Daryl Morey’s controversial tweet in 2019 froze one of the NBA’s most lucrative relationships. The Chinese Basketball Association severed ties with Adam Silver’s league. What followed was years of silence, strained relations, and behind-the-scenes diplomacy. But in 2025, the NBA finally found its way back. After nearly six years, it 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 just stop there…. The Commissioner now has his eyes set on taking the WNBA to China next.

The W has slowly been testing global waters, hosting preseason games in places like Mexico and the UK, even holding its first-ever regular-season matchup outside the U.S. when the Storm faced the Dream in Vancouver in August. But an official game beyond North America? It is coming sooner than you think…

“We have to get through a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with our players,” Adam 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 franchises to come and participate in the NBA Summer League and WNBA preseason games!

With eight more NBA games set to be played in Macau over the next four years, 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 a settlement. With the October 31 deadline soon approaching, there’s a real possibility that the league could enter a lockout. It means we will have to wait longer to see stars like Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson return to the court.

As fans, none of us would ever want that. So, does an agreement look likely? Well, Adam Silver did share his thoughts on the same not too long ago…

Adam Silver is confident that a CBA decision is on the horizon

It shocked the sports world when Napheesa Collier labeled the WNBA “the worst leadership group in the world,” revealing eye-opening details of her conversations with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Caitlin Clark weighed in as well, calling the situation “by far the most important moment in the league’s history.” In a chat with former VP Kamala Harris, Phee even admitted she was “fed up” by the lack of progress, with the CBA deadline looming ever closer.

But Adam Silver remains calm. He believes 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… 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 (2019), and we could see a repeat of that in the coming weeks too. Cathy Engelbert has already hinted at pushing the deadline, but with Silver dreaming big for the league, the stakes couldn’t be any 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?