WNBA and players’ union meet to discuss new CBA [Video]

FILE – WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks at a news conference before Game 1 of basketball’s WNBA Finals between the Connecticut Sun and the Washington Mystics, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) (Patrick Semansky, Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

NEW YORK – The WNBA and the league’s players union met in person Wednesday to discuss a new collective bargaining agreement.

“Today’s meeting included preliminary conversations and constructive dialogue, with a mutual agreement to continue discussions for a transformational, new CBA,” the two sides said in a joint statement.

The WNBA players union opted out of the current collective bargaining agreement, two years before its expiration in October. The current CBA will still cover the 2025 season so the two sides have a year to negotiate a new agreement.

The early opt-out marks a crucial juncture for the league. The WNBA signed a historic 11-year media rights deal worth $200 million a year.

The league had record …