{"id":360403,"date":"2025-12-21T21:00:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T21:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/360403\/"},"modified":"2025-12-21T21:00:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T21:00:31","slug":"the-wnba-makes-more-money-than-ever-what-about-the-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/360403\/","title":{"rendered":"The WNBA Makes More Money Than Ever. What About the Players?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Society<\/a><\/p>\n

\/ <\/p>\n

StudentNation<\/a><\/p>\n

\/
\n December 17, 2025<\/p>\n

WNBA players receive around 10 percent of league revenue, while the NBA gives 51 percent. With their bargaining agreement expiring in January, players want to share in the growth.<\/p>\n

Ad Policy<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Golden State Valkyries playing the Minnesota Lynx in Game 2 of the WNBA first round playoffs in September 2025.<\/p>\n

(Carlos Avila Gonzalez \/ Getty)<\/p>\n

This story was produced for StudentNation, a program of the Nation Fund for Independent Journalism<\/a>, which is dedicated to highlighting the best of student journalism. For more StudentNation, check out\u00a0our archive<\/a>\u00a0or learn more about the program\u00a0here<\/a>. StudentNation is made possible through generous funding from\u00a0The Puffin Foundation<\/a>. If you\u2019re a student and you have an article idea, please send pitches and questions to\u00a0[email\u00a0protected].<\/a><\/p>\n

In 2024, the WNBA delivered its most-watched regular season in 24 years, finished with its highest attendance in 22 years, and set records for digital consumption and merchandise sales. The league is experiencing unprecedented growth, with a $2.2 billion media rights deal and franchise valuations reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite this financial windfall, the athletes driving this success find themselves locked in a pitched battle with league leadership that many see as rooted in corporate greed and a stubborn refusal to share the profits they\u2019ve helped to generate.<\/p>\n

As the November 30 deadline for a new collective bargaining agreement approached\u2014following a 30-day extension from the original October 31 expiration\u2014pressure built on both sides, leading to an extension of the current bargaining agreement to January 9, 2026 and buying more time to finalize a new deal. <\/p>\n

Now the WNBA finds itself at a crossroads. The 23-year-old Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark recently called it \u201cthe biggest moment the WNBA has ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, and the league\u2019s billionaire owners truly invested in the players who built this cultural movement, or are they simply maximizing profits while maintaining ironfisted control? The owners have proposed a raise in minimum salary from around $66,000 to $225,000, with a $1 million base for the league\u2019s top players. But the union is seeking to have the salary cap tied to the league\u2019s growth, similar to the structure the NBA uses.<\/p>\n

The numbers tell a damning story. WNBA players currently receive around 10 percent of league revenue, compared to the NBA\u2019s players\u2019 51 percent. While league officials note that the WNBA and NBA operate at different scales and stages of development, players argue that their share should grow proportionally as the league\u2019s revenue expands.<\/p>\n

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier alleged that in a February meeting, Commissioner Engelbert told her \u201cplayers should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.\u201d When asked about the alleged comment, Engelbert did not explicitly deny the \u201con their knees\u201d remark, instead claiming there were \u201ca lot of inaccuracies\u201d in media reports, but the controversy has highlighted what many players describe as a paternalistic approach from league leadership.<\/p>\n

Current Issue<\/p>\n


\n \"Cover
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

The league\u2019s latest proposal reportedly includes a supermax salary near $1,000,000 and a veteran minimum around $300,000\u2014significant increases from current levels. However, players have criticized the structure of these increases, noting that the proposals feature salary caps that increase by fixed rates rather than being tied to revenue growth. This approach, players argue, means that as the WNBA becomes more profitable, the gap between players\u2019 earnings and overall revenue will continue to widen.<\/p>\n

According to multiple reports, the league emphasizes \u201cbalancing salary growth and long-term sustainability,\u201d and has stated that players \u201chave yet to offer a viable economic proposal.\u201d The Women\u2019s National Basketball Player\u2019s Association counters that their demands are based on standard revenue-sharing models used in other professional sports leagues.<\/p>\n

The ownership structure reveals competing priorities within the league. Several billionaire owners\u2014including Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai of the New York Liberty, Joe Lacob of the Golden State Valkyries, Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Aces, and Matt Ishbia of the Phoenix Mercury\u2014have demonstrated willingness to invest heavily in their franchises. The Tsais famously paid a $500,000 fine in 2021 for illegally chartering flights for their players before it was league-approved, signaling their commitment to player amenities.<\/p>\n

