Everyone watches women’s sports, so why aren’t they paid like it? It is no surprise that the WNBA is on the rise right now, and the newer additions to the league, such as Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark, are partially to thank.

The minimum rookie salary for an NBA player is around $1,272,870.00. Whereas, in the WNBA, the top four picks are guaranteed a base salary of $78,831.00 in their first year, which decreases from there depending on the round in which they are chosen. This salary only came into effect in 2020. In 2020, the negotiations between the WNBA and WNBPA, their players’ association, marked a historic leap for players’ rights. It included a 50% increase in total compensation for players, which included base salaries, bonuses, and marketing deals. While this was a major development in the WNBA, the pay discrepancy between the men’s and women’s leagues is still $1,194,039.00. Furthermore, under their new CBA, the WNBA allocates only 25% of its league revenue to player salaries, compared to around 50% in the NBA.

This all just makes you think, why are WNBA teams selling out games (e.g., the Connecticut Sun’s game against the Indiana Fever, the sold-out TD Garden on July 15, 2025), but the players who are the reason for these sell-outs aren’t getting compensated for it? Their 2020 agreement demonstrated that the players were able to leverage labor laws to improve their salaries, working conditions, and benefits, but how is there still such a disparity not only between the WNBA and the NBA, but between the WNBA and other women’s leagues, such as Unrivaled, which averages a $220,000.00 salary per player?

With the current CBA set to expire on October 31, 2025, it will be interesting to see how the negotiations play out, especially with the rise in viewership since the last negotiations.