3 Reasons Why Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and WNBA Stars Deserve Better Pay

Before Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese came into the WNBA, the league was struggling to improve viewership ratings, merchandise, and ticket sales. They were losing $10 million annually, despite the subsidizing efforts of the NBA.

After the two superstar rookies came in, the league agreed to fund chartered flights to avoid security issues for the team. The chartered flights are a considerable expenditure, and the league is pegged to be losing $50 million now.

As the expenses are rising, so is the revenue. For instance, the influx of Clark and Angel Reese along with their fellow young stars has led to unprecedented growth in merchandise sales, tickets, as well as viewership ratings.

Where the league would struggle to garner a few hundred thousand viewers, games featuring these star young players often draw a million or more. Arenas are nearly packed to the brim, and the merchandise business has reportedly grown to become a $4 billion industry.

That is why the players are fighting to receive a generous share of the revenue. In the NBA, players receive 50% of the revenue, but in the WNBA, it is just 9%. Players want that to increase by a considerable amount so that they can get higher salaries, as well as benefits.

But some believe that the league can garner all that revenue due to the fan following brought in by Caitlin Clark and a handful of other players. The WNBA is rightfully trying to guard itself from pitfalls down the line. However, there are several reasons why these players deserve to be paid better.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are just the start

Where much ado has been placed on the millions of followers of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and a few others, most of the new fans do not have a clue about the other players who were already in the league.

That led to a massive discrepancy when it came to viewership numbers, merchandise sales, as well as All-Star votes. For instance, Clark’s teammate at Iowa, Kate Martin‘s jerseys sold more than her Las Vegas Aces teammate A’ja Wilson.

The latter is undoubtedly the best player in the league and was being dwarfed economically by a 2nd round pick who experts felt would struggle to survive in the WNBA. This season, a lot of those problems seem to have disappeared.

Once this new wave of fans started watching Clark and Reese’s games, they were introduced to the various other players, their personas, and what they bring to the table. That has impacted the situation this time.

When the 2025 All-Star fan votes were tallied, Clark broke the league record. In tow was Napheesa Collier with 1.1 million plus votes. That number was surprising as she could not muster much last season. Reese was outside the top 10 as fans witnessed how she struggled early on in the season.

This proves that the new wave of fans is taking keen interest in the league, its players, and is not just moved by the young stars breaking through. Therefore, it is not just about the two famous young players.

Next wave continuing what Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese started

Among the top votes for the 2025 All-Star game were Paige Bueckers at No. 6 and Kiki Iriafen at No. 10. The former is known to have a sizable fan following. The latter does not have the millions of fans Bueckers has, but her performances were enough to garner those many votes.

Along with Sonia Citron, the three rookies managed to create history. Some believe last year Cameron Brink would have become an All-Star had she not ended her season early. In some capacity, this indicates that fans are taking keen interest in the new players coming in.

There are several discussions on the next wave and when they are scheduled to come in. The interest surrounding women’s college basketball has seen a major surge, and fans are also keeping an eye on the next generation of high school recruits.

If anything, this means the interest in women’s basketball as a whole is at an all-time high. When more and more new players with electric skills come in, it will lead to a greater spread of talent. That would lead to an increase in all revenue frontiers.

Competition from Europe and Unrivaled could pose a problem for WNBA

All that talent coming through to the WNBA will only go on to help increase awareness. The only problem is that if those players do not see the worth in coming into the league, they now have options.

When Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese came into the league, their rookie scale salaries became a hot topic. It was evident that they were not going to even look at the $70K odd that would hit their bank accounts. They earn millions from endorsements.

However, not every college prospect earns millions. Even though the top draft picks might not worry about their WNBA salaries, the other players coming in will. As the league expands, so will the need to add more players.

If a 10th overall pick believes she will earn more through the upstart Unrivaled league, or the myriad of European leagues, she could move there and forget about trying to fight for a roster spot.

As of now, both Europe and Unrivaled pay at least double what the WNBA pays. The least they could do is to make the average salary more than what Unrivaled or Europe pays currently. After all, these women are driving the league to the next level.

Without these players, the valuation of teams would not have risen to 3 or 400 million dollars. If owners are benefitting, it would be fitting if they give the women responsible for this growth what they deserve.

Lest someone with enough support starts another league and draws players with the promise of higher pay, equity, and endorsements, they might jump. If the NIL situation in college sports has proved anything, loyalty has no space in sports anymore.

Also Read:

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