WNBA fans are now fearing for the worst, including possibly not holding a season next year.

Krys🫶🏼

@GaterGoggles

Bruh no Caitlin Clark hoops until 2027 😞

Jason Paul

@avatarsaysitall

@GaterGoggles my goodness Adam, give them Supermax $1 .0M, Min $300k, increased rosters to 15, guaranteed charter flights, renegotiate in 3 yrs, let’s go and move on.

TopLevelLawn

@TopLevelLawn

@GaterGoggles 9% of the revenue thy bring in? That’s terrible. 9% of $10 is less than a dollar compared to 50% like nba players gets. When we’re talking thousands of $. That’s significant difference. Pay them like the men. 50% of the revenue they bring in.

Meanwhile, other fans pointed out the league's reluctance to give the players enough share of the WNBA revenue.

Ryan Mullen

@PapaDragon331

@ohnohedidnt24 This is such a patronizing reponse. "Just be happy with the scraps we give you. Some ppl would consider that a lot" A different sized rev pool is exactly why % shares are relevant to ensure they are getting an adequate cut of the revenue they generated for the league

Deborah Silver

@silver6299

@ohnohedidnt24 on top of that, so much more could be made if the marketing alone could be raised. he really doesn't care about the WNBA like he portends.

JC

@JCspinnaker

@ohnohedidnt24 Adam Silver is the most significant piece of shit commissioner there is, and the media is very friendly to him.

According to the current CBA, the players are only getting 9% of the revenue. Meanwhile, NBA players have been getting nearly half, at 49% of the league revenue.

During the 2025 season, WNBA teams have a salary cap of $1,507,100. For players, maximum contracts are only worth $249,244, while the minimum level players are worth $66,079.

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WNBA seeks balance in rewarding players with increased salary and long-term viability

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league is looking to find the right balance in rewarding players with a wage hike and staying committed to the WNBA's long-term vision.

"That's what we're just kind of going back and forth determining where that right balance is," she said. "I think we all agree we're trying to return every dollar we possibly can to the players, but we also want to incentivize investment from owners."

Engelbert expressed that they should also take into account the capabilities of team owners in negotiating a possible salary increase for players.

"We want owners to have a viable business. Obviously, we're looking at expansion up to 18 teams by the end of the decade. So that's important that those owners coming in have a shot at a viable economic model for the future," she said.

The league and the players have at least until the end of the month to agree. However, they can extend it to continue bargaining for a new deal.