The WNBA has seen exponential growth in almost every business metric, from viewership and attendance to sponsorship and capital influx. The increased revenue is a direct result of the new attention uptick, and although WNBA team owners, NBA team owners and an investment group cash out the higher dollar amounts, players get the lowest share of a product that they are directly responsible for elevating the value.
As of today, it is estimated that only 9.3% of total league revenue is allocated to player salaries, according to a report by Bloomberg News. But even still, it is hard for players to keep track what percentage is getting to their pockets exactly, since financial statements are not shared with the WNBPA. That also stays in the way of properly asking for more.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 20: A detail of the WNBA logo is seen on the basketball during opening … More
“I feel like we’re going based off educated estimations. We still have a lack of transparency that [doesn’t] allows us to really know,” WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike told Forbes ahead of a sold out game between the Seattle Storm and the Indiana Fever on June 24. “There is nothing that we know when it comes to how much money the league is making.”
The estimated 10% revenue share is a stark contrast to the guaranteed 50% NBA players are entitled to per their latest CBA. For the women’s league, the only way they can get an equal share of earnings is if the league’s cumulative revenue exceeds its target, determined by compounding values from previous seasons.
When asked by Forbes if that 50% revenue share had ever been achieved by players, Ogwumike replied: “No. Not to my knowledge.”
“It’s Time. It’s Simple. It’s Fair”
The champagne wasn’t even dry from the New York Liberty’s championship celebration when the WNBPA announced on Oct. 21, 2024 that its board of governors had voted in favor of opting out of the current agreement, which was valid until 2027. Amongst the negotiation priorities for the next cycle, the association highlighted the need for an equity-based system and a softer salary cap.
Now, as the negotiations evolve and a meeting is expected to take place during the WNBA All-Star weekend mid-July, both the association and players are getting louder about their demands.
On June 22, the WNBPA released the first of three Instagram posts advocating for larger revenue share.
“As the league grows, it’s time for a CBA that reflects our true value. We are fighting for a fair share of the revenue we generate,” the social media statement read, followed by two others titled “It’s fair” and “It’s simple”.
That same day, in a coordinated effort to spread the message, players used their pre-and-postgame media availabilities to read prepared statements about their intentions in negotiating a new bargaining agreement.
“On behalf of my teammates and every member of our union, I want to be clear that we remain committed to negotiating the next CBA with the league and the teams in good faith and privately,” Sydney Colson told Callie Fin of the Las Vegas Review-Journal upon her return to Vegas for the first time since signing with the Fever in free agency. “I am excited to be back here, but unfortunately there are more pressing things going on with our league.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 16: A general view during the Golden State Valkyries game against … More
A little further north, in San Francisco, after the Golden State Valkyries took on a home win against the Connecticut Sun, Kayla Thorton and Tiffany Hayes used their platform to relay the same message.
“We do want to set the record straight, not for the headlines, but for the fans who support us and deserve transparency and a chance to see what is at stake,” Thorton read ahead of taking questions.
“This is a defining moment for the WNBA. As the league grows it’s time for a CBA that reflects our true value,” Hayes continued. “We’re fighting for a fair share of the business that we built, because this is a business. We are not fighting for anything that is unreasonable.”
Sophie Cunningham, who was once a player representative in the WNBPA, read the statement for the Indiana Fever.
“When it comes to salary and revenue share, we’re fighting to share in the growth that we created. Every other category across the business has grown. That’s media rights, ticket sales, and team value. The only thing that is still capped is our player salary, which is insane,” she read.
WNBPA secretary and Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams was also one of the players to speak up that day.
Madam President With the Word
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 23: Nneka Ogwumike #3 of the Seattle Storm reacts during the third … More
Nneka Ogwumike is used to being asked about the issues faced by WNBA players. She has been a spokesperson since 2016, year when she was first elected president of the WNBPA. The coordinated effort, she acknowledges, helps increase the reach of the message.
“It is important for people to know that our salaries are the only thing that is capped when it comes to us negotiating the CBA,” she said during a postgame press conference the same day the statement was read by other players.
She didn’t read from a statement, but she had her own message at the tip of the tongue:
“And we’re prepared, you know. We’re prepared, and we want to be able to come out here and represent ourselves and our value the same way we do on the court. In our contracts, in our facilities, and the standards of the resources that are available to us. And it’s its important for people to understand that we get what’s going on, but we also value who we are.”
Ogwumike will be one of most influential players at the negotiating table. The WNBA has experienced a continuous growth, and she has been part of it since being drafted in 2012. Now, she’s experiencing a new era, in which the effort is more collaborative than ever. And so is the chance for a more fair agreement.
“I’m appreciative to our player body, our player reps and the women that are speaking out about this. And our board of advisors and PA staff and what they’re doing for us to be able to get to a successful collaborative negotiation, really,” she concluded.
