In a move that would have likely been unthinkable just a few years ago, WNBA stars A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark are choosing rest over additional playing time, declining to join the new Unrivaled basketball league launching in January 2025. Their decision marks a critical moment in women’s professional sports, highlighting how dramatically the economic landscape has shifted for top players.
Professional Women’s Athlete Salