WNBA's Viral Pay Shirts Explained
"We get a very tiny percentage of all the money that's made through the WNBA, which obviously is made through the entertainment we provide," Minnesota Lynx player Napheesa Collier explained. "So we want a fair and reasonable percentage of that."
This comes right after the Women's National Basketball Players Association (the players' union) and the WNBA met for a Collective Bargaining Agreement last Thursday, which did not result in a deal. 'We were disappointed for sure,' Napheesa said on Friday. 'What they came back with was just nowhere near what we asked for or even in the same conversation.'
So, how much are WNBA players paid? As per Sports Illustrated, "WNBA salaries roughly range from a minimum of $66,000 to a super maximum contract of around $250,000." The average NBA salary for the '24-'25 season is reportedly $11.9 million, with the minimum sitting at $1.2 million.
But equal base salaries aren't even the current goal here. A big issue is that WNBA players reportedly only receive about 9.3% of league revenue. Their male counterparts in the NBA, as well as the NFL and NHL, get around half. Though the WNBA hasn't been profitable in the past, new business — including an extremely lucrative TV deal — means that the WNBA is set to bring in hundreds of millions this year and, by some reports, become profitable*.
*Though it's worth noting that the percentage refers to revenue and not profit, meaning that the super clever people quipping that they should be paid a negative salary aren't quite right. As Beau Dure puts it for the Guardian, "The bottom line is that we don't know what's included in the bottom line. Reinvestment in the league? Facilities? Postgame meals catered by five-star restaurants? (Surely not the latter.) All we know is that it's not going to the players...And in the land of voodoo accounting, sports teams have been adept at pleading penury when circumstances call for it. It's not just the WNBA either. Eight years ago, ESPN uncovered numbers showing nearly half of the NBA's teams didn't generate a profit on their own."
Subsequently, many WNBA players are aiming to increase that percentage of league revenue. "If this is the asking price and this is the TV deal, then make it make sense on the other side as well," Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty forward and players' union vice president, put it last Friday.
However, because this is women, money, and sports, the shirts sparked backlash — resulting in counter-criticism.
As Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark said, 'We should be paid more and hopefully that's the case moving forward as the league continues to grow. I think that's something that's probably the most important thing that we're in the room advocating about.'
Anyway, you can click here for the upcoming local WNBA schedule, scores, and more.
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