NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reiterated his belief on Tuesday that the WNBA players are expected to reach a successful agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) before the current one expires on October 31. In his remarks, Silver stated that WNBA players will see “big” salary increases.

During an appearance on NBC’s “Today” program, ahead of the NBA’s season-opening doubleheader, Silver addressed inquiries regarding the players’ share of the league’s revenues.

“‘Share’ isn’t the right way to look at it because there’s so much more revenue in the NBA,” Silver remarked. “I think you should view it in absolute terms regarding what they’re earning. They will receive a significant salary bump in this collective bargaining phase, and they truly deserve it.”

In the previous WNBA season, standard salaries ranged from $66,079 to $249,244, with teams adhering to a salary cap of $1,507,100. As they seek a better deal in upcoming CBA discussions, players at this year’s WNBA All-Star Game donned shirts that conveyed their dissatisfaction with current salary structures, demanding: “Pay us what you owe us.”

The players opted out of their existing CBA last year, hoping for better revenue sharing, elevated wages, improved benefits, and a more flexible salary cap.

The WNBA’s proposals have reportedly not met the players’ expectations yet, though the exact differences in salary negotiations remain unclear. Commisioner Cathy Engelbert mentioned after the recent WNBA Finals that both parties aim for a transformative agreement that includes significant salary and benefits increases.

Mark Davis, owner of the champion Las Vegas Aces and the controlling owner of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, expressed confidence that a resolution will be found soon, stating:

“We’ll get it right. I don’t think that there’s a divide here. If we approach this collaboratively, we can make a brighter future together.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.