The WNBA’s breakout season has already seen historic increases in attendance and ratings. The rookie seasons of college stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have driven interest in the league that figure to carry over into future years as well.
Against this backdrop, one important question persists: when will players get their share of the pie, and how large will it be?
Read more: Caitlin Clark Opts Out of Biggest WNBA Event
The question of WNBA salaries was broached on a conference call with ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo, LaChina Robinson, and Ryan Ruocco Wednesday. Lobo, herself a former college and WNBA star, offered a hopeful prediction for the future of player compensation.
“They’re opening the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) right after this season, and then they’ll negotiate next season, I believe (is) how the timing works,” Lobo said. “I would anticipate these salaries will be much higher in the next CBA than they were in the last one, that’s for sure.”
The average WNBA salary reportedly increased to $147,745 in 2023.
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Lobo had an up-close look at the inner workings of the business side of the league during her playing career (1997-2003), amplifying her point of view. Since 2004, she has been a WNBA and women’s college basketball analyst and reporter for ESPN.
As it was upon its founding, the WNBA still sits downstream from the NBA revenue cycle. The WNBA has struggled to become profitable on its own, and the Washington Post reported earlier this year that the league was expected to lose money again in 2024.
Read more: WNBA Expected to Lose $50 Million Despite Popularity: Report
On Tuesday, the NBA’s Board of Governors approved the league’s next media rights deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video. The deal will take effect after the 2024-25 season. As part of the agreement, the WNBA is set to receive $2.2 billion over the next 11 years.
According to the Associated Press, the WNBA would receive $200 million a year under the deal. In theory, players won’t have to wait long to enjoy their slice of the pie — but how large will that slice be?
Terri Jackson, the executive director of the WNBA’s player union, told the AP she would “look forward to learning how the NBA arrived at a $200 million valuation” of the WNBA.
There’s more to the new media-rights deal than player salaries, however. ESPN analyst La China Robinson noted that “part of that media rights deal is like being able to turn on the television and find the WNBA easily. That’s what the fans want. That’s what the players want. So, I’m looking forward to learning what those nuances are as we move forward.”
As more fans tune in, it’s only fair if players’ salaries grow accordingly. For now the league is in wait-and-see mode, but at least things are looking up.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
