WNBA All-Star weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, was the biggest mid-season celebration in the league’s 29-year history. But no one is talking about what happened on the court Saturday, July 19.
What was the player’s message?
Negotiations between the WNBA players association and the league over a new collective bargaining agreement have overshadowed the league’s showcase weekend. On Saturday night, the players’ union used their national platform to blast out their message, loud and clear.
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During warmups before the game, both teams wore T-shirts with the words “Pay Us What You Owe Us” printed on them. The players called it “a powerful message of unity” and it had the backing of the majority of the crowd. Chants of “pay them” echoed through the sold-out arena as the game’s MVP, Napheesa Collier, received her trophy.
“The awareness we’ve raised this weekend, you guys asking these questions, the fans doing that chant gave me chills,” Collier said. “The fact that we’ve kept this so present and in the conversation never left my mind because of that.”
Why make that message public now?
Collier said the “court of public opinion matters,” and as if to prove her point, the T-shirts have launched a debate, at least online. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy weighed in Monday morning, July 21.
“World war three has broken out, people taking sides, saying they deserve money, they don’t deserve money,” Portnoy said. “I don’t know how anybody in the world with a brain, and maybe my brain is just bigger than most, can rationally say women don’t deserve more money at this point.”
Legendary ESPN basketball analyst Dick Vitale is in agreement, according to a post on X.
“Since the arrival of @CaitlinClark22 the @WNBA’s growth has been fantastic (Ticket sales – TV ratings) – the players are so UNDERPAID ! They DESERVE a big increase!” he said.
What’s the issue between the players and the WNBA?
The money players make under the current collective bargaining agreement is at issue. The Women’s National Basketball Players Association opted out of the agreement in October of 2024. The league and the union have until the end of this October to come to a new deal.
The top-paid player in the WNBA is Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces, whose contract has an annual value of over $252,000, according to Spotrac. She is one of 24 players out of 159 in the league who make over $200,000. Caitlin Clark, the league’s biggest star, is ranked 71st on the list, making just over $84,000. Clark is on a four-year rookie contract with a salary mandated by the current collective bargaining agreement. The league minimum is just over $50,000.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is confident the two sides will come to an agreement before the deadline and promoted the league’s growth during Saturday’s press conference.
“National viewership is up 23% year-over-year. Attendance is up 26%, the highest in decades,” Engelbert said. “We’re seeing sold-out arenas becoming routine. I was at both Tuesday night’s game in Boston and Wednesday night’s game in New York. And I mean, these were playoff atmosphere games. Merchandise sales have shattered previous records, up 40%.”
What do the league’s finances show?
Detractors point out that in its 29 years of existence, the WNBA has not turned a profit. “Imagine being an employee at a company that has NEVER turned a profit and showing up to work in these shirts,” read one post on X with images of the players in their T-shirts.
WNBA finances are tied to a joint venture with the NBA, which owns about 60% of the women’s league and pays for many operating expenses. A $2.2 billion media rights deal starting next season will significantly increase both leagues’ revenues. However, since the WNBA’s finances aren’t made public, it’s hard to know exactly how healthy the league is. Two sources told The Washington Post that the WNBA would lose $50 million in 2024.
What is known is that the league enjoyed record attendance and viewership in 2024, and team valuations have skyrocketed. Forbes ranks the New York Liberty No. 1, worth $400 million. Wu and Joe Tsai bought the team in 2019 for a reported fee of between $10 million and $14 million.
The 13-team league is adding franchises in Portland and Toronto in 2026 and plans to grow to 18 teams by 2030. Those new franchises will pay an expansion fee of $250 million. That expansion and the new media rights deal are the two biggest reasons the union opted out of the current agreement.
What’s next for negotiations?
“There is no league without the players. Past, present, the ones coming up,” Collier said. “They’re the ones that have put in the blood, sweat and tears for the new money that is coming in. We feel like we are owed a piece of that pie that we helped create.”
After a Thursday negotiating session with the league, many feel there is still time to get a deal done as the season hits the second half.
