Latest news with #WNBAplayers
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘They're absolutely underpaid': Economists weigh in on WNBA labor showdown
They chatted over breakfast the morning of the WNBA all-star game. Some of the players who have led the fight to overhaul the WNBA's financial structure held an impromptu meeting early last Saturday to air out their frustrations over how labor negotiations with the league had stalled. Out of that conversation came the idea for a bold new approach to the WNBA's labor standoff. Players decided that it was time to stop bargaining primarily behind closed doors and to instead bring their message to the masses. Later that same day, players union leaders gave every WNBA all-star a black T-shirt with the slogan 'Pay Us What You Owe Us' emblazoned in white letters across the front. The all-stars unanimously donned those shirts during pregame warmups in front of a sellout crowd of nearly 17,000 and millions more viewers watching from home on ABC. 'The players are what is building this brand,' all-star game MVP and players union vice president Napheesa Collier said Saturday. 'We feel like we're owed a piece of that pie that we helped create.' Collier's comments come at a time of unprecedented growth for the WNBA, accelerated by the popularity of Caitlin Clark and other recent high-profile college stars. The league had a record 2024 season with historic viewership, attendance and merchandise sales. Expansion teams will debut in Toronto, Portland, Philadelphia, Detroit and Cleveland over the next five years. In 2026, the league will begin an 11-year media rights deal worth a reported $2.2 billion. Eager to cash in on that influx of revenue, the players union opted out of its collective bargaining agreement with the league last year and now must negotiate a new deal before the current one expires on October 31. Players are seeking a drastically improved revenue sharing model that would allow their salaries to grow as the league does. The league has scarcely acknowledged those proposals during early bargaining sessions, players have complained. The distance between the union and the league is vast enough that it raises the question: Who's right? Are WNBA players as grossly underpaid as they claim? Or are they asking for too much given the WNBA's history of unprofitability and the potential fragility of its recent rapid surge in popularity? For the past year, Harvard economics professor and 2023 Nobel Prize winner Claudia Goldin has been advising the WNBA players union in collective bargaining. Last month, Goldin penned a guest essay in the New York Times entitled 'How Underpaid Are WNBA Players? It's Embarrassing.' After examining TV ratings, attendance data and other metrics, Goldin estimated that the average WNBA salary should be 'roughly one-quarter to one-third of the average NBA salary to achieve pay equity.' In reality, WNBA salaries currently range from the league minimum of $66,079 to a maximum of $249,244. That's not in the same stratosphere as the NBA, where the league minimum is $1.27 million and the highest-paid superstars will earn more than $50 million apiece next season. 'How could that be?' wrote Goldin. 'The most likely explanation is that the WNBA is not receiving the full value it contributes to the combined NBA and WNBA enterprise revenue.' Three other sports economists who spoke to Yahoo Sports agreed with Goldin's assessment that WNBA players are not being paid what they deserve. As evidence, they pointed to the fact that about 50% of the NBA's revenue goes to player salary and that WNBA players take home a miniscule percentage of their league's revenue by comparison. 'Even without knowing the exact revenues of the WNBA, we know they're certainly not making even close to 50%,' University of San Francisco professor of sports management Nola Agha told Yahoo Sports. 'So they're absolutely underpaid.' The WNBA will make at least $500 million in revenue next year, argues David Berri, an economics professor at Southern Utah and the co-author of 'Slaying the Trolls: Why the Trolls are Very, Very Wrong About Women and Sports.' Berri bases that estimate on a report from Forbes that places the league's 2024 revenue at $226 million, another report from Sportico that the expansion Golden State Valkyries are bringing in $75 million in their inaugural season and the WNBA's media rights deal with Disney that will provide $200 million annually. Say that WNBA players negotiate the right to take 50% of that $500 million, a revenue sharing percentage similar to what their counterparts in the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball get. In that scenario, the 168 players on 2026 WNBA rosters would earn an average of $1.49 million — more than 10 times the league's current average salary. 