The WNBA is expanding at an exponential rate, thanks to the growth in television ratings and attendance numbers its young stars are bringing. In fact, many teams have to move to larger arenas whenever young Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark comes to town to seat all of the fans who want to see her play.
However, the league is still leagues away from being able to pay its players at a comparable rate to the NBA. Now, the league is starting to see some of the consequences of its inability to pay top dollar, as the number one pick from Monday’s draft is going to spend time in another league .
“Paige Bueckers is set to make more than $350,000 in her first season with Unrivaled. That’s more than her entire first WNBA contract will pay her over four years,” reported Front Office Sports.
Fans reacted to the development on social media.
“The WNBA CBA negotiations and future lockout will have the most toxic discourse surrounding them,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“They Came In And Paying More Money Than The WNBA And More Exciting. Maybe The WNBA Needs To Take Notes Or Create A Partnership Before It’s To Late. Many WNBA Prospects Stayed In School Because They Are Waiting For The New Deal The WNBA Is Working On,” someone else wrote.
“Unrivaled raising the bar the W better catch up and start paying them,” another fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see how quickly the WNBA can start paying its players more competitively.
