Ever since the WNBPA decided to pull out of the current CBA, there has been a constant struggle between the players’ association and the league officials to find an agreement. Despite much noise, no positive progress has been made, even though players claim the league revenue has shot up massively, thanks to Caitlin Clark’s arrival. While there have been offers from the league, the players have so far denied all the offers.

While the league has offered a pay increase, the players want a new CBA agreement that ensures a bigger share of the league revenue. Discussing the potential issue facing the revenue share model demanded by the players, WNBA analyst Rachel DeMita shed light on a harsh reality facing the players on the latest episode of her Courtside Club podcast, because, irrespective of Cathy’s leadership being questioned, her hands are tied, too. Highlighting that, DeMita said:

“It’s very hard to give them more revenue when this is the split. 42% of the W is owned by the NBA, and then 42% of the WNBA is owned by the WNBA owners. And then 16% is owned by private investors. And this investment group came in 2022. So, only 3 years ago, this investment group came in, and it was estimated that they raised $75 million that went to the WNBA.” 

The issue, however, is, “Now, it is also not clear where those $75 million went, but that’s the breakdown, so there’s not much of the pie that the players can get because the WNBA still doesn’t own their entire league.” Yes, Cathy Engelbert may be the league boss, but when it comes to fixing the finances, the NBA has an active role to play. What is in her hand is improving the league standards and inviting investment.

In June, Cathy Engelbert announced a $2.2 billion media rights deal for the next 11 years. That means the league is at the very least earning $200 million per year. And as Napheesa Collier’s ex-teammate, Angel McCoughtry, had raised a $180 million question. She had pointed out that since the entire players’ pool earns between $15-20 million, where is the rest of the money going? And that is exactly why players such as Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier are pushing for a revenue-sharing model.

Doing that would ensure that the players also have all the inside information about the inner workings and can track any money that comes into the league. This model will not only increase the salary for stars like Caitlin Clark but will also increase the salary cap for the entire league. But even in that, unless the NBA and everyone involved decide to give a go-ahead, there’s hardly anything Cathy could do in her individual capacity.

What has Caitlin Clark said about the CBA negotiations?

Although Caitlin Clark is generally reserved when it comes to confrontation (minus officiating), she understands the importance of the CBA negotiations and has on number times supported them. Following the same trend, Caitlin Clark’s exit interview after the Napheesa Collier bombshell was no different. In fact, she even prioritized talking about the league as a whole instead of the comments Cathy Engelbert had made about her.

In her statements, she said, “Everybody who’s in a place of power has a true responsibility, myself included, to make sure this game is in a great place going forward with the CBA, caring for our players and building this league to make sure it’s in a good place for many years to come.” While she is just one of many WNBA players who have raised their voices, there is no denying that anything that comes from her holds the maximum weight.

The fire has been lit ever since Napheesa Collier revealed her conversations with Cathy. Now, it is time to keep the momentum going. With the league at such a revolutionary time, the league has a responsibility to pay those who made it all possible fairly.