Why Are WNBA Players Vastly Underpaid?

Leading the pack of televised basketball, we see the NBA. With 30 flashy teams and a fanbase that encompasses millions worldwide, their presence has become a household name. For the NBA’s sister league, known as the WNBA, these benefits have been largely mitigated. In recent years, this question has sparked controversy, as WNBA players demand higher salaries and luxuries. What’s the reason for this disparity? Let’s talk about it.

First, we should put the gaps into perspective. The average WNBA player earns an average salary of around $75,000 per year. That’s a stable wage until you take note of the NBA, where the average player makes approximately 7.5 million dollars annually. In short, NBA players made 100x more than their WNBA counterparts in 2019.

The first question that arises is one that pertains to sexism, as one could easily argue that the WNBA earns less merely because they’re a league of women. In the 20th century, we saw a massive shift in how women were valued in society, but the lasting effects of destructive patriarchy are still seen today. To grasp a deeper understanding of the validity of that, I dived into the numbers. Here’s what I found:

• During the 2020 finals, the NBA averaged 7.5 million viewers per game. 
• During the 2020 WNBA finals, peak viewership scaled to around 517,000
• In 2019, the NBA generated a total of $7.4B in revenue.
• In 2019, the WNBA earned a net total of $60M in revenue.
• In 2019, the highest-paid NBA player 2019 was Stephen Curry ($40M)
• In 2019, the WNBA’s highest-paid player was Britney Griner ($113,000)

In terms of profits, there’s a massive difference. Realistically, it’s fair to assume that the NBA is more entertaining than the WNBA. With their rim-smashing dunks, the gameplay is more interesting to watch. With players who are (in general) taller, the scope for highlight plays has a broader range, therefore producing a more universally entertaining product than their sister league. 

Secondly, you could attribute this gap to the fact that while the NBA season spans 82 games per team (1230 total outings), the WNBA season is confined to a season of 34 games and 204 complete matchups. As the NBA plays 6x more fun than the WNBA, it’s fair to assume that the profits would be significantly higher. 

However, the WNBA’s issue doesn’t come from the gameplay. The league revenue is nearly cut in half for NBA players, with 50% going to the players and 50% to executives. However, in the WNBA, that number is only 20%, and that’s where the issue arises. Why are WNBA players being given a lesser percentage of revenue than their male counterparts? 

If you’ve watched a WNBA game, you’ve likely noticed that the gameplay isn’t necessarily inferior to that of the NBA. While you won’t see as many flashy dunks, it’s undoubtedly entertaining. 

However, it feels as if the WNBA executives aren’t working as hard to market this league as they are the NBA, and that’s an issue which we need to recognize. The WNBA’s smaller fanbase isn’t due to a lack of talent; it’s due to a lack of exposure. Fans haven’t been given a chance to interact with the WNBA and their athletes, and that burden falls onto the marketers for the league.