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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.”
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