WNBA’s latest CBA deal means more for college basketball

A month ago it looked like women’s basketball was hanging by a thread. Players couldn’t agree on anything with the WNBA. Many threatened to hold out and leave the league in limbo, it was looking very bleak for the sister association. But, after numerous pushbacks the WNBA and Players Association came to a verbal agreement that both are happy with. 

Players will now get a revenue share of nearly 20%. Which means the salary cap will now be up from $1.3 million to $7 million dollars. The average salary would be around $600,000 and star players like A’ja Wilson can earn a supermax deal of at least $1.49 million. A deal of this magnitude means things are looking up for women’s sports across the globe, especially college basketball. 

Let’s not forget, college basketball set the stage for what we have here today. UConn with their undefeated streak and South Carolina’s electrifying units led by A’ja Wilson and head coach Dawn Staley, set the stage, while Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark put on the show.

The battles between Reese and Clark was must-see tv on the college circuit. In 2024 their Elite Eight matchup brought about 12.3 million viewers. The culmination led to a huge following once they made it to the WNBA. Don’t forget Sabrina Ionescu and Paige Bueckers left their mark as well.

Now enter USC sophomore, JuJu Watkins. Here’s yet another transformative player that has garnered the eyes of the viewers and has kept ratings high. With the new bargaining agreement it allows for larger rosters and better chances of remaining with the team.

In 2024, only 42% of drafted rookies were able to make the roster. The more opportunities for the pros means better play from college players. They can now aspire to join the league and create a real living for themselves as opposed to forcefully going overseas to make ends meet. It not only helps monetarily but for business purposes as well. 

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The NIL deals have created another avenue that helps to boost interest as all these things economically grow for the NCAA. If the NCAA can allocate more money to the tournaments, the more polarizing the event.. Since the tournament switched to two cities for the Regional and Final rounds, attendance has gone up. Yet another example of how much the sport has grown. All these things were the roots of what is now the new WNBA agreement. 

With this new deal college players will be handed the keys to their new future which may come with better living expenses, easier travels, and more security than ever before.

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