New CBA is chief priority this WNBA offseason

Engelbert seems to have made a good impression so far. Under her leadership, the WNBA used charter flights during the playoffs for two teams on the West Coast that needed to get to the East Coast after the second round to start the semifinals, with just one day in between games. Las Vegas coach Bill Laimbeer said it made a difference for his team in being more rested before facing Washington.

How much charter use will be allowed and how that's decided are sure to be major topics of negotiation. And the WNBA's salary structure and the parameters of free agency also will be key issues.

The core-player designation, in particular, has been a hindrance toward the movement of the league's top stars. From its launch in 1997, the league has sought as much as possible to keep the playing field level and maintain competitive balance among all its franchises.

But the redistribution of talent is a major saga in most other pro leagues, including the NBA. More movement would mean more WNBA news during the free-agency period that starts in February. Would that draw in a lot of new fans, or would it just stir more interest in the offseason by people who are already paying attention? And is there a legitimate concern of hurting some teams that might not fare as well in keeping or luring high-profile free agents?

Percentage of revenue is another much-discussed issue: How much should be going to the players versus what is needed to run franchises.

All of this ultimately gets to what is at the heart of everything: Will the union and the WNBA see eye-to-eye on the financial details of each of the 12 franchises and the league as a whole? Will there be an agreement on those bottom-line numbers?

What we know now is that everyone involved, at least publicly, has seemed in agreement in regard to the objectives in a general sense.

"We have the same goal here: To lift the players year-round," Engelbert said. "To have the athletes in the WNBA receive the recognition they deserve."

During the WNBA Finals, Washington's Delle Donne, the 2019 MVP, voiced optimism about how negotiations seem to be going so far.

"Things are moving, but I know that when it gets closer to the end, that's when things sometimes can slow down," she said. "I'm just being realistic about it.

"I would say player experience/health is very big, and obviously, there are bullet points under that. And we'll talk salary, of course. It's about being aware of where this league is at and wanting it to grow, but also putting some pressure on the league in regard to having and finding more investment."

Job openings

The Indiana Fever fired coach/general manager Pokey Chatman on Sept. 9, and the Los Angeles Sparks fired GM Penny Toler on Oct. 4.

Indiana needs a coach who can develop young players. That person might need to take over as GM as well, unless the Fever opt to hire two different people for those jobs. Los Angeles needs a GM who can step into a difficult situation, facilitate some fence-mending between coach Derek Fisher and the Sparks players and possibly make a big personnel move or two.