'Clearly, if the league is going to treat WNBA players like they do the NBA players, there has to be a substantial increase in pay,' Berri told Yahoo Sports. Of course, evaluating how much revenue any league makes is notoriously tricky because sports accounting always includes some sleight of hand tricks and deception. That's particularly true in the case of the WNBA, whose deeply intertwined financial relationship with the NBA makes it hard to decipher where one league's revenue ends and the other's begins. The NBA founded the WNBA nearly 30 years ago, provides financial support to cover losses and remains a significant stakeholder to this day. Seven of the WNBA's 13 teams are owned by NBA ownership groups. Last year, the NBA negotiated joint television contracts for the leagues. Back in 2018, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that the WNBA annually loses roughly $10 million per year. Those losses allegedly quadrupled last year, sources told the New York Post, citing a rise in expenses like full-time charter flights and the fact that the WNBA's new media rights deal would not kick in for another two years. Count Andrew Zimbalist among those skeptical of those figures. Zimbalist, a professor at Smith College and a leading sports economist, served as an advisor to the NBA Players Association during multiple previous collective bargaining sessions. He remembers the NBA claiming losses each time in an effort to gain public support and extract further concessions from the players. 'They might claim they're making a loss but when you look closely at their books they're not really making a loss,' Zimbalist told Yahoo Sports. 'There are lots of shenanigans they can use to play with the books, so one would have to look very carefully at how they're doing their accounting before you even enter into discussions. The women's union needs to have some financially adept people at the bargaining table so the owners can't pull the wool over their eyes.' The lack of transparency regarding the WNBA's finances is a huge issue, according to union president Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm. In a 2018 Players Tribune essay, Ogwumike wrote that the union just wants 'information about where the league is as a business, so that we can come together and make sound decisions for the future of the game.' 'As players, we never get to see the numbers,' Ogwumike added. 'We don't know how the league is doing. As the kids say nowadays, we just want to see the receipts.' Last Thursday, on the eve of WNBA All-Star Weekend, many of the league's most recognizable players crammed into an Indianapolis hotel elevator and smiled for a picture. They were on their way to a rare in-person bargaining session between the players union and league owners. The mood was not so upbeat several hours later when those same players emerged from that meeting. While WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert characterized the talks as constructive and expressed confidence a deal would get done, players seethed over how far apart the two sides remained. 'A wasted opportunity,' Breanna Stewart called it. 'Disrespectful,' was how Angel Reese described the league's counterproposal. 'We have a long way to go,' Kelsey Plum admitted. Forty-eight hours later, 'Pay Us What You Owe Us' was born. By the end of the night, fans chanting 'pay them' drowned out Engelbert presenting Collier with the all-star game's MVP award at mid-court. 'That gave me chills,' Collier said later. To sports economists, the biggest challenge for WNBA players will be keeping supportive fans on their side and winning over those who already feel they're asking for too much. They have to be very clear with the public about what the numbers say and about why they're asking for a much larger piece of the pie. 'You can't let the NBA frame it to the media that we're willing to double their pay or something like that,' Berri said. 'You've got to come back and say, 'Look, I know what the revenue is. I know what the math says. We're partners in this and you owe us money.''
