WNBA players say they didn’t pay. Are they right? | WNBA

nApheesa Collier was in record form Saturday night as she WNBA All-Star Game, scored 36 points. But a lot of attention focused on what happened before the game, when players warmed up with their shirts that read “pay us what you owe us.”

The move comes after players and the league fail to reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. Do they have opinions? As we all know, evaluating athletic employee salary is tricky because sports accounting always contains a certain amount of voodoo.

This is especially true in the WNBA, because for better or worse, his fate (literally and figuratively) is tied to the NBA. This relationship has been developing over the years, with many current WNBA teams not having direct connections with NBA teams, although some teams are still under NBA ownership. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver A large number of 11-year contracts.

Silver is one Face pressure Among the obvious losses in the WNBA, those in the NBA who believe in the likes of Collier and Caitlin Clark should be happy with their current salary, often using it as a situation where a rate hike is required. Silver said in 2018 that the WNBA’s losses were About $10MA Years. Last fall, the WNBA was reported due to Loss of US$40 million in 2024. Adjusting for inflation in 2018, the WNBA is said to have lost three times that of a few years ago.

Given that other public statistics show that the financial situation of the alliance has never improved, this is a strange number.

First, while WNBA attendance dropped from an overall average of more than 10,000 in the late 1990s to 7,000 seconds after the pandemic, most losses were eliminated in 2024 alone, bringing the league to an average of nearly 10,000, which is the league average. Flirting with new records In 2025. Second, the Alliance’s broadcast rights alone ranged from zero in 2002 to about 60mA year of the current transaction, a figure that Prepare to reach US$200 million As part of the NBA total. Third, total Alliance revenue jumped It is reported that from $102 million in 2019 to $180 million to $200 million in 2023.

Some expenses have increased, most notably A commitment of $25 million per year As in the past, take a rental plane instead of flying on regular flights. The WNBA salary cap also rose from $622,000 in 2003 (inflation adjusted to 2025: $1.1 million) to $1.5 million in 2025. The league is now fewer than the teams in 2003 (13 instead of 14) (although it exceeds the total cost of expanding the team on them, so the maximum ticket price is $15.5.5.5.5.5.4.44.44m. However, these fees do not completely offset the amount of reported revenue increases or the increase in broadcast rights. A good bet is that Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, owners of the WNBA’s well-supported Golden State Warriors, take greater risks. The entire Valkyrie Roster Only $1 million.

Most importantly, we don’t know what is included in the bottom line. Reinvest in the alliance? facility? A post-match meal that meets five-star restaurants? (It is certainly not the latter.)

All we know is that this won’t go to the players. Generally, the less the league scores, the lower the revenue share its players earn – 50% of $1 billion in revenue is less than tedious chores, while over 25% of $100 million. But WNBA players are Less than 10%This is a pretty small figure for any professional organization.

On the land of Vodou Accountant, the sports team has always been good at begging for the Yinfang when the situation requires it. It’s not just the WNBA. Eight years ago, ESPN No numbers found It shows that nearly half of NBA teams are not generating profits on their own.

Perhaps the best indicator for the WNBA team In fact The price paid when selling the team is made or prepared to do it. New York Liberty was sold in 2019 for $10 million to $14 million. Six years later, the team’s shares will be sold Free value calculation About $450 million.

There is no doubt that WNBA players noticed the numbers and asked why their salary is still small enough that many of them are forced to play rest time elsewhere. Player’s “Pay us what you owe us” T-shirt At the All-Star Game, there was no sudden printing. None of these players advised that they were paid the same salary as their NBA counterparts, and the league made more than $10 billion a year. But considering that the WNBA rookie minimum is only $66,000 and the NBA’s minimum income is $1.27 million, they certainly deserve more.

And it’s not just about the per capita salary. This is the number of players who are paid.

The typical NBA roster now has 15 full-time players and 3 “two-way” players who are called out from the second-tier G League. WNBA teams are limited to 12 players, and some teams can only carry 11. Phoenix has only eight players in the recent Golden State Philip game.

As a result, job security is minimal, and those low-paying salaries can sting a little when players receive few bad games.

When WNBA players work hard to raise their salaries, they may face some opposition. Some NBA owners seem less enthusiastic about the whole adventure, even if the most pessimistic reports of WNBA losses are not even just Curry or Jason Tatum’s salary. Some corners of social media react to the WNBA All-Star T-shirt with the expected chaos and hoarse reaction. However, the prosperity of the women’s sports after the post-rejuvenation shows no sign of abating, and we know they seem to be in the players’ side. Public opinion may follow.