The overshadowing issue that eclipsed the WNBA for so long is finally resolved. The league and the players’ union reached a verbal agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement late at night on March 17, after months of negotiations and multiple deadline extensions, leaving the fans to raise questions that are hard to ignore.

According to reports, this is the first instance in history of revenue sharing being embedded in players’ salary structures. While the final sheets of the deal have yet to be drafted, early reports suggest the players will receive a maximum salary of $1M, well above the $249,244 supermax they earned in the last couple of seasons.

It’s a win of gigantic proportions for the players, especially for Caitlin Clark, who seems to be finally getting her flowers after a long tussle. And it didn’t come without a tiring 10-day marathon of meetings between the league and the players’ union to find a common ground. Revenue sharing was the biggest provision that both parties were reluctant to compromise on.

In their latest proposal, the league offered to pay around 15% of gross revenue, while the players’ union demanded 26%. The final provisions of the deal aren’t out to confirm the exact sharing percentage. The teams’ salary caps will increase significantly to $6.5M from a minimum of $1.5M last season.

But the new CBA deal isn’t just about the amounts, as the timing matters too. The WNBA season is just 51 days away from the scheduled tipoff on May 8, and a further extension of negotiations into late March or early April could only delay the league and related procedures, including free agency talks, college drafts, and expansion drafts.

League commissioner Cathy Engelbert has hinted that the league won’t see any delay while addressing the press after the final negotiations. “The progress made in these discussions marks a transformative step forward for players and the league,” she said. “It’s been a process, but we’re very proud to be leading in women’s sports, and these players are amazing, and we’re going to have an amazing 30th season tipping off in May.”

Reports state that the drafts and free agency talks will take place next month, with training camps to start on April 19. Yet despite this historic move that saw WNBA supermax salaries increase fivefold, fans aren’t buying into how the league will cope with such a salary structure.

WNBA’s Financial Stringencies Become the Highlight for Fans Amid a New CBA Deal

“Break down how and who is paying the 1 million. Where will the money be coming from?” a fan wrote.  “@grok, break down the pay, and where is the money going to come from ?” another fan asked X’s AI, Grok.

There’s no room to debate that the WNBA’s finances have been strained since its inception. In a broader context, it’s quite far from being a profitable league like the NBA at the moment. While fans question the source of the new salaries, they may be overlooking the league’s incoming $2.2 billion media rights deal and the significant financial backing it receives as a partner to the NBA.

The new media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime Video, and NBCUniversal is worth approximately a staggering $2.2 billion over 11 years. Slated to start in 2026, this deal is a major game-changer for the revenue that the league’s stakeholders will receive.

Additionally, the league’s exclusive merchandise sales and other such businesses have also seen exponential growth over the last few seasons. Thus, there’s no doubt the league is receiving revenue, and this is where the players’ union tried to capitalize on their demands.

“Where do they get the money from? WNBA makes no money,” commented a fan. “D**g, so a league that makes no money is going to be making even less money? How does that work?” questioned a netizen.

Despite the upturn in revenue, the fans are still not convinced of the league’s capacity to raise funds and pay the players. The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, claimed that the league was losing $10M every season back in 2018. But the situation has improved now with a new media rights deal and the growth of the businesses.

But for the players’ union, it’s a move that gives the players what they rightly deserve. “It’s going to build and help create a system where everybody is getting exactly what they deserve and more, from on-court and off-court aspects,” Breanna Stewart said.

“Is it attendance revenue? 🥱,” a fan took a jab at the league’s lack of transparency regarding attendance revenue. However, according to recent reports, WNBA game ticket sales have increased significantly in the last few years, rising by approximately 145% in 2025. Players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have been major contributors in this regard.

Additionally, the players’ union has claimed that the league earned enough money in the 2025 season to comfortably support revenue sharing, according to an ESPN report. The investments are coming into the league, and the reported $250M each they are earning from the expansion of Toronto and Portland franchises further bolsters the league’s financial standing.

Ultimately, the evidence suggests the players’ union isn’t just making an emotional appeal, but a calculated business demand based on the league’s growing financial power.