Women’s sports are finally getting the spotlight they’ve long deserved, and nowhere is that rise clearer than in the WNBA. Over the past two years, we’ve seen a huge surge in viewership, attendance, and merchandise sales. But when Sportico released its Highest-Paid Female Athletes list for 2025, it was a reminder that there’s still a long way to go. Of the 15 athletes on the list, 10 come from tennis.

And the lone WNBA representative? Caitlin Clark.

According to the report, Caitlin Clark earned $119,000 in WNBA salary and bonuses. But the real boost came from her endorsements, which brought in a massive $16 million. That pushed her to sixth on the list with an estimated total earnings of $16.1 million, making her the highest-earning women’s basketball star this year.

But this also brings out a big reason for concern. When you look at the list published by Sportico, you quickly realize that Clark’s salary is the lowest of them all. Even Venus Williams, who played only two matches early in the year, earned a higher “salary” than Clark.

This just shows how big the pay gap still is in the W, and why players are so determined to get the next CBA right. It’s been more than a year since the WNBPA opted out of the current agreement, and talks are still dragging on. The negotiations have now entered a second extension after the original October 31 deadline passed without a real solution.

As things stand, the WNBA’s latest proposals promise major improvements compared to the earlier offers. Total compensation would grow with league revenue, the salary cap would rise as the league does, and player pay would see a significant boost.

Starting in 2026, max players would earn a guaranteed $1 million base salary, with the potential to reach about $1.2 million through revenue sharing. The proposal also lifts the minimum salary to over $225,000 and pushes the league’s average salary past $500,000.

According to The Athletic, even though the league and the union agreed to extend the CBA deadline to January 9, “significant gaps” remain in the negotiations. One major sticking point is what actually counts as shareable league revenue and what percentage of that revenue should go to the players.

“I don’t feel like there’s any cultivation of a culture of trust,” WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said in an interview with Athletic. “We don’t feel valued in these talks as they stand today. … I feel like we’ve been heard, but not listened to. And I’m hoping that that changes in this 40-day extension, because what we want to do is get a good deal done.”

It still doesn’t feel like the CBA talks are anywhere close to being settled. And that’s the worrying part. Someone like Caitlin Clark, who has already done so much for the league in such a short time, could end up in a situation where she isn’t even playing in the W. Her impact has been so generational that even Adam Silver had to acknowledge it.

Adam Silver Applauds the Massive Impact of Caitlin Clark

We all know the Caitlin Clark effect by now. Ever since she was drafted by the Fever, the W has seen record-breaking numbers in almost every category. Merchandise sales jumped 601%, TV viewership went up 300%, and total sellouts climbed by 242.2%. And the growth hasn’t slowed down, even with her playing only 13 games this season.

“To see the popularity of Caitlin (Clark), to see the Fever exploding in popularity, not just here in Indianapolis, Indiana, but globally, it’s remarkable,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said while talking about her impact in an interview shared by reporter Scott Agness on X.

But instead of capitalizing on the impact Clark has brought to the league, it suddenly feels like the league is slipping in the opposite direction. We’re now staring at a real possibility of a lockout, and that’s the last thing the W needs.

The pay gap is already massive, and a lockout could change the entire landscape of women’s basketball. With Unrivaled and Project B waiting in the wings, the league can’t afford to give players a reason to look elsewhere.