The WNBA’s financial issues- It’s Not a Talent Issue-It’s a Money Issue

Nepheesa Collier, who plays for the Minnesota Lynx, recently spoke out in an exit interview where she criticised the way the WNBA is run- particularly calling out Cathy Engelbert who is a commissioner of the W. Collier alleged that Englebert suggested that players such as Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers should be grateful for the league’s platform and the influence that it gives them- an accusation that Engelbert has since denied. Other players have publicly supported Collier’s speech, highlighting the much-needed improvement that the commissioners need to make to improve player support and capitalise on the awareness and support of the WNBA. 

But why does this matter? Well, it’s obvious in the paychecks. The NBA is a corporation that has been playing since 1946, while the WNBA only began in 1996- exactly fifty years later, emphasising the lack of gendered inclusion in sports that society has only just begun to strive for. Even today, the average NBA player earns $10 million annually, while their female counterparts earn $120,000. The NBA players receive about 50% of league revenue, whereas WNBA players currently receive only 9.3%. Female basketball athletes are working just as hard for less than 1/20th of the men’s average salary. This is largely due to the amount of brand deals and advertisements around male sports, creating a discrepancy between the NBA and the W that is extremely difficult to overlook. 

However, in recent years, the WNBA has become more popular thanks to players like Caitlyn Clark and Angel Reese; women basketball players have begun to be included in brand deals, advertisements and are being noticed in the public eye for the first time. Not only is this a huge step in recognition for women’s sports, which is long overdue, but it also allows the current WNBA players to play their sport without having to constantly wonder whether their career path would be different if they were male. Collier’s callout to Englebert sends a clear message: by not treating the players fairly, Englebert is complicit in helping to stifle the WNBA and its newfound recognition.

When the WNBA has only just started to succeed, the very commissioners who work for the W are threatening its prosperity. It’s now up to the players- and the viewers- to continue to call out that foul play in the workplace, in order to create a fairer workplace, rather than being overshadowed by male players who are getting paid more and playing the same game. 

https://www.statista.com/topics/13488/gender-pay-gap-in-the-wnba-and-nba/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20average%20annual%20salaries,standing%20at%20120%2C000%20U.S.%20dollars.