However, there are also independent owners who kept the league afloat during financially challenging years and now cite those accumulated losses as justification for more conservative approaches to player compensation. This divide between high-spending NBA-affiliated owners and more cost-conscious independent owners has created tension in CBA negotiations with players questioning whether the league\u2019s financial decisions reflect long-term investment in talent or short-term profit maximization.<\/p>\n

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver\u2019s recent comment that revenue share \u201cisn\u2019t the right way to look at it\u201d when discussing player compensation, suggesting instead to focus on \u201cabsolute numbers,\u201d has drawn criticism from players who view percentage-based growth as the standard model in professional sports.<\/p>\n

Players have also raised concerns about league management that extend beyond compensation. Napheesa Collier criticized persistent officiating problems, stating that \u201cleadership just issues fines and looks the other way\u201d rather than implementing structural improvements. Multiple players have noted that the league\u2019s response to operational challenges often involves punitive measures rather than systemic solutions.<\/p>\n

Ad Policy<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Popular
\n \u201cswipe left below to view more authors\u201dSwipe \u2192\n <\/p>\n

Other reasons include expanding rosters to the current 12-player limit, improving travel standards to reduce back-to-back games where teams play on consecutive days, more flexible scheduling, greater transparency in league decision-making, and consistent enforcement of rules\u2014particularly around officiating. Players argue these improvements would benefit both their health and the quality of play, yet the league has cited financial sustainability concerns in resisting these changes.<\/p>\n

The league\u2019s prioritization rules have also become contentious. Players note that the WNBA expects year-round commitment while offering salaries that force many to seek additional income through overseas play or domestic leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited. As Collier put it, \u201cYou can\u2019t have exclusivity without paying for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll workers have the right to take collective action to improve their working conditions without retaliation from their employers,\u201d said Katie Miles, a senior trainer at the UC Berkeley Labor Center with over 15 years of union organizing experience. \u201cFor WNBA athletes, that includes advocating for better salaries, pensions, and working conditions like roster expansion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miles noted that revenue sharing tied to media rights, ticket sales, and merchandise is standard practice in professional sports. \u201cThey\u2019re not asking for NBA salaries,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re asking for a fair share of the pie. And unlike many other industries, these players are both the product and the public face of the league. They have name recognition and star power on top of being the ones who make the league function. That gives them immense leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n

That leverage was visible when players wore \u201cPay Us What You Owe Us\u201d shirts at the 2025 All-Star Game, using their platform to broadcast their demands publicly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe WNBA has operated like a small league, and in the past three years, it\u2019s not anymore. It\u2019s big,\u201d said Jane Kenny, a reporter for The San Francisco Standard who covers the Golden State Valkyries. \u201cYou\u2019ve got players demanding better conditions, and a league that\u2019s finally drawing the kind of revenue that makes that ask more reasonable, but they\u2019re still operating under a structure that doesn\u2019t reflect that reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kenny added that, despite the Valkyries\u2019 reported strong revenue performance, owner Joe Lacob isn\u2019t among the six franchise owners at the bargaining table. \u201cThe absence of newer, more progressive ownership voices reinforces players\u2019 perception that the league\u2019s power remains concentrated in the hands of a few,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The expansion timeline has become complicated by CBA uncertainty. With the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire set to join in 2026, expansion drafts must occur, but their timing depends on a finalized CBA. Nearly 80 percent of WNBA players are free agents this year, having structured their contracts to expire together in anticipation of salary increases from a new agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I\u2019ve heard from the Valkyries is that they don\u2019t know anything about anything,\u201d Kenny said in mid-October. \u201cThey don\u2019t even know if they\u2019ll be back on the team, if they\u2019ll be protected, if a superstar is coming in during free agency. They\u2019re just kind of like, fingers crossed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collier\u2019s September exit interview, where she called WNBA leadership \u201cthe worst in the world,\u201d sparked widespread response from fellow players. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham suggested people know Cathy Engelbert only because of Caitlin Clark, while Las Vegas Aces star A\u2019ja Wilson said she was \u201cdisgusted\u201d by Engelbert\u2019s alleged comments.<\/p>\n

Reports surfaced that Engelbert might exit as commissioner after CBA negotiations due to strained relationships with players and some owners, though the league called such reports \u201ccategorically false.\u201d<\/p>\n

