WNBA’s Post-Olympic Objectives Include Playoff Spots and Bigger Paychecks

After a two-week break for the Olympics, the WNBA returns to action this week with teams looking to earn a postseason berths and players out to prove they deserve upgrades in pay for the unprecedented growth of the league.The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement with its players signed in 2020 expires in 2027. However, either side can provide written notice on or before November 1, 2024, to terminate the agreement effective October 25, 2025. Players will likely vote to opt out of the CBA, attempting to reap more financial benefits from the exploding revenue due to increased attendance, merchandise sales, social media engagement, and a new, $2.2 billion television contract.Rookies Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky are credited with bringing new fans and media attention to the league following stellar collegiate careers. Attendance at Fever games is up 265 percent versus last year, according to figures released by the team. Merchandise sales have increased by 1,193 percent and fan engagement on social media has attracted 800,000 million views, more than any NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB team.The league recognized the team’s popularity on Thursday by announcing the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will be held at Indianapolis.“The city of Indianapolis and the entire state of Indiana have such an incredible and enduring passion for the game of basketball, making the region the perfect host to celebrate the WNBA and the game’s greatest stars,” the WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, said in a release.Meanwhile, the Fever’s remaining 14 games, starting Friday against the Phoenix Mercury, will be on national television.It’s just not Ms. Clark: The WNBA set a record for fan attendance for May, with 400,000, while televised games in June averaged 1.32 million viewers, triple last year’s figures.All of it factored in the WNBA negotiating a new media rights package worth about $2.2 billion over the next 11 years. But when will the players begin receiving more of the spoils? That likely won’t happen until a new CBA is negotiated.The WNBA is already making millions upon millions of dollars more than last year, yet Ms. Clark, the first overall selection in the most recent WNBA draft, is making $76,535 this year, while Ms. Reese, the seventh pick, is earning $73,439. The highest-paid player in the WNBA is Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces. at $252,450, while the average salary is about $115,000.Players can make additional income through incentives, marketing agreements, and sponsorships. But those amounts vary.Since the league’s inception in 1997, WNBA players have supplemented their incomes by playing professional basketball overseas. That’s why Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia, after a vape was discovered in her luggage. She spent 293 days months in a Russian jail before being released.Last May, Brenna Stewart of the New York Liberty and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx announced the formation of a new 3-on-3 league, called Unrivaled, set to begin play in January at Miami. The league will run eight weeks and feature six teams of five players in a “compressed” full court. It promises “the highest average salary” in women’s pro sports.Investors backing the new league include the UConn women’s basketball coach, Geno Auriemma, two former NBA stars, Carmelo Anthony and Steve Nash, an LPGA champion, Michelle Wie West, actor Ashton Kutcher, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, and media executives John Skipper and David Levy. Confirmed players include Ms. Stewart, Ms. Collier, Ms. Young, Ms. Reese, and Olympians Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray. “For years, women have relied heavily on off-court sponsorships for a majority of their income,” Ms. Stewart said in a press release. “With Unrivaled, we’re revolutionizing the game by prioritizing investments in our stars and ensuring their on-court performance is reflected in their pay.”Ms. Clark has remained noncommittal about joining Unrivaled, saying she is focused on the remainder of the Fever’s season. “One thing at a time,” she said.The priority for the WNBA is to prove its popularity is sustainable through the remainder of the season and beyond. The American women’s basketball team winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics should create momentum. It also helps that Ms. Clark and the Fever are in contention for a playoff berth.If ticket sales, television ratings, merchandise sales, and social media engagement remain strong, the players have an impressive case for a bigger slice of the financial pie.

WNBA’s Post-Olympic Objectives Include Playoff Spots and Bigger Paychecks

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