WNBA players irked by Adam Silver’s rev-share comments

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The Women’s National Basketball Players Association made its feelings known about NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s choice of wording when referring to collective bargaining negotiations on Tuesday morning’s “Today” show.

Silver was asked by NBC host Craig Melvin if the WNBA players should be getting a larger share of the burgeoning league’s revenue. The commissioner initially replied “yes,” but then clarified his response.

“I mean, I think share isn’t the right way to look at it,” he said, “because there’s so much more revenue in the NBA. I think you should look at the 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.”

The WNBPA responded with an Instagram post of the video with the caption: “Don’t want to share, @adamsilvernba?”

The players and union were already at odds with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert regarding her leadership and icy relationships with them.

Revenue sharing is a big sticking point in the negotiations as the two sides face an Oct. 31 deadline for the expiration of the CBA, with the players already having opted out of the deal.

The NBA and WNBA have vastly different revenue sharing systems in their current CBAs. NBA players earn approximately half of basketball-related income (BRI) and the owners pocket the other half. The BRI sets the NBA’s yearly salary cap.

The WNBA does not use that model, with the CBA instead determining the salary cap. The current CBA has the players earning 9.3% of league income. Owners favor a fixed rate of increase for player salaries, while the union is demanding more revenue sharing.

–Field Level Media