The WNBA Iron is Hot: Why Now is the Time for a Strike

The idiom “strike while the iron is hot” means to take advantage of an opportunity, when it is favorable. The origins of the phrase stem from the practice of blacksmiths who shape metal while it’s hot.

For the WNBA, there has not been a better time to “strike while the iron is hot.”

The WNBA is at the peak of its popularity, and now it’s time to start shaping the CBA metal.

The league’s viewership is soaring. Meanwhile, merchandise sales are breaking records. The league is also expanding its reach through strategic partnerships and social media campaigns. However, despite these successes, the players who make the league what it is continue to receive salaries that fall far below what they deserve.

Angel Reese’s rookie year salary is a little over $80,000. Caitlin Clark’s four-year rookie contract with the Indiana Fever is is worth $338,056. The contract has a base salary of $76,535 in her first year. Clark’s rookie contract keeps sparking discussions about pay disparity in the WNBA compared to the NBA.

“We’re not asking for the same salaries as the men; we’re asking for the same revenue shares,” Napheesa Collier said. “That’s where the big difference is. We get such a small percentage of revenue share right now that affects our salary. We’re asking for a bigger cut of that, like more equitable to what the men’s revenue share is.”

Which is why the two of these powerhouses, in particular, should be a part of any discussion when it comes to CBA/Labor talks. Clark and Reese each have their own fanbases and are vastly influential in the sport of women’s basketball.

Additionally, other strong voices, savvy business investors, and progressive thinkers, along with veteran players such as Skylar Diggins-Smith, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, and Nneka Ogwumike, should all have a seat at the table.

ENTER UNRIVALED

Due to the recent emergence of Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, athletes are proving how much more women’s basketball deserves.

Unrivaled has shown that it’s possible to create a sustainable, profitable women’s basketball league that actually helps its players. Unrivaled is able to guarantee its players significantly higher salaries for much less work.

WNBA players are still being left behind when it comes to pay. It’s only a matter of time before they turn a profit with all of the talent entering the league. The league already has young stars such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson, and Kamilla Cardoso. They also will have new stars entering under the new CBA, including Lauren Betts, Juju Watkins, Paige Bueckers, Flau’jae Johnson, and Milaysia Fulwiley. They also have veteran players that still do numbers, including A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and Sabrina Ionescu.

The aforementioned Reese, who at 22 years old is already one of the brightest stars in the sport, is already calling out the system—and rightfully so. With salaries in Unrivaled reaching as high as $250,000 for a shorter season, the disparity between leagues is glaring.

“I’m sorry to break it to you but I’m on a rookie contract,” Reese said, “and that 50k was a little more than half of my contract so I have to keep that to myself.” said Reese regarding her winning bonus at Unrivaled and her rookie contract in the WNBA.

In 2025, the WNBA All-Star will enter the second year of her rookie contract, worth an average of $81,096 per year over four seasons. It’s not the first time Reese has had comments regarding the WNBA compensation during her glorious Unrivaled campaign.

“If y’all don’t give us what we want… we sitting out.” said Reese on the upcoming WNBA CBA negotiations.

Why does it seem like the league has been slow to catch up to the growing financial power of women’s sports?

The answer is simple….

..because the system hasn’t yet been forced to change. And the only way to make that happen is for WNBA players to take action.

THE RISE OF THE WNBA

The WNBA’s popularity has exploded.

The league has made incredible strides over the past few years. The interest has grown from both fans and investors alike. 2024 was a crowning year for the league. The WNBA achieved some of its highest milestones.

1. Record Viewership: The WNBA saw over 54 million unique viewers across a variety of networks including ESPN, ABC, CBS, ION, and NBA TV. Major sports programming network ESPN alone averaged 1.19 million viewers per game—up 170% from the previous season.

2. Unprecedented Attendance: The league saw its highest total attendance in 22 years, including 242% more sellouts compared to 2023.

3. Merchandise Sales: The WNBA saw an incredible 601% increase in online merchandise sales. In addition, sales in stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods surged by 233%.

4. Social Media Dominance: The league’s total video views across all platforms reached nearly 2 billion, more than quadrupling last season’s total.

5. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship deals with major brands such as Nike, Gatorade, Google, and AT&T have flooded the league.

The evidence couldn’t be more crystal clear—the league is walking into a new golden age.

The problem is, as impressive as the numbers are, the league’s pay structure is still the same, and that’s why the strike is necessary. Despite the success, the salaries of WNBA players remain shockingly low. Professional athletes in the NBA, and even compared to the athletes in Unrivaled, are offered a lot more compensation.

Players in Unrivaled are promised a salary of $250,000 for a condensed season. This figure is far higher than the WNBA’s highest-paid players. The best earners in the WNBA will make $242,000 for a full season. Add to the fact that the Unrivaled season is shorter than the WNBA’s but players still earn significantly more.

For players in the WNBA, the pay scale is a complex one with various performance bonuses, but even the highest-paying contracts are far from what players in other professional leagues make.

These numbers highlight a simple fact. If a 3-on-3 league can deliver such high salaries and build financial stability so quickly, there’s no excuse for the WNBA’s continued wage disparity.

THE NBA’S BILLION-DOLLAR MEDIA DEAL: WHY DOESN’T THE WNBA GET A CUT?

The NBA entered a huge bag recently. Their new media deal is transcendent for sports. The league recently secured a multi-billion-dollar media deal with Disney, NBC, and Amazon.

This deal includes several notable deals:

– A new broadcast agreement that will stream all national NBA games across Prime Video, Peacock, and ESPN’s direct-to-consumer service.
– 75 NBA games will be broadcast on network TV.

The bigger question is what does this deal mean for the WNBA?

Since the WNBA is owned by the NBA, it would make sense that some of this new revenue would trickle down to the women’s league. The problem is, it’s not happening. The WNBA players aren’t seeing any of the massive revenue generated by the NBA’s media deals. Therein lies one of the reasons why their salaries remain stagnant despite the NBA’s windfall.

In July, the WNBA announced a new 11-year media rights deal featuring partnerships with Disney, Amazon Prime Video, and NBCUniversal. It is valued at about $2.2 billion, or $200 million per year, but future agreements with additional partners could bring the league’s overall media deals closer to $3 billion.

“This is a defining moment, not just for the WNBA, but for all of us who believe in progress,” Ogwumike said in a statement. “The world has evolved since 2020, and we cannot afford to stand still. If we stay in the current agreement, we fall behind. Opting out isn’t just about bigger paychecks — it’s about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today’s players and the generations to come.”

“With this surge of attention, accessibility, visibility and, of course, investment in dollars, the most pressing thing to consider right now is how we use those dollars to continue to grow and also value the players, and seeing what that looks like in what feels like a very transformational period in our league” said Ogwumike.

Some of the biggest issues with the previous CBA have been addressed, such as charter flights, which are now used for all games as of the 2024 season. There were player concerns about how that process was rolled out and some inequities in the charters themselves. But those things can be worked out, and this was a major step forward for the players.

In talking to players during this season, it was found that pensions — including for former players — and more support for players with children were topics that came up a lot for the next CBA. Franchises have recognized the importance of practice facilities and have pushed each other forward. The necessity for top facilities for practices and games is no longer something any franchise can ignore.

“We’re getting to a point where the salary cap and the systems and that part of the business needs to start looking like a professional league that’s not a startup, that properly values the labor and properly values the players,” Terri Jackson, the WNBPA’s executive director, said in July. “We haven’t really done that with this kind of rigid, hard cap system that we have, and it’s unfortunate.”

According to Erin Kane, Clark’s agent at Excel Sports Management, her client needs to be paid more but reckons that may never be achievable. “Will Caitlin Clark ever be paid by the WNBA what she’s really worth to that league? I don’t think that’s possible,” Kane told ESPN. “She’s part of a larger player body. They all need to be paid more. She should be recognized for what she has done and what she’s brought to the league from an economic standpoint. It’s as simple as that.”

“The most important thing always has been getting WNBA players paid for what they do on the court,” she said. “I’m very, very hopeful for this CBA negotiation that it will be progressive and move the line forward a lot.”

If this year was not evidence enough, the WNBA has proven its ability to deliver a growing fanbase, increasingly lucrative sponsorship deals, and higher viewership.

TIME FOR A CHANGE

It will never get better for the people… We must strike!

This quote still rings true as when it was first said in 1925.

For real change to happen, the WNBA’s players will have to take matters into their own hands, and granted they are.

In the past, sports leagues have seen real progress only after players have taken collective action:

– The NBA players’ strike of 2011 forced owners to reconsider the revenue-sharing model and gave players more control over the league’s financials.
– The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) fought for and secured equal pay, forcing a systemic change in the way women athletes are compensated.
– MLB, NFL, and NHL players have all gone on strike to secure fair wages, better working conditions, and a more equitable share of the profits.

The WNBA is in a golden age, but its players deserve to be compensated for their hard work and dedication. The emergence of Unrivaled shows just how much more can be done to ensure that women’s athletes are paid what they are worth. With rising viewership, sponsorships, and fan support, there’s no reason the WNBA shouldn’t be able to offer higher salaries to its players.

It’s time for change, and the players hold the power to make it happen. They can use their collective voice to demand a larger slice of the pie. After all, if a 3-on-3 league can offer $250,000 salaries, the WNBA’s top players should be making that and more.

The WNBA is more than just a league—it’s a movement. But without fair pay, that movement will stall.

The time for a strike is now. It’s time for WNBA players to fight for the compensation they deserve—and for the future of women’s professional sports.