Gilbert Arenas shares his advice for WNBA players asking for more money: "Stop asking for a revenue split... Let the billionaires' egos kick in"

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Gilbert Arenas shares his advice for WNBA players asking for more money: "Stop asking for a revenue split... Let the billionaires' egos kick in" originally appeared on Basketball Network.
In the growing world of women's basketball, where ratings, popularity and overall cultural impact are experiencing an unprecedented boom, players still feel there's a glaring gap in their paychecks compared to their NBA counterparts. Realistically, they'll probably never see the astronomical numbers the men pull in; those are in a completely different galaxy, but women's stars want their fair, or at least fairer, share of the cake.
And now, Gilbert Arenas, a former NBA star who earned over $160 million in salary alone, has offered a very direct piece of advice for WNBA players in their push for bigger paydays.
"I think the problem here is this: stop asking for a revenue split," Gil bluntly shared during his recent appearance on "Two Personal Show." And when the host, Joy Taylor, asked him what they should ask for, Arenas quickly continued, "I want real money. Take the cap off, let our owner pay us what he wants to pay us."
"So, when we talk about a revenue split, it is no different than business. We can split our revenue 50-50, so what the owner of the business do? 'Ah, there is no profit, there are all these bills to pay…' so there's no revenue. That's a pointless thing to do, because they are going to offset how much they lost," Arenas pointed out. "As a player, you don't want that."
The "fight" is still far from over
With the massive surge in popularity the league is enjoying right now, thanks in large part to the rise of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and A'ja Wilson, the push for higher salaries has never been stronger. One of the most striking moments in that movement happened during the 2025 Women's All-Star Game in Indianapolis, where attention-grabbing shirts worn by some of the league's biggest names read: "Pay Us What You Owe Us." It was probably the boldest public statement in this fight for a better future.
The message was clear: women's basketball is not just thriving; it's exploding on a scale that deserves a new look at how its stars are compensated. And while debates over TV deals, sponsorship splits and league revenue have been ongoing for years, the new wave of talent has brought this issue to the table.Why Gil says "no" to revenue splits
Arenas believes that chasing a revenue split isn't the right move simply because it leaves the door wide open for owners to massage the numbers and control the narrative. If revenue becomes the benchmark, it's easy to suddenly discover that there's "less" to split — thanks to conveniently timed expenses and creative accounting. Instead, Gil suggests something far more radical and honestly almost unimaginable at the moment: completely removing the salary cap on what WNBA players can earn and letting the deep-pocketed egos of billionaire owners take over.
"Let the billionaires' egos kick in. Because one thing that somebody with money don't want to do is be on the same playing field with who's broker," he added.
This is a pure survival of the fittest, or better said, richest, type of model that aligns with Arenas' flamboyant personality. However, it would instantly create a bidding-war culture in which the wealthiest owners outspend each other to lure and keep the league's biggest stars. And the problem? The richest pockets would win big, but the majority of the league would likely get left even further behind.
It's hard to imagine such a model taking hold anytime soon. But then again, in an era where WNBA games are selling out, stars are pulling in unprecedented social media numbers, and the women's game is more marketable than ever, nothing feels truly impossible anymore.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.