The WNBA’s breakout 2024 season brought record viewership and unprecedented attention to women’s basketball. But a year later, behind the scenes, a financial fight is brewing that threatens to overshadow everything happening on the court.
Despite the league’s explosive growth, player salaries remain frustratingly low, sparking anger that boiled over during All-Star Weekend. Both teams made their feelings crystal clear, wearing black shirts with a simple but powerful message, reading, “Pay Us What You Owe Us.”
The protest came just two days after 40 players met with WNBA leadership to discuss the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier has revealed exactly what’s standing in their way.
Why Does the NBA’s Ownership Complicate WNBA Contract Talks?
In a revealing appearance on the “A Touch More” podcast with former WNBA star Sue Bird and her wife, USWNT alumnae Megan Rapinoe, Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier didn’t hold back about the real obstacle facing players. The NBA’s massive ownership stake in the WNBA has created what she calls an impossible situation.
According to Collier, this ownership structure has essentially “handcuffed” players during negotiations, making fair financial terms nearly impossible to achieve.
The numbers back up Collier’s frustration. Sportico reports that the NBA controls 42% of the WNBA, while private franchise owners hold another 42%. An investment group that pumped $75 million into the league in 2022 owns the remaining 16%.
This ownership structure creates a fundamental problem. As long as the NBA maintains such a significant stake, the WNBA struggles to achieve true financial independence, leaving players fighting for scraps of what’s left after the NBA takes its cut.
How Big Is the Salary Gap Between WNBA and NBA Players?
The financial disparity between the leagues is staggering. WNBA players currently receive just 20-25% of basketball-related revenue, less than half what their NBA counterparts earn. While WNBA salaries range from approximately $66,000 to $250,000 annually, NBA players average $10 million per year.
That’s not just a gap. It’s a financial canyon that seems impossible to bridge under the current system. This year’s CBA negotiations were supposed to change everything. ESPN reported that players prioritized salary increases, expanded revenue sharing, and larger team rosters as key demands.
However, the first major meeting left players feeling frustrated and unheard. New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart didn’t mince words about how the session went.
Breanna Stewart said there was “a lot of fluff” at the first in-person CBA meeting Thursday.
“I think yesterday’s meeting was good for the fact that we could be in the same room as the league and the board of governors. But, I think, to be frank, it was a wasted opportunity.” https://t.co/WP9CcEKx0Z pic.twitter.com/ryp36YVM0A
— Colin Salao (@colincsalao) July 18, 2025
“I think yesterday’s meeting was good for the fact that we could be in the same room as the league and the board of governors and that type of thing. But I think, to be frank, it was a wasted opportunity.”
“We could have really gotten into a deeper dive of everything, but we there was a lot of fluff that we couldn’t get past, and it sucks because situations like that aren’t gonna happen again because players are playing for different teams and different leagues and this is the only time to have a group together like this,” said Stewart during an interview.
The path forward remains unclear. As stars like Collier and Stewart speak out, public awareness of the financial imbalance grows. The question is whether mounting pressure will force real change, or if the current ownership structure will continue limiting what’s possible for WNBA players.
With the league’s popularity at an all-time high, the contrast between on-court success and off-court compensation has never been more glaring. The players have made their message clear. Now it’s up to the league to respond.
