The WNBA finals came to a close this October, and to say it was a success is an understatement. With the New York Liberty beating the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime, the finals ended with a hard-fought win. However, the win wasn’t just for Liberty, but in the rising popularity of the WNBA as a whole. As more eyes are being pulled towards the league following the achievement of this last season and its new players, the success of the sport itself is only increasing. The finals themselves are responsible for a lot of the success, as this year’s finals were named by ESPN as the most viewed WNBA finals game in 25 years across all networks, averaging 1.6 million viewers. The most exciting aspect of this success may be yet to come as the new effects of this success pan out to make changes for the good.
With this new attention also comes new demands from the players themselves, specifically concerning the current collective bargaining agreement. As the WNBA is finally starting to gain its deserved attention, the players now look to gaining their desired changes in the agreement, which would revolve around a new equity-based model with better salaries and retirement benefits. However, if the two sides are not able to come to terms before the active CBA ends on Oct. 31, 2025, the WNBA may be forced to enter a lockout after that season. Until then, players continue to celebrate the recent successes as well as advocate for their deserved progress.
Caitlin Clark is one of those players who has risen in popularity, especially as she continues to break records for WNBA history. Following the end of her 2024 rookie season, Clark spoke at a Nike event where she discussed the recent attention the sport is receiving and the excitement it holds for the future.
“It shows everyone there is real opportunities here and there has been opportunity here, so I think that’s what is so exciting,” Clark said.
Clark also stressed the importance of attending live games, as people can invest in the future of not only the sport, but the players themselves. It is no surprise that the WNBA players receive a salary grossly beneath their comparable NBA counterparts. This year, NBA players were paid around 50% of the league revenue, while WNBA players only receive around 10% of their league’s revenue. Even though it may have made sense in the past, with the massive amount of attention and money brought in by the NBA as compared to the WNBA, times are changing. In just this year’s women’s final four, they averaged 13.8 million viewers, which is almost 300% higher than two years ago. With the immense success and attention brought in during this season alone, many people believe that these athletes deserve more.
Angel Reese is a player for the Chicago Sky, and has been described as one of the most productive rookie players of this season. She has also taken the time to speak out on Instagram Live about her personal concerns regarding the lower salary offered by the WNBA.
“The WNBA don’t pay my bills at all, I don’t even think that pays one of my bills,” Reese said.
Even though the salaries remain consistent for now, this may change with the continuously growing popularity from this season. As fans and players wait for the results of the CBA changes, an increase in salary may be one of the agreed upon terms. As this transformative season comes to a close, however, it is fair to say that the success is only the beginning for both the players and the sport.
