NEW YORK — The WNBA players union and league officials have much to discuss when they sit down this week for their first in-person talks as a group since December about the new collective bargaining agreement.

After sharing initial proposals, the two sides apparently are far apart in the early negotiations as they prepare for their first face-to-face meeting that includes the players executive council in Indianapolis on Thursday heading into All-Star weekend.

“We got a proposal from the league, which was honestly a slap in the face,” Phoenix Mercury forward and union rep Satou Sabally said.

Increased salaries, revenue sharing and roster size are three areas where the union expect to see major changes from the current CBA that will expire at the end of this season after the players decided to opt out last year. Nearly all the players who aren’t on rookie scale contracts right now will be free agents after this season and looking for big salary increases.

Union president Nneka Ogwumike, who has now been a part of three CBA negotiations, is optimistic that Thursday’s meeting could be beneficial for both sides since it’s in-person. The two sides have had meetings over the last few months, but this will be the first time that all the players on the executive council will be there.

Ogwumike said “when you’re doing things via documents, when you’re doing things via proxy, whether it’s ... our union staff and league staff,” it’s different. But “when you’re sitting at the table, things a lot of times, in my experience, you get done a little bit more efficiently.”

The WNBA is experiencing unprecedented growth across nearly every business metric from attendance and viewership. There’s also the new $2.2 billion media rights deal that will start next season and the league plans to expand to 18 teams by 2030 with each of the three new teams paying $250 million expansion fee.

“It’s interesting that there’s a $250 million expansion fee, and there’s no openness to have that be reflected in revenue share that goes to the players, especially as we’re experiencing growth,” Ogwumike said. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but we’re hoping we can get some clarity on that in Indiana.”

Ogwumike said the players had submitted a proposal back in February that the league finally responded to last month. She was surprised it took so long for the league to respond with its proposal, saying that it seemed that the league misunderstood the union’s initial offer.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said at the draft in April that the union’s initial proposal wasn’t comprehensive, but that she also is optimistic that a deal would get done.

“We want to have a fair deal for all, but it has to be within the confines of a sustainable economic model that goes on for 10 years,” she said. “We’ve had a few years of great growth ... but we need to continue to make sure that we can fund the things that the players are asking for, that we want for them, too.”

If a deal isn’t done by the end of October, some players, including Napheesa Collier and Angel Reese, have mentioned the potential of a walkout.

MONDAY’S GAMES

Napheesa Collier had 29 points, five assists and three steals, Courtney Williams added 18 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Sky 91-78 in Chicago.

Minnesota (19-4), which played its fourth game in six days, avenged an 87-81 loss to the Sky on Saturday.

Angel Reese secured her ninth straight double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago (7-14). Ariel Atkins left in the second quarter and did not return due to a leg injury.

Mercury 78, Valkyries 77: Alyssa Thomas made a free throw with a second remaining for Phoenix in San Francisco.

Janelle Salaun made a 3-pointer with 10.3 left to get the Valkyries to 76-75 and tied it at 77 on a baseline jumper with 6.8 to go. Thomas was fouled on a drive to the basket and got the second free throw to roll in.

DeWanna Bonner had 22 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix (15-6).

Veronica Burton had 17 points and six assists, and Monique Billings, a Santiago High and UCLA grad, had 10 points and nine rebounds for Golden State (10-11).

PORTLAND FIRE

Oregon’s WNBA team stepped back in time for its new name, reintroducing the Portland Fire.

The expansion franchise, which begins play next next season along with the Toronto Tempo, announced its name and branding on Tuesday — reviving the moniker of the city’s previous WNBA team that played from 2000 to 2002.

“Our feeling is that the fire never died,” interim Fire president Clare Hamill said. “Fans have been waiting for us to come back, and we’re back with the Portland Fire.”

Portland was awarded a new WNBA team last September. The team is run by Raj Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who also own the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League. They paid $125 million for the WNBA franchise.

The Fire and the Thorns will share a new joint-training facility in the first such partnership between the two women’s leagues.

The Fire already have sold more than 11,000 season tickets, surpassing the WNBA’s previous best.