Is it realistic to expect WNBA salaries to match the NBA’s when even their commissioners don’t have a level playing field yet, in financial terms? Cathy Engelbert’s reported net worth is nearly eight times less than that of Adam Silver’s. An eye-opener that the pay gap starts at the very top. But then again, an average WNBA player made almost 80 to 90 times less than an NBA player during the 2024–25 season. That’s not a small gap; that’s a whole canyon.
So while Cathy Engelbert may not be the architect of the system, but being the leader of the pack, she is certainly expected to bring down the inequality if not at par overnight. A lot of this system is locked in place by one official document: the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). That’s where it all starts. So if we really want to understand why WNBA players are still getting paid a fraction of what they’re worth, we need to go back to the fine print. Let us read it out loud for you…
A System Set Up to Fail Its Pillars: The Players
The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) serves as the backbone of the WNBA—essentially the league’s master rulebook. It lays out the framework for how the league operates, from player salaries and contract structures to benefits, free agency rights, and more. Every major decision affecting players’ careers and team strategies ties back to this agreement, which is carefully negotiated between the players’ union and league officials. And that’s the catch.
A Quick Catch-Up
The league rolled out the first format in 1999 and has updated it multiple times over the years.
Officials finalized its most recent version in 2020.
The players officially decided to opt out of it last October due to the growing pains, and they have kicked off negotiations for a fresh deal.
The goal is to finalize a new deal by 2026. The whole revolution is led by WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike and Vice President Kelsey Plum.
Fun fact or player worries, the union opted out of the previous deal too, in 2018, after which the 2020 deal came into effect. (Again, opted out. Sigh!)
What motivated the WNBPA to Opt Out now?
“This is a defining moment, not just for the WNBA, but for all of us who believe in progress,” Ogwumike voiced it out loud. “The world has evolved since 2020, and we cannot afford to stand still. If we stay in the current agreement, we fall behind.” And she didn’t mince her words here, because if anything, Unrivaled Basketball has changed the concept of ‘women athlete compensation in sports.
And that’s where it pinches the most. The average salary in the WNBA was about $119,500 in 2024, with the high around $242,000. But Unrivaled? The league, which isn’t a couple of years old, managed over $35 million in funding, besides paying an average salary of approx. $220,000 and a salary pool exceeding $8 million! And as they claim, the league’s players earn more per game than in any other professional women’s league worldwide. It’s proof enough that a player-centric mindset would allow even the WNBA to pay its athletes fairly! But there’s more than just pay for the WNBPA.
Moreover, “Opting out isn’t just about bigger paychecks. It’s about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today’s players and the generations to come,” added Ogwumike on behalf of the Union’s demand for a better level playing field.
If you have been in the W loop for just a few years, you already know how wild the league’s growth has been. It has come far from the days when players used to work second jobs, change clothes in public bathrooms, and fly coach just hours before tip-off. And all the credit for that growth belongs to W’s players. The world is catching on to that momentum real quick.
Last July (2024), the WNBA announced a massive new 11-year media rights deal to Distribute More Than 125 WNBA Games Annually, beginning with the 2026 Season through the 2036 Season. Major partners like Disney, Amazon Prime Video, and NBCUniversal have valued it at approximately $2.2 billion, or $200 million per year. And they could even raise that number to nearly $3 billion.
This growth didn’t take place in a vacuum. It came on the heels of a highly anticipated rookie class, led by Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. She brought more eyes and energy to the league than ever before. To much of her credit, regular season viewership jumped 170%, attendance in arenas soared, and franchise values climbed. It is estimated that she can bring the league $1 billion worth of business in 2025 alone. And in return? Let’s not go that line.
It has been a year that has also been able to deliver big headlines like expansion news to newer franchises. The newest Valkyries team is owned by Joe Lacob, Peter Guber, and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. They paid a $50 million expansion fee. Kilmer Sports Ventures paid $115 million to buy the upcoming Toronto Tempo. And Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage paid $125 million to buy Portland’s future franchise.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) talks with an official during a timeout Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at a game between the Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The money pump has been huge; however, has it been directed towards the players, who, out of everyone, deserve it the most?
The Unfair Direction in WNBA
Minimal Revenue Sharing: The WNBA allocates only 9.3% of basketball-related income to its athletes as against the NBA’s 50%. And per the CBA, WNBA players have signed, it allows for revenue sharing only if the league meets certain revenue thresholds.
Low Average Salaries: The average women’s basketball salary hovers just above $100,000 per year, compared to the NBA’s $9.6 million. Irony? There’s plenty.
The 5 Key WNBPA Priorities Outlined
Here are the demands that the association has put forward, according to a post that appeared on Kareem Copeland’s X (formerly Twitter) account.
“New Economic Model: Transforming the current system, which imposes arbitrary and restrictive caps on the value and benefits players receive, by introducing an equity-based model that grows and evolves in step with the league’s business success.
Player Salaries: Establishing clear distinctions between salary and bonuses. Ensuring players receive wages that properly reflect their value and contributions to the league’s growing business.
Pregnancy and Family Planning Benefits: Fair and accessible family planning support for all players, including retirement benefits that provide long-term security for their families.
Minimum Professional Standards: Implementing consistent minimum standards that align with other leading professional sports leagues, maintaining professional and safe environments across the league, including practice and game facilities, as well as travel accommodations.
Retirement Benefits: Expanding retirement benefits to provide greater financial security and health benefits to the Players for their life after basketball.”
It’s a shame that even in today’s timeline, all of these demands are listed out and not coming out as a default clause. What looks like a list of basic human rights is actually what the W players are fighting to earn, even with a fellow woman, Cathy Engelbert, at the helm. It’s a stark contrast from the situation with the league’s male counterpart. And the newest fans are not happy about it.
Fans Back up the Stars vs Cathy Engelbert’s WNBA
Out of many alike, one thing that sets our readers apart is: you call it out as it is. So, here’s us shining a light on the best of what you brought to the She Got Game comment section. Because on our last poll, when we asked, “Is the WNBPA right to sound the alarm on CBA?”. The response was a huge 83.75% on the “YES” tab. And if there’s some still undecided, and believe in ‘Maybe’, that comes around to 93%! And not just the poll, even the comments reflected similar emotions.
When one wrote, “Fan base growing by leaps and bounds. Time to share the wealth with the players,” we felt that, knowing: the WNBA allocates only 9% of basketball-related income to its athletes. You even successfully brought up the issue that rests at the root agreement itself. It echoed the deeper crisis when a comment read, “These women are talented athletes playing at a high level. They should be respected in all agreements, and they should be paid according to their abilities.” Hopefully, we were able to shed enough light on the problematic CBA through our newsletters for you to reach this conclusion and be the voice the players need, now, more than ever.
Imagn
We were connecting great until one of you guys took it to a whole different level with a thoughtful one.“The players deserve to share the improved financial situation of the WNBA. They should be compensated better than they ever imagined.” It’s that simple: I bring you food, you feed my plate. , right? The viewers want it, the players are demanding it, the league has allocated the budget, so no one should be holding back from facilitating it already.
After all, as one of you put it, “it’s no longer a man’s world.” And the stats back it up. Did you know that Caitlin Clark’s Fever jersey is ranked just below Steph Curry? She has outranked LeBron, Luka, and even Michael Jordan in overall jersey sales from September to November 2024. And this is just one example out of the many that put women players on par with men. So, if now isn’t the time to reward and invest in the players who are driving that growth, then when is?
The post From SGG Inbox: WNBA Pay Gap Message Cathy Engelbert Can’t Ignore Ahead of CBA Negotiations appeared first on EssentiallySports.
