Waiting for the WNBA and the players' union to finalize their new contract, you might have been reminded of the running skit on the old "The Carol Burnett Show'' called, "As the Stomach Turns.''

As in, it was about as slow-moving as a soap opera and the process skirted on the edges of parody at times. It wasn't actually as funny, though.

However, Friday's WNBA draft show on ESPN2/NBA TV was about as funny, although not always by intention.

We assume someone with the Mystics has reassured draft pick Aiysha Smith of LSU -- who voiced worry about whether Washington was "safe'' with "the war going on'' -- that D.C. is about as safe as it ever is and that the "war'' or "invasion'' or "freedom expedition'' or "whatever'' supposedly is over. And, in case there was any confusion, cleared up that it was actually fought in Iraq.

In fact, we're almost on the verge of global peace, aren't we? Once the WNBA and the players' union put down their weapons and came to a resolution, it kind of set the tone for everybody.

In all seriousness, it's a big relief for those who care about the present and future of women's sports that the league looks to have labor peace for at least four years, five if it takes the option to extend the current deal by a year.

Sure, it would have been nice if these two sides could have spared us the drama of NBA commissioner David Stern's threat to cancel the season. And had a deal in place earlier, which would have allowed the league to advertise and promote the upcoming season during the spotlight of the women's NCAA Tournament.

And, yes, I know the media -- and by extension the fans -- might have appreciated the opportunity to have a more comprehensive teleconference with Val Ackerman and Pam Wheeler discussing the deal on Friday instead of one that started about 40 minutes before the draft.

A deal that took seven months to get serious about and then a week to pick over begged multiple questions from the media, but only a few were asked and answered under the time constraints. Maybe that was by design.

Then again, that would suggest more calculating motives in this whole thing than perhaps is realistic to suspect. It was probably your standard labor-management dispute where management pretty much got what it wanted. As Wheeler said, with admirable frankness but not obvious bitterness, "This year has not been a good year for unions.''

The WNBA players union had no leverage and knew it. The WNBA/NBA had to wrestle with just how much it would lowball and strong-arm the players. And stake out the parameters in which to vacillate between the extremes of its stated "vision and optimism'' for the league and its dour warnings the WNBA was on the verge of expiring.

So if some things seemed to be thrown together or half-done -- the dispersal draft happened Thursday afternoon even before the agreement was formally signed -- and you found that irritating (OK, I certainly did) ... at least they got a deal finished.

Now, will progress be made with other things that need to be fixed concerning the league? Quality of play is affected by schedules, mode of travel, the length of training camp, etc.

And quality of play is the bottom line. This should be basketball that's fun to watch. This is a very salable product to an audience that's big enough to make this league worthwhile. The WNBA will make money if it's properly nurtured and marketed. You don't even need much "vision'' to see that.

The deal's done and the season will start in less than a month. Because of the salary cap and free agency, there definitely will be player movement. And there are bound to be some who are and will remain disgruntled about the settlement and what they get out of it.

For the most part, though, the players will just play. As one player told me, "I understand we're still pioneers, we have to be careful so others will have the opportunity to play in this league, too. I look at it like this: For four months, it's a pretty good salary. I need to make a living, and I can.''

That's a very mature and unselfish view, the kind we hope all the players have. At the same time, what these women do should not be undervalued. The union's fear all along -- and it's an understandable one -- is that the league would take advantage of the players' goodwill and lack of leverage.

The players showed their commitment by accepting this deal. The WNBA can show its commitment by continuing to do the things that improve the quality of the league.

To some extent, the irritations, exaggerations and fabrications of the last seven months go away the first time the ball goes up at center court. Let's embrace that.

Mechelle Voepel of the Kansas City Star is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. She can be reached at mvoepel@kcstar.com.