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Pay us what you owe us': America divided by WNBA T-shirt stunt
WNBA stars have sparked widespread divide by wearing T-shirts with 'pay us what you owe us' emblazed on the front. The blunt message was delivered during warm ups ahead of the WNBA All Star Game on Sunday amid ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the players and the league. With a late October deadline looming, the players' stance is clear … they want a bigger piece of the pie. It's not the first time WNBA players have demanded more pay, with the talking point rearing its head every year. The latest act however comes off the back of the league agreeing to an 11-year, $AUD3.38 billion TV rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime Video and NBCUniversal that will come into play from 2026. The WNBA is booming with TV ratings (up 23%), ticket sales (up 26%) and attendance (13%) all surging halfway through the season, according to NPR. But the simple act of wearing a T-shirts demanding to be paid more sparked widespread divide with many believing the players are deserving of greater pay, while countless others pointed to the league's struggling finances which have seen the WNBA never make a profit. What is the WNBA's revenue? That's the big talking point behind all of the ongoing CBA negotiations, the WNBA players are chasing a large share of the league's revenue. Under the current CBA, the players split 9.3 per cent of league revenue. A figure far lesser than the NBA which sees players split between 49 and 51 per cent. The league currently operates off a revenue of $200m, but as is often pointed out when these discussions come to the table … the WNBA has yet to turn a profit since its inception in 1996. The NBA owns nearly 60 per cent of the league with team owners investing millions every year to the WNBA. Despite the recent uptick, the 2024 WNBA season saw the league lose $40 million. The new TV rights deal will inject $200m annually into the league, compared to the current deal which injects roughly $45m per season. With that deal set to come into play from 2026 onwards, WNBA players could soon see their salaries rise and the league turn a profit for the first time. What is the difference in WNBA and NBA salaries? According to Sports Illustrated, WNBA salaries roughly range from a minimum of $USD66,000 to a super maximum contract of around $USD250,000. Despite being the face of the league, Caitlin Clark remains on a rookie contract which will see her earn $78,000 in 2025. Compare those figures to the NBA and the difference is eye-watering. The average NBA salary for the 2024-25 season was projected to be $11,910,649, according to SI. The minimum salary came in at $1,157,153 while the highest-paid player, Stephen Curry, earned a staggering $55.7 million. America divided by players calling for more pay You can almost guarantee that anytime a WNBA player speaks out about wanting to be paid more, social media will be flooded with vitriol It kicked into overdrive on Sunday as images of the players wearing the shirts began to spread across the internet. End Wokeness wrote on X: 'The WNBA loses $50 million every year and has NEVER generated a profit. You deserve $0.00.' Jake Crain added: 'There is no league as tone deaf as the WNBA. 'Pay us what you owe us' shirts when you have to be subsidised is wild.' Fox Sports Radio host Aaron Torres wrote: 'There is no group of more delusional people on planet Earth, than WNBA players.' Of course not everyone was on the side of the corporation with a plethora of fans backing the players in chasing what they're worth. WTH News wrote: 'They're not asking for NBA bags, just their damn slice of the pie. Talent's on the court, money's on the table — time to match the energy. You don't build a league on players and leave them crumbs.' NBA and WNBA beat reporter Andrew Dukowitz wrote: 'The league is built on players, they deserve to get a bigger slice of the pie for the work they all have put in, and as the revenue grows, they should as well. The WNBA players are not asking to be paid dollar for dollar what the NBA players make, from what I understand they just want a fair share of the revenue.' Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy took his outrage even further, savaging people who don't believe the WNBA players don't deserve a bigger slice. 'I don't know how anybody in the world with a brain, and maybe my brain is just bigger than most, can rationally say women don't deserve more money at this point,' Portnoy said in a video posted to social media. 'Franchise values are exploding. Ticket sales, merch, TV rights all exploding. The players have an opt out in their CBA. Of course they took it. It's all about leverage in re-negotiations and for the 1st time in history of the league players have power. 'The players make virtually nothing while the entire league explodes. Of course they deserve more money.' What will it mean if no agreement is reached? With the first round of talks going almost nowhere, the threat of a potential player lockout remains real. The players union has said it's preparing for a work stoppage when the current CBA expires Oct. 31. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said she has 'confidence' a deal can be struck before the Halloween deadline, but also said she's 'not going to put an exact date on it. 'We're in a good place and we're going back and forth,' she said. If no agreement is reached, the players will effectively not turn up to work until a deal is struck which could then have an impact on the upcoming expansion drafts in December. Free agency, which usually starts in late January, and potentially the April draft would also be on hold as long as a deal remains unfinalised.
Reuters
18-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
WNBA has failed to meet players' priorities in CBA talks, union says
INDIANAPOLIS, July 17 (Reuters) - The Women's National Basketball Players Association and the WNBA appeared no closer to finding common ground on a labor agreement on Thursday, as negotiations continued amid fears over a potential work stoppage. The two sides, including more than 40 players, met on Thursday ahead of the All-Star Game this weekend in Indianapolis amid reports of serious discord between players and the league in their labor negotiations. "The WNBA's response to our proposals fails to address the priorities we've voiced from the day we opted out," the WNBPA said in a statement. The union called for "a transformational CBA (collective bargaining agreement) that delivers our rightful share of the business that we've built, improves working conditions, and ensures the success we create lifts both today's players and the generations that follow." The WNBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The current CBA was hailed as a landmark moment for women's sports in 2020, when the league and players reached their agreement, with increased pay, improved travel and a host of new maternity benefits. But rapid growth in the WNBA has transformed the league, with an 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal kicking in with the 2026 season, and players opted to ditch the deal before it was set to expire in 2027. A work stoppage could be catastrophic for the league, which is set to debut two new teams in Portland and Toronto next year, and it said last month three more teams would debut in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia in 2028, 2029 and 2030, respectively. "We've told the league and teams exactly why their proposal falls so short," the union said. "This business is booming - media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, and ticket sales - are all up in historic fashion." The WNBA has enjoyed tremendous momentum with surging TV viewership and attendance, as last year's playoffs generated the best ratings in 25 years, and a host of young stars, including the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark, have brought in new fans. This weekend's All-Star Game festivities in Indianapolis were expected to draw unprecedented interest, and banners featuring the top-flight league's star players were plastered across the city's bustling downtown. "Short-changing the working women who make this business possible stalls growth," the WNBPA said, reiterating its commitment to return to negotiations. "The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever."
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Do WNBA players think Caitlin Clark will be the league's face in five years?
There is not one defining feature that makes up the face of a sport. A player's success on the floor is important, but so is her social omnipresence, her brand prominence and her desire to be a voice on topics that not only involve her but her peers. The WNBA's face of the league does not have to be its best player, or even its most decorated. The WNBA currently has stars from various generations competing. A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier highlight a group that entered the league in the mid- to late-2010s, while Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are among a recent crop of stars. So who do WNBA players think will be the face of the league in five years? And what do they think about a host of issues facing the league, including expansion, salaries and collective bargaining negotiations? On Monday, players weighed in on who is the league's best player and the best trash-talker. Advertisement To answer those questions, 's anonymous player poll is back. Every day this week, we'll share how players dished on topics. Our reporters spoke to nearly 40 players from the start of the 2025 season — a total that represents nearly a third of non-rookie players in the league. We interviewed players from all 13 teams but excluded the 30 rookies in an effort to gather veterans' perspectives. Players were granted anonymity to speak freely. They were also permitted to skip individual questions; as a result, each question shows the total number of responses for full transparency. Some players named more than one player, so we divided those vote totals. Players were not allowed to vote for their team or teammates. At a time of explosive growth in the league, as multiple players are prominent across mediums, and brands continue to strike high-profile deals with rising WNBA stars, it was difficult for players to focus their responses on one player. More than 10 players responded with two potential options, with the indecision reflecting the star power that many in the sport have. Advertisement Clark, the Fever star, was the overwhelming choice, however. The two-time All-Star has proven to be the league's most popular player since she entered the WNBA last spring. Indiana's games routinely set, or come close to setting, record viewership numbers, and it's become common for the Fever's road opponents to move games to larger venues to accommodate the added interest Clark and her teammates draw. That so many players chose Watkins is also notable as the USC guard might not enter the WNBA for another two seasons. But her future arrival, coupled with her ACL tear in last season's NCAA Tournament, has done little to dispel how highly players think about Watkins' pro potential. WNBA players already recognize her presence, and so many already viewing her as a future face of the league reflects their respect for her. Although there is a difference between who might be the WNBA's best player in five years and who will be the league's face in five years, it is notable that in 2023, when last conducted an anonymous player survey, Clark's Fever teammate Aliyah Boston received the second most votes. Two years later, A'ja Wilson was the lone player drafted before 2024 who received votes in this category. In their words On Caitlin Clark: 'She's clearly already a draw, and she still has room to improve (as a player).' Advertisement 'I mean she is currently the face of the league.' On JuJu Watkins: 'Just look at the presence she already has in college.' On Paige Bueckers: 'She's very likable right now, and she's doing very well as a rookie, and her name is making a buzz.' The Athletic Coming this week Wednesday Which city is ideal for expansion? What should be a CBA priority? Thursday What's the best-run franchise? What's the worst-run franchise? Friday What's the best rivalry? Who's going to win the WNBA championship? This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, Golden State Valkyries, WNBA 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
15-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Do WNBA players think Caitlin Clark will be the league's face in five years?
