Erica Barris

Alicia says in December, 10 months into the negotiation, after the players sent a new proposal, the league went silent, waited more than six weeks to respond.

Our source on the lead side says this was not a negotiating tactic and that the union's prior proposal did not warrant a response.

Regardless, after what seems like a dramatic pause, the league invited the players to come to their headquarters in New York.

This was now February.

After the six weeks of silence and the big nothing of a trip to New York, Alicia says the league gave the players a suddenly urgent deadline.

If you don't sign a contract by March 10th, the season will be in jeopardy.

And in that carry-on was her trusty diary.

In her diary, she wrote down what she heard the league say after they all sat down.

This is from March 10th.

Alicia and the other players on the exec committee quickly settled into a routine.

They did their workouts in the morning and then in the afternoon.

They negotiated.

And Alicia kept diary entries.

You get cut or you get traded.

Then you're on the hook for rent in a city that you don't even live in anymore.

Brianna says she addressed the full room.

Please get us out of here.

They weren't really bothered by the quick-moving parts of the negotiations.

They're used to a fast-paced competition.

It was the slow-moving parts that frustrated them the most, when they were benched but still in the game.