Daryl Morey’s 2019 tweet in support of the Hong Kong protests froze one of the league’s most lucrative international relationships. The Chinese Basketball Association cut ties, and the NBA’s Global Games in China came to a screeching halt. What followed was years of silence, strained relations, and careful diplomacy behind the scenes. But in 2025, the NBA finally found its way back. After nearly six years, the league made its long-awaited return to China, signing a five-year deal to host two preseason games annually at the Venetian Arena in Macau. And if you know Adam Silver, you know he wasn’t going to stop there. The commissioner now has his eyes set on taking the WNBA to China next.

The WNBA has slowly been testing global waters, hosting preseason games in places like Mexico and the U.K. and even holding its first-ever regular-season matchup outside the U.S. when the Seattle Storm faced the Atlanta Dream in Vancouver on August 15. But an official game beyond North America? That might be coming sooner than you think.

“We have to get through a new collective bargaining agreement with our players,” Silver said in an interview with CNBC. “But once we do, there’s so much interest in women’s basketball here, I think we’d love to bring a WNBA game to Macao or to mainland China.”

While the WNBA has yet to play an official game in Asia, the NBA’s recent multi-year partnership with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) could soon change that. The deal includes opportunities for China’s men’s and women’s national teams to train and compete in the U.S., as well as for Chinese teams to participate in the NBA Summer League and preseason WNBA games. With eight more NBA games set to be played in Macao over the next four years–and the potential for more in mainland China–the WNBA could very well be next in line.

But as Silver pointed out, for any of this to happen, the WNBA and WNBPA must first reach an agreement in their ongoing CBA negotiations. With the October 31 deadline fast approaching, there’s a real possibility the league could enter a lockout–meaning fans might have to wait even longer to see stars like Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson back on the court. So, does an agreement look likely? Well, Adam Silver did share his thoughts on that not too long ago.

Adam Silver Confident a CBA Agreement Is on the Horizon

It shocked the sports world when Napheesa Collier labeled the WNBA “the worst leadership group in the world,” revealing details of her conversations with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert on several critical issues. Caitlin Clark weighed in as well, calling the situation “by far the most important moment in the league’s history.” In a recent conversation with former Vice President Kamala Harris, Collier even admitted she got “frustrated” by the lack of progress in negotiations, with the October 31 deadline looming ever closer.

Understandably, tensions ran high as players pushed for a fairer revenue-sharing model, and the commissioner’s slow response only added fuel to the fire. Even so, Adam Silver remains confident that a deal can still be reached before the situation escalates further.

“There’s no question that the WNBA is going through growing pains, and it’s unfortunate that it’s coming just as their most important games and their Finals are on right now,” Silver said to ESPN. “We’ve had two fantastic games so far, and we want to celebrate the game at the moment, and then we’ve got to sit down with the players and negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.”

History shows that the WNBA had to take a 60-day extension the last time a deal was not reached by the deadline, and we could see a repeat of that in the coming weeks too. Engelbert’s already dropped hints about pushing the deadline, but with Silver dreaming big for the league, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Will the players finally get the revenue share they’ve been fighting for–or are we staring down the first WNBA lockout?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments down below!