Salary Increase for WNBA Players: An In-Depth Analysis
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that WNBA players will receive a “significant raise” in the new collective bargaining agreement. Silver emphasized the importance of evaluating this growth in terms of absolute figures, rather than focusing on the percentage of revenue.The current collective bargaining agreement expires on October 31st, which has intensified negotiations between the WNBPA and the league. The players chose not to renew the current agreement a year ago and have been negotiating a new one since then.I think the percentage isn’t the right way to look at it because there’s a lot more revenue in the NBA. We should consider the absolute figures of what they’re earning. They’re going to get a big raise in this collective bargaining cycle, and they deserve it.
Adam Silver
The WNBPA shared a video on Instagram of Silver’s comments, with the phrase “Don’t want to share?”
One of the main points of disagreement in the negotiations lies in the methodology for determining the salaries of the players, at a time of notable growth for the league. The players are seeking a system similar to the NBA’s, where a percentage of revenue is allocated to salaries, influenced by basketball-related income (BRI). In contrast, the league’s proposals have presented a salary cap with a fixed annual increase, such as the current 3%. Satou Sabally of the Phoenix Mercury expressed during the WNBA Finals that a recent proposal from the league gave the players the feeling of not being part of the league’s growth.The league’s salary cap in 2025 was $1,507,100, with a maximum of $249,244 and a minimum of $66,079. The WNBA has experienced record growth in the last two years, with a significant increase in attendance, viewership, merchandise sales, investment, and franchise valuations, in addition to a new media deal worth $2.2 billion on the way. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert emphasized the importance of “balancing” the players’ salary increase with the “long-term viability of the league”.If we were to continue with this agreement, we would decrease, in percentage terms, our compensation.
Satou Sabally
If an agreement is not reached before Halloween, the parties could agree to an extension to continue negotiations, as was done with the previous agreement, signed in January 2020. A new agreement must be finalized before the expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire teams, as well as before the free agency period, where many veteran players will be unrestricted free agents.We are trying to determine the right balance. We all agree that we are trying to return every possible dollar to the players, but we also want to incentivize the owners’ investment. We want the owners to have a viable business. Obviously, we are considering expansion to 18 teams by the end of the decade. It is important that new owners have the opportunity for a viable economic model for the future.
Cathy Engelbert
