Impact of WNBA players opting out of CBA
By Hannah Pasquarella
Knightly News Reporter
hannah.pasquarella@mymail.centralpenn.edu
Sports have had a societal impact on American culture for decades and will continue to grow stronger as the years pass. The culture surrounded by sports will live through the American traditions forever. At Central Penn College, sports hold a spot in our hearts and will allow students to live out their athletic dreams and pursue greatness through teamwork and building life-long relationships.
In October 2024, the WNBA players’ union announced that the players would opt out of their current collective bargaining agreement with the league. The league and the union will have more than enough time, until Oct. 31 this year, to negotiate the subsequent deal.
When Americans think of sports, typically, the WNBA is not the choice one would pick first, consistently ranking outside any of the top viewership and attendance metrics across most major sports. However, over the past several years, big-time players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have changed the way the world viewed the WNBA and collegiate women’s basketball in a matter of months. Clark’s former college team, the University of Iowa, had record-breaking viewers tuning into the fight against LSU, setting an all-time record for viewership of a college basketball game in the history of ESPN.
With the drastic ratings increases across the board in 2024 and multimillion-dollar streaming service deals within the WNBA, the traction they have gained is something the league hasn’t seen since its inception. In response to the opt out, WNBA Players Association President Nneka Ogwumike said, “Opting out isn’t about bigger paychecks – it’s about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today’s players and the generations to come.”
This statement is a fair assessment because the players are the ones who allow the company to be making the money they are bringing in. It is as simple as this: The WNBA has been performing and serving well in the business and sports perspective, and being rewarded for those behaviors is needed in an industry like this, especially when sports will only become more popular years from now. With the surge of attention and visibility in this sport, the players’ association feels it is right to use the dollars benefit–to develop and to value–the players.
Improvements like charter flights, offering more support for players with children and understanding and acting on the importance of better training and game facilities are all concerns. Salaries have always been discussed during negotiation meetings, so we can all count on that as a topic of conversation. According to an article from ESPN, the maximum salary for the 2024 season was $241,984, and the minimum salary was $64,154.
How certain sports are viewed can dramatically change in a matter of a year, depending on which players the franchise brings in. This bargaining agreement can work out for both sides and can make the WNBA and other women’s sports more likable. And while it is fair that short-term losses are upsetting, the goal should be on building on the long-term growth of the league, as well as fostering a positive culture at the college level.
Changes like this are crucial for women’s sports players and any player in general. Significant changes like this, where both sides of the party want to agree, are enormous. Allowing the league to change and develop will enable future generations to make the league soar further than it is today. This will motivate college athletes to push for change in their own lives.
Now, it is fair to say the WNBA has not been breaking record views for long, so the NBA, which owns a significant portion of the WNBA, is hesitant to dish out money, fearing that the WNBA will start to lose money and ultimately not allow the league to continue to grow in value. In fact, according to an article from Sports Illustrated, the WNBA was on pace to lose between $40 million and $50 million in 2024, frustrating many NBA owners.
It remains to be seen what will happen with the WNBA player opt out. While the league has to be aware of financial stability, the vast growth in 2023 and 2024 should be embraced and viewed as the potential for long-term sustainability. This starts with making a fair deal with the players, as they are the building blocks for the time ahead in a league with a bright future.
Editor’s note: This story was written and podcast was produced as part of our COM355: Sports Broadcasting course in the fall. This media package was created as part of a final project in the course.
Comment or story idea? Contact KnightlyEditors@centralpenn.edu.
