When the WNBA’s biggest star came to court for the league’s All-Star Game in Indianapolis on Saturday night, all the players on the floor wore black t-shirts decorated with white lettering sharing a simple message.
“Pay us what you owe us.”
After the increasingly popular league weekend celebration, the players’ messages reminded me that they are still looking for a stronger financial foothold in the league, which is far behind their contemporaries when it comes to paying methods for athletes.
The league’s economics have changed rapidly since the last collective bargaining agreement between the WNBA and the Players Association was signed in 2020.
WNBA revenues rose from $102 million to $119 million between 2019 and 2023, according to Bloomberg. That was before Kate Linklark’s rookie season in 2024. This supported one of the most important years in league history. With Clark in tow, the WNBA set a record for product sales last year, and it also had the most viewed regular season of 24 years.
So far, the league’s average attendance is the highest ever, according to the overall timeline.
The WNBA responded to the explosion caused by expansion. The league will increase to 18 teams by 2030, adding franchises to Portland, Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia over the next five years. (This season, the Golden State Valkyries became W’s 13th team.)
On Monday, June 30th, the WNBA announced that the new franchise will debut in Philadelphia in 2030. Prior to the announcement, NBC10’s Erin Coleman spoke with WNBA Commissioner and New Jersey native Kathy Engelbert about the exciting news.
Owned groups in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia will also pay an expansion fee of $250 million. That’s a huge increase over the $50 million that Valkyries paid in 2023.
On top of that, the WNBA signed a new TV rights deal last summer, reportedly paying the league $2.2 billion over the next 11 years, an average of $200 million per season. (NBC News’ parent company, NBCuniversal, is one of the rights holders under the new transaction.)
Therefore, the biggest question for players is how to use the new economic model to utilize the increased interest around the game. The WNBPA opted out of its CBA agreement last year and will expire on October 31st unless it reaches a new agreement.
Currently, WNBA players have only received 9.3% of the league’s revenue, but according to MarketWatch, there is a share of less than a fifth of most other professional leagues. Players can gain a higher share, but only if they reach a certain cumulative revenue target.
In the NBA, players receive 49% to 51% of basketball-related revenue. In the NFL, players are guaranteed to at least 48.8% of their revenue for a 17-game season. NHL players receive 50% of their hockey-related income. (MLB players will participate in the revenue sharing system.)
The average WNBA salary this season is just over $102,000. Clark’s four-year rookie contract is worth less than $340,000. She has only been paid $78,066 this year.
Chiney Ogwumike, who last played for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2023, wrote in the Player Tribune in May 2024, “It’s time for WNBA players to increase the percentage of basketball-related revenue in the league.”
The league and Union met on Thursday ahead of the All-Star festivities, but players expressed their dissatisfaction with the discussion.
In addition to pay, one of the other key questions for the union is prioritization, or how players committed to WNBA teams are expected. Many players participate in a variety of leagues outside the WNBA season, supplementing their salaries, including unparalleled leagues founded by players. WNBA owners are making the W first, seeking stricter commitments from players, but players want to remain flexible.
“[The] “But frankly, I think it was a useless opportunity,” she said. “But Breana Stewart, vice president of New York Liberty Forward and Union.
“We could have really delved deeper into everything. Based on their latest suggestions, we can’t get to where we’re actually talking about the same thing,” Stewart added.
Ultimately, there are some details for the league and players to attack by the end of October, but we hope that money will be the biggest obsession point.
“Rev sharing is really transformative,” said Kelsey Plum of Los Angeles Sparks Guard. “We want a part of the whole pie, not part of the pie. We are a resilient group. [get] The results are desirable. ”
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