As a young girl, all of my role models were NBA players. I idolized Kevin Durant, wearing his jersey every day, and had his life-sized fat head on my bedroom wall. My dream was to be the first female player in the NBA. In a country where a women’s professional basketball league exists, a young girl’s dream should never have to be to make it to the men’s league.

The average WNBA player’s yearly salary is around $102,000, with a league minimum of $66.079. The average salary of a UPS driver exceeds this number. While this used to be an issue of low revenue, this is no longer the case. WNBA revenue has increased by 200% since 2022 and is currently valued at $3.5 billion. The issue is instead rooted in the allocation of revenue. 

WNBA players are only earning about 9.3% of the league’s revenue. Their male counterparts make around 49-51% of the NBA’s total revenue, resulting in salaries that range between $5 million and $50 million per year. NBA benchwarmers who have never seen substantial court time in their entire careers are making money that no WNBA all-star could even dream of. It is not realistic for WNBA players to have identical salaries to NBA players due to the gap in league revenue, but it is reasonable for them to make the same percentage of that revenue, especially with the increase in viewership of WNBA games. 

Just five years ago, my brothers would mock me for putting women’s basketball on the living room TV. Now, they are turning those games on themselves, buying player jerseys and asking to get tickets to see their favorite players in town.

Caitlin Clark has become a household name. Viewership has risen 170% in the past season alone. Merchandise sales have surged over 1000% in 2025. Ticket sales have increased 145%. The league is at its highest point yet and is continuing to grow. With three expansion teams planned for the next few years and star college players like Juju Watkins still to join, the value of the league is in good hands. 

Yet, it is the league itself that has failed to keep up. 

 Players are still forced to compete overseas in the offseason to make a sustainable salary. Without a true off-season, players are more prone to injury. Furthermore, being constantly on prevents skill growth, putting the players in worse positions for their upcoming seasons.  

The league must do better. The first step is to pay the players what they owe them.