Just 51 days before the league’s 30th season is set to begin, the WNBA has made a serious money move.
On Wednesday, March 18, the WNBA and the league’s union the Women’s National Basketball Players Association announced that after much deliberation into the wee hours, the two organizations reached a verbal agreement on terms for a new collective bargaining agreement that, for the first time in league history, ties player salaries to revenue growth and could eventually produce $1 million salaries, The New York Times reported.
“The progress made in these discussions marks a transformative step forward for players and the league,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told reporters, per ESPN. “It’s underscoring a shared commitment to the continued growth of the game.”
Engelbert added, “It’s been a process, but we’re very proud to be leading in women’s sports, and these players are amazing, and we’re going to have an amazing 30th season tipping off in May.”
Founded in 1996, with its inaugural season launching in 1997, the agreement reflects the league’s continued growth in recent years, as attendance, television ratings, sponsorship investment, and cultural visibility have skyrocketed to historic levels. The deal also marks the first time in WNBA history that the salary system is directly tied to revenue growth, with players expected to benefit as the league’s business expands.
The agreement also comes at a time when conversations about the pay disparity between female athletes and their male counterparts have intensified, despite the WNBA’s rising popularity. Prior to this deal, the average WNBA salary was estimated to be just over $100,000, with top salaries capped at about $249,000, forcing many players to supplement their income by playing overseas during the offseason, sometimes in regions with safety and political risks.
“I think this can be summed up in two words: player empowerment … players coming to the table and standing on business and being reminded of the collective voice and of what it means to be in a union and the power of this union,” WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson told the press. “They never forgot it, and they have taken it, like they always do, to the next level.”
Bargaining, which took place at The Langham hotel in Manhattan, involved Engelbert, Jackson, and four members of the WNBPA: president Nneka Ogwumike, vice presidents Breanna Stewart and Alysha Clark, and treasurer Brianna Turner, AP News reported.
“We’re just really grateful to be able to come to a deal,” Ogwumike said. “We’re proud of ourselves. And quite frankly, we always told you all we were going to stand on business, and that’s what this looks like.”
