WNBA players push for better pay as league soars to new heights
As the WNBA celebrates record attendance, rising TV ratings and the addition of the Golden State Valkyries, its players are demanding a larger share of the league's growing revenue, citing disparities in pay and broadcast income compared to their NBA counterparts.
The league's recent $2.2 billion media rights deal, spanning 11 years, pales in comparison to the NBA's $76 billion package, which prompted the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) to opt out of its collective bargaining agreement (CBA) two years ahead of schedule.
"Men's sports have a revenue-based salary system — we deserve the same," the WNBPA said via social media on Monday. "We're fighting for a fair share of the revenue we generate. Fair is fair."
Under the current framework, WNBA players receive between 20 to 25% of basketball-related income, far below the NBA's approximate 50%. Salaries range from $66,000 to $250,000 annually, dwarfed by the NBA's average player earnings of $10 million.
"We have women out here who know the business," Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBPA, told reporters at a news conference after her Seattle Storm beat the New York Liberty 89-79 on Sunday.
"We understand where our league has been and where it's going. We want to represent ourselves and our value in the same way that we do on the court."
The disconnect between broadcast revenue and player compensation lies at the heart of the dispute, according to Jane McManus, a New York University professor and women's sports writer.
As negotiations become a zero-sum game, the NBA's 42% ownership stake — once a lifeline — now faces scrutiny as potentially constraining the women's game from realizing its full economic potential.
"Negotiations of media rights are incredibly important," McManus said. "That's why I think the WNBA players pulled out of the CBA early, because they felt they had not been maximizing revenue.
"Without the NBA's investment there wouldn't be a league today, but theoretically, the WNBA is strong enough now to negotiate independently," she added.
The WNBA and the WNBPA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Some players have been exploring alternative pathways to increased pay.
Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier launched Unrivaled, an offseason 3-on-3 league offering salaries averaging $222,000 — exceeding what many WNBA players earn.
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese has hinted at more dramatic measures.
"I'm hearing that if the league doesn't give us what we want, we're sitting out," she said on her podcast in March.
With the current agreement expiring after the 2025 season, the spectre of a 2026 lockout looms if neither side compromises — potentially echoing the NBA's bruising five-month standoff in 2011.
A new CBA represents more than just discussions about revenue, according to women's sport researcher Risa Isard.
"Talks have been held about a more comprehensive pension package, solidifying the charter flight agreements and increasing support for the ones with children," Isard said. "I hope that this CBA will lay the foundation for the next chapter."
Despite the tensions, Ogwumike expressed cautious optimism about the negotiations.
"Everybody wants to go to the same place. Everyone just has a different idea of how we get there," she said. "But it definitely starts with valuing the players in a way that makes sense for what we're doing out here, and also makes sense for the people that follow us and the fans supporting us."
With the league's recent growth, the Storm forward underscored the need for compensation to reflect the WNBA's upward trajectory. "We've seen a lot of growth recently, so we have to see that reflected in how we're compensated," she said.
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