Imagine the roar of the crowd, not in Las Vegas or New York, but in the heart of Beijing or Shanghai. A WNBA game in China could be a reality sooner than you think, according to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. But here's where it gets interesting: before the league can make this historic move, they must navigate the complex waters of a new collective bargaining agreement with their players.
In a recent conversation with CNBC during the NBA’s pre-season games in Macau, Silver hinted at the growing appetite for women’s basketball in China. “Once we finalize the collective bargaining agreement, there’s tremendous interest in bringing a WNBA game to Macau or mainland China,” he said. This isn’t just about expanding the league’s global footprint—it’s about tapping into a market where basketball, both men’s and women’s, is already a cultural phenomenon.
And this is the part most people miss: the WNBA has already been making waves internationally. Pre-season games in Mexico and the United Kingdom have laid the groundwork, and the league made history this year with its first-ever regular-season game outside the U.S., when the Seattle Storm faced the Atlanta Dream in Vancouver. But Asia remains uncharted territory for official WNBA games, despite the NBA’s multi-year partnership with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
That partnership, by the way, is a game-changer. It’s not just about the NBA—it includes opportunities for China’s men’s and women’s national teams to train and compete in the U.S., as well as Chinese teams participating in the NBA Summer League and pre-season WNBA games. But why hasn’t the WNBA taken center stage in Asia yet? Is it logistics, market readiness, or something else entirely?
Here’s a thought-provoking question for you: As the WNBA continues to break barriers globally, should China be the next big step, or are there other markets that deserve equal attention? Let’s spark a conversation—what do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
