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With the WNBA's collective bargaining agreement set to expire in 2026, it has put pressure on Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Although Unrivaled has put pressure on the WNBA for money, the commissioner has kept her stance.
On the Bill Simmons Podcast, she detailed that meeting the player's demands isn't as simple as it looks.
“We want them to make as much money as they can make, but keeping in mind the economic model we’ve been building,” Engelbert said. “I would say, five, six years ago, we were like an infant. You talk about it being viewed as a startup. We were like an infant in our economic model, not in the game, our economic model.
“Now we've graduated to like a young adult. We kind of skipped our teen years and tween years, and we graduated to young adults. But we still have a lot of growth ahead of us. It’s not just the media deal driving growth that’s going to drive significant increases in player pay.”
One of the major talking points has been the pay disparity. While the economic model has stepped up, it will continue to do so. Still, the WNBA is a business, and the business needs to be resourceful.
Cathy Engelbert knows the WNBA pay gap isn't as easy as it seems
Establishing a consistent model is the key to maintaining and improving the financial incentive for players. However, the 2024 season was the first time that a truly new audience came in.
The rookie class featuring Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Rickea Jackson, and Cameron Brink helped drive the engine for the past year. Not to mention, Clark was one of the most talked about players in all of sports, and around the world.
As a result, that drove the economic model for the league. Not to mention, Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson had one of the most historic seasons in league history.
She convincingly won the MVP. Furthermore, the New York Liberty had retribution and won the 2024 WNBA championship. It was a season of storylines that any basketball fan would be interested in seeing.
Still, the money is an issue.
The current largest WNBA salaries right now belong to Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces at $252,420 and Clark’s teammate Kelsey Mitchell, who earns $249,244.
These deals were signed after the 2022 CBA took place, so there was more of an incentive. With a new CBA on the way, players might get what they are asking for.
Either way, Engelbert hopes that the players understand her side, and that the economic model might not be built overnight if they want to see it prosper for the future.
