Catherwood LibraryILR School

The Women's National Basketball Association yesterday postponed its Wednesday draft as the National Basketball Association Board of Governors threatened to cancel the entire season if long-deadlocked contract negotiations are not settled by Friday. In negotiations since November for a successor to the four-year contract that expired September 15 last year (see WIT for July 15, 2002), the two sides met for the first time in a week for ninety minutes on Monday, but did not schedule any further meetings or exchange any new formal offers. Different figures on minimum salaries for rookies and veterans---currently $30,000 and $40,000, with management seeking $25,000 and $41,200, and players seeking $33,000 and $48,000, respectively---and years of play to qualify for free agency remain the major issues.