A\u2019ja Wilson recently stated on Good Morning America that players are \u201ctired of the mindset of \u2018just be grateful for what you have.\u2019 No, we need to dive into it,\u201d capturing the sentiment among athletes who feel that their contributions have outpaced their compensation.<\/p>\n

Players have articulated specific goals for the new CBA. As Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum explained, \u201cWe want a piece of the entire pie. Not a piece of part of the pie.\u201d As the deadline approaches, can a league experiencing unprecedented growth find a way to share that success equitably with the players who made it possible?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to be holding hands through the CBA,\u201d said Natasha Cloud<\/a> of the New York Liberty in July. \u201cWe\u2019re fighting for what we\u2019re due, what we\u2019re worth, our value.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the past year you\u2019ve read Nation writers like Elie Mystal, Kaveh Akbar, John Nichols, Joan Walsh, Bryce Covert, Dave Zirin, Jeet Heer, Michael T. Klare, Katha Pollitt, Amy Littlefield, Gregg Gonsalves, and Sasha Abramsky take on the Trump family\u2019s corruption, set the record straight about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s catastrophic Make America Healthy Again movement, survey the fallout and human cost of the DOGE wrecking ball, anticipate the Supreme Court\u2019s dangerous antidemocratic rulings, and amplify successful tactics of resistance on the streets and in Congress.<\/p>\n

We publish these stories because when members of our communities are being abducted, household debt is climbing, and AI data centers are causing water and electricity shortages, we have a duty as journalists to do all we can to inform the public.<\/p>\n

In 2026, our aim is to do more than ever before\u2014but we need your support to make that happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Through December 31, a generous donor will match all donations up to $75,000. That means that your contribution will be doubled, dollar for dollar. If we hit the full match, we\u2019ll be starting 2026 with $150,000 to invest in the stories that impact real people\u2019s lives\u2014the kinds of stories that billionaire-owned, corporate-backed outlets aren\u2019t covering.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With your support, our team will publish major stories that the president and his allies won\u2019t want you to read. We\u2019ll cover the emerging military-tech industrial complex and matters of war, peace, and surveillance, as well as the affordability crisis, hunger, housing, healthcare, the environment, attacks on reproductive rights, and much more. At the same time, we\u2019ll imagine alternatives to Trumpian rule and uplift efforts to create a better world, here and now.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While your gift has twice the impact, I\u2019m asking you to support <\/a>The Nation with a donation today. You\u2019ll empower the journalists, editors, and fact-checkers best equipped to hold this authoritarian administration to account.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I hope you won\u2019t miss this moment\u2014donate to The Nation today. <\/p>\n

Onward,<\/p>\n

Katrina vanden Heuvel\u00a0<\/p>\n

Editor and publisher, The Nation<\/p>\n

Amara McEvoy<\/a><\/p>\n

Amara McEvoy is a 2025 Puffin student writing fellow primarily focusing on racial justice and sports for The Nation. She is a student and journalist at the University of California, Berkeley.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMore from The Nation<\/p>\n


\n \"Hector
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

I spent six months with a flip phone. I learned that a more conscious technological future will require much more than just unplugging.<\/p>\n

\n Martin Dolan<\/a> <\/p>\n


\n \"How
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

In 1994, the writer Leslie Marmon Silko wrote a piece for The Nation warning of a frightening new immigration regime.<\/p>\n

\n Richard Kreitner<\/a> <\/p>\n


\n \"Jeffrey
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

We won\u2019t know the full truth about his crimes until the extent of his ties to US intelligence are clear.<\/p>\n

\n Column<\/a><\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Jeet Heer<\/a> <\/p>\n


\n \"Students,
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

The Trump administration wants to destroy our health infrastructure. These warriors aren’t letting that happen without a fight.<\/p>\n

\n Gregg Gonsalves<\/a> <\/p>\n


\n \"Rob
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Weiss\u2019s ascent reveals the extent to which Hollywood, once a Democratic stronghold, has defected for a politics that puts the concerns and egos of wealthy people first.<\/p>\n

\n Joan Walsh<\/a> <\/p>\n


\n \"Norman
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

With the death of Norman Podhoretz at 95, the transition from New York\u2019s intellectual golden age to the age of grievance and provocation is complete.<\/p>\n

\n Obituary<\/a><\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

David Klion<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Society \/ StudentNation \/ December 17, 2025 WNBA players receive around 10 percent of league revenue, while the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":360404,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[629],"tags":[49,48,82,630],"class_list":{"0":"post-360403","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-wnba"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360403\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/360404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}