It is no secret that gender salary gaps are a very prevalent issue in professional sports today. One of the hottest debates on the topic surrounds the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), whose players are extremely underpaid in comparison to their National Basketball Association (NBA) counterparts. The gender salary gap in professional basketball is one of the largest in all of sports, with the average WNBA salary sitting at just $150,000 per season, and the average NBA salary sitting at a whopping $10 million.
But is the league justified in paying its female players so much less? The debate over WNBA salaries is more complex than it may seem, involving league revenue, viewership and ongoing efforts to negotiate a fair labor agreement.
One of the primary reasons for the large difference between the salaries of the WNBA and the NBA is the amount of revenue each league brings in. The WNBA has historically struggled to generate enough revenue to put themselves in a position to have this conversation, whereas the NBA has always achieved significant financial success.
However, the WNBA has experienced a large growth in revenue over the past few years, nearly doubling since 2019 from $102 million to $200 million.
TV ratings and game attendance have also reached unprecedented levels. This past season, ticket sales surged by 93% compared to 2023, and the 2024 season was the most-viewed regular season ever across ESPN with an average of 1.19 million viewers. To add even more to the already historic season, the league reached a new highest total attendance, shooting up by 48% from the last season.
Caitlin Clark and other young popular players such as Angel Reece can be credited for the large increase in popularity of the league. Clark’s team, the Indiana Fever, set a new single-season home attendance record of 340,715, which broke the previous 2001 record of 250,565 set by New York.
Record-breaking revenue, attendance, viewership and merchandise sales will likely continue. The numbers are undeniable: The WNBA is no longer a niche league, but rather a rapidly growing business.
WNBA players receive a tiny fraction of the league’s total revenue. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, or CBA, the players split just about 10% of total league revenue. In stark contrast, NBA players receive approximately 50% of league revenue, which raises serious concerns about equity.
Recognizing these disparities, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, the players’ union for the WNBA, opted out of the current CBA in October 2024, paving the way for negotiations on a new labor pact that could potentially take effect early in 2026. The players are not just fighting for higher salaries, but for a larger share of league revenue, improved retirement and maternity benefits and better travel accommodations — many of which are standards that male players have long enjoyed.
The hope among WNBA athletes is that the new influx of revenue and popularity will allow them to pursue long-term careers that are financially sustainable, just as NBA athletes enjoy.
Critics may argue that the NBA’s massive international following justifies the salary gap, but the NBA was once in a similar position to the WNBA. In its early decades, the NBA struggled with low attendance and television ratings. Through years of investing in marketing, player salaries and media deals, the league grew into the billion-dollar business it is today.
What would happen if the WNBA was given the same opportunity?
It is plausible to believe that the WNBA’s popularity will continue to rise with players like Caitlin Clark continuing to build loyal fanbases. Yet, Clark’s rookie contract only planned to pay her $76,535, which is very small compared to the millions earned by first-year NBA players. As the league continues to expand and attract greater investment, the question remains: Will this momentum translate into higher salaries for its female players?
The debate over WNBA salaries is no longer about whether the league can afford to pay its players larger salaries. It is about whether it is willing to. With revenue and fan engagement at an all-time high, the WNBA has a historic opportunity to set a new standard for gender equity in professional basketball.
