WNBA faces turning point as CBA negotiations sour

The GIST: It’s officially spooky season in the WNBA as CBA tensions rise ahead of the agreement’s Halloween deadline. With the league generating more revenue than ever — it banked an estimated $226M in 2024 and is expected to haul $500M in 2026 — and players want their rightful slice of the pie.

• But is the WNBA at a place where they can dole that out yet considering their business model? Economists argue yes, even with the league’s continued operating losses. So much up in the air.

The context: The current deadline to finalize a new CBA is October 31st, though both sides can agree to extend. Players have said negotiations stalled, with many criticizing league commissioner Cathy Engelbert. On Friday, Engelbert said she has no plans of stepping down, yet players such as Napheesa Collier are declining to meet with her.

The asks: Players want to secure improved access and benefits in regards to travel, healthcare, and safety, yet their biggest critique is that they are woefully underpaid, which could be remedied with an amended revenue sharing plan. The idea is that player salaries could grow with the league, and its biggest stars could financially benefit from the dollars they’re drawing in real time.

• Economist David Berri crunched the numbers: Because of the league’s fixed salary cap and the W’s revenue boom, the percentage of revenue paid to players fell from 11% in 2021 to under 7% in 2025, even though the average wage grew $10K. He also estimates stars like A’ja Wilson and Alyssa Thomas should have earned over $4M, far beyond their $249K supermax cap.

• Earlier this year, economist Claudia Goldin argued the same, estimating the W salary should be about 25%-33% of the average NBA salary to attain pay equity. That number is expected to be $14M for 2025-26, jumping in the past two years in correspondence with the NBA’s $75B media rights deal.

The rebuttal: Critics claim the league isn’t ready for revenue sharing — the W still operates at a loss, which totaled $50M in 2024 after major expenses like charter flights added to the balance sheet. But the league’s trajectory has it poised to bank more than ever: Berri estimates it will make at least $300M with 13 teams, not to mention ION and Versant deals outside its $2.2B media package.

The conundrum: The WNBA was the fastest-growing brand in 2024, and to maintain its status, it needs to offer an optimal product to entertain avid fans and win over new ones. While the league is doing that with better venues and media rights deals, it needs to balance that by paying players more — if nothing else, to avoid the continuing PR crisis that is “Napheesagate”.

• The WNBA is still in its startup era where eating losses is normal, yet investment seems to be going everywhere besides boosting salaries for the talent. The league must understand that it can no longer avoid biting the bullet on bigger player contracts — the potential backlash isn’t worth it. Offense is the best defense.