There is not one defining feature that makes up the face of a sport. A player's success on the floor is important, but so is her social omnipresence, her brand prominence and her desire to be a voice on topics that not only involve her but her peers. The WNBA's face of the league does not have to be its best player, or even its most decorated. The WNBA currently has stars from various generations competing. A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier highlight a group that entered the league in the mid- to late-2010s, while Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are among a recent crop of stars. Advertisement So who do WNBA players think will be the face of the league in five years? And what do they think about a host of issues facing the league, including expansion, salaries and collective bargaining negotiations? On Monday, players weighed in on who is the league's best player and the best trash-talker. To answer those questions, The Athletic's anonymous player poll is back. Every day this week, we'll share how players dished on topics. Our reporters spoke to nearly 40 players from the start of the 2025 season — a total that represents nearly a third of non-rookie players in the league. We interviewed players from all 13 teams but excluded the 30 rookies in an effort to gather veterans' perspectives. Players were granted anonymity to speak freely. They were also permitted to skip individual questions; as a result, each question shows the total number of responses for full transparency. Some players named more than one player, so we divided those vote totals. Players were not allowed to vote for their team or teammates. At a time of explosive growth in the league, as multiple players are prominent across mediums, and brands continue to strike high-profile deals with rising WNBA stars, it was difficult for players to focus their responses on one player. More than 10 players responded with two potential options, with the indecision reflecting the star power that many in the sport have. Clark, the Fever star, was the overwhelming choice, however. The two-time All-Star has proven to be the league's most popular player since she entered the WNBA last spring. Indiana's games routinely set, or come close to setting, record viewership numbers, and it's become common for the Fever's road opponents to move games to larger venues to accommodate the added interest Clark and her teammates draw. That so many players chose Watkins is also notable as the USC guard might not enter the WNBA for another two seasons. But her future arrival, coupled with her ACL tear in last season's NCAA Tournament, has done little to dispel how highly players think about Watkins' pro potential. WNBA players already recognize her presence, and so many already viewing her as a future face of the league reflects their respect for her. Advertisement Although there is a difference between who might be the WNBA's best player in five years and who will be the league's face in five years, it is notable that in 2023, when The Athletic last conducted an anonymous player survey, Clark's Fever teammate Aliyah Boston received the second most votes. Two years later, A'ja Wilson was the lone player drafted before 2024 who received votes in this category. On Caitlin Clark: 'She's clearly already a draw, and she still has room to improve (as a player).' 'I mean she is currently the face of the league.' On JuJu Watkins: 'Just look at the presence she already has in college.' On Paige Bueckers: 'She's very likable right now, and she's doing very well as a rookie, and her name is making a buzz.' — The Athletic's Chantel Jennings contributed to this report. Wednesday Which city is ideal for expansion? What should be a CBA priority? Thursday What's the best-run franchise? What's the worst-run franchise? Friday What's the best rivalry? Who's going to win the WNBA championship? (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos of Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins: Luiza Moraes / Getty Images, Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
