The past few days have been packed with women’s basketball storylines. The WNBA CBA discussions continue to lead the conversation. Commissioner Adam Silver has urged all parties to reach an agreement, while the women’s college basketball world delivered surprises of its own, including Georgia’s win over Vanderbilt. So let’s get down to business.

Adam Silver sounds alarm on CBA talks

The message from Adam Silver was loud and clear during the NBA All-Star: the WNBA and the players’ association are running out of time to secure a deal that keeps the 2026 season intact.

“Let me begin by saying that I think it’s unfortunate where we find ourselves right now, both from the teams’ standpoint and the players. I mean we’re coming off tremendous momentum in the WNBA, it’s not lost on anyone,” Silver said before adding that that the league’s trajectory has been trending upward for years.

“What I’d love to accomplish is sort of putting pressure on everybody. I’ve been through so many cycles of collective bargaining and often things tend to get done in the 11th hour. We’re getting awfully close to the 11th hour now when it comes to bargaining,” he added.

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As things stand, the WNBA did submit a proposal after making the players’ union wait six weeks, but the offer included only modest improvements. The salary cap rose from $5.0 million to $5.65 million, and the league revisited the union’s request for team-provided housing, though only in a limited capacity.

As things stand, the WNBA’s proposed revenue share still does not meet or exceed 15 percent of total league revenue, which makes it likely the union will reject the latest offer unless a more favorable system is presented. That uncertainty raises real questions about the league’s future and the growing possibility of a lockout. Not an ideal news for women’s basketball fans.

Vic Scahefer defends Kim Caldwell

Kim Caldwell’s Lady Vols have been in a slide since their Ole Miss game was postponed due to bad weather. Since then, the Lady Vols have lost four of their last six, with the most recent defeat coming against Texas, a game where the Longhorns nearly blew a 14-point lead.

Yes, she has not matched Pat Summitt’s standard at Tennessee so far, posting an 8–8 SEC record in her first season, and the current slide has only intensified scrutiny. But despite that, Vic Schaefer publicly backed Caldwell. 

“At the end of the day, I don’t think anybody out there wants to walk in Coach Caldwell or my shoes,” Schaefer said in the post-game press conference. “At the two of the most tradition-rich women’s basketball programs in the history of the game. In my opinion, Texas, Tennessee, and Stanford, those people didn’t show up in the ’90s. Those schools had been here since Day One.

He continued,” This isn’t a nice life job. If you want a nice life job, go to some three-name directional school where they don’t care. You don’t go to Tennessee or Texas to retire. But we know what we signed up for. But before you go criticizing coaches who sacrifice time with family, with children, she’s got a newborn. But before you go criticizing them on social media, you come walk in their shoes. And that’s our job to get it to these kids to let them know. I basically had my legs cut out from under me on so many things with today’s world in how college athletics is, but I will not give in to teaching these kids accountability, responsibility.”

And that is true. Comparing Caldwell to a coach like Pat Summitt, who won eight championships before retiring, almost feels unreasonable. But that is the pressure that comes with leading a program like Tennessee, where fans expect nothing less than wins.

But the reality is that when she arrived, Tennessee was already well past its glory days, and she was the one who delivered a Sweet Sixteen berth last season, their first since 2023. So perhaps the recent criticism is a bit harsh, especially considering that every loss except Mississippi State came against ranked opponents.

Georgia stun Vanderbilt in a women’s basketball classic

Women’s basketball has a way of delivering surprises, and that is exactly what happened when Vanderbilt traveled to Stegeman Coliseum to face Georgia. On paper, the Commodores looked like clear favorites, especially after knocking off ranked teams Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Texas in succession.

But the opponent that looked easiest on paper turned out to be their toughest, as the Lady Bulldogs edged the No. 5-ranked team in the country by two points. Instead of criticizing her players, coach Shea Ralph responded with empathy, acknowledging how the tough schedule played a role.

Go ahead and see what she had to say after the game. 

Statistically, Vanderbilt did plenty right, winning the battle in second-chance points, capitalizing on turnovers, and shooting 20 of 22 from the stripe. Still, they could not quite close it out.

The Bulldogs shot 56 percent from the field, including 62 percent on two-point attempts. And the road ahead will not be easy for Shea Ralph, as the Commodores close the regular season against not one, not two, but three ranked opponents.