The All-Star Game had clouds hovering over it. When the center of attention should have been the top quality basketball and the celebration of the success of the WNBA, the conversations were on the CBA negotiations were at their height this weekend. The players wholeheartedly rejected the league’s initial proposal, and WNBPA Vice President Breanna Stewart called it a “wasted opportunity”.
Their calls were amplified when they wore the “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts in the warm-ups at the All-Star Game. They were a message to the rest of the world that the players are serious regarding their demands and are going to force the hand of the WNBA to give the players what they deserve. That message spread far and wide, carrying conversations. Sports Analyst Pat McAfee had a special request for WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert regarding the upcoming CBA negotiations.
He said on The Pat McAfee Show, “We sent an invite to Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner of the WNBA, to come on. On this particular day, obviously, the schedule is crazy. Look for us to chit-chat with her here in a while.”
Engelbert is in the center of the CBA negotiations, which are going on. The deadline for the current CBA is mid-October, and the way the talks have gone so far, that timeline is looking unrealistic at best. Both sides seem to be at two ends of the spectrum, but Engelbert believes that they will figure out a CBA that is ‘transformational’.
McAfee further called out Caitlin Clark’s current paycheck, saying, “I am trying to figure it all out, because whenever we found out what the WNBA pays their players, through Caitlin Clark, she. She’s making, like, 70 grand or something. They’re charging 70,000 bucks for a suite at some of these games that Caitlin Clark is playing.”
Clark is still in her rookie contract with the Indiana Fever, which pays her $338,000 over four years. This 2025 WNBA season, Clark is only making $78,000. While Clark has gained millions in endorsement deals with Gatorade, State Farm, Nike, and others, which are valued at $11 million per Sportico. But since she is worth more than a billion to the WNBA according to the latest projections, it’s natural to see this paycheck as very much undervalued. The analyst further did some quick maths on the argument that if the WNBA is making a profit or not, why do the players deserve to be paid more?
He said, “But with how long the WNBA has been around, to say the $40 million loss is the reason why you can’t give them money that should be pretty easy to make happen is just why. Because if you. If you just add 30 grand to each one of them, get that up over 100,000 bucks, it’s another like 4.6 million. So you’re for 44.6 million in this way. There has to be 4 million you could find somewhere in here that you can give up to give the players at least a little bit more money.”
According to reports in 2024, the WNBA lost US$40 million last year, which was an improvement on the $50 million, but it was a loss no less. While his maths is correct, increasing the average salary to six figures needs just $4.32 million, which is just more than 10%. Things are far from simple. The league isn’t in control of its finances, as it is partly owned by the NBA, which has held the league afloat for years. But with the league’s growth in the recent year or so, it’s proving to be more of a burden than a help.
The NBA receives about 40% of WNBA revenue. Outside investors, the WNBA raised $75 million from Nike, NBA owners, the NBA itself, and others in 2022, getting roughly 20%, leaving the teams and players of the WNBA with about 40% of its own revenue. The recently reported revenues of around $200 million will see a lot of change in the coming years, as they have a new $2.2 billion media deal coming and expansion fees of $250 million from the new franchises. As a result of this complicated structure, WNBA players reportedly only receive 9.3% of league revenue at the moment, a far cry from the 49–51% that their NBA counterparts receive. So the players are mainly advocating for a fair share of the pie rather than just free money.
Adding to that, these revenue figures are set to spike. And for this reason, McAfee further declared that the negotiation will be difficult, saying, “Because I don’t think the $70,000 thing is right, but I think that negotiation is going to be tough. I think it’s going to be a very tough negotiation.”
The WNBA had a GREAT time in Indianapolis this weekend..
We have reached out to the WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to join us on this progrum..
The Stud Budz are AWESOME #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/byV4WoHnFy
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 21, 2025
And even if they don’t turn a profit, that is not the players’ responsibility. The players are performing at a high level and attracting fans and attention to the league, fulfilling their role. Fans are filling up stadiums, and they are tuning in to watch the WNBA, now more than ever. The management’s responsibility is to control the operational costs and turn a profit. Their pre-match shirt brought in more attention than their talks and statements ever could.
Can WNBA Celebrate While Caitlin Clark’s Pay Brings Tension?
If you want proof of the WNBA’s explosive momentum, look no further than Indianapolis this All-Star weekend. Just two years back, Wilson topped fan voting with 96,000 supporters, and Vegas filled only three-quarters of its 12,000-seat arena. Fast-forward to now, Caitlin Clark broke records with nearly 1.3 million All-Star votes, and fans filled all 18,000 seats at Gainbridge Fieldhouse months in advance. The sold-out stands and surging fan ballots aren’t just numbers. They’re the roaring soundtrack to a league rewriting its history.
The attendance, ratings are more than we have ever seen. Along with that, merchandise is selling off the shelves, and millions of people are engaging on social media. And there is a reason for this growth. The public has embraced the WNBA. And the CBA talks overshadowed the celebration of the growth that the league has seen. Along with the on-court narratives of the All-Star Game.
Angel Reese had her second consecutive all-star game showing that she is here to stay. The Washington Mystics had three players at the All-Star Game, two of whom were rookies, being the first rookie duo since the first All-Star Game to participate. Napheesa Collier put up a historic statline of 36 points to help her team beat Team Clark 151-131 in the WNBA All-Star Game. Sabrina Ionescu won her second consecutive 3-point contest and awarded half of her prize money to rookie Sonia Citron. Natasha Cloud won the skills contest, and the New York Liberty swept the awards. Paige Bueckers made her all-star start as a rookie, rounding out the biggest rookie contingent at the game since 2011. The game was so much more than just a weekend to talk money.
Jul 19, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Team Collier guard Paige Bueckers (5) and Team Collier forward Angel Reese (5) celebrate after defeating Team Clark in the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
And the progress is yet to be completed as Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the coming of expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia in 2028, 2029, and 2030. Two other new franchises, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, were already set to join the league next season. In all, the WNBA will eventually comprise 18 teams, the largest the league has ever been. Hopefully, we have the CBA talks wrapped up as soon as possible so the players and the league can work together for a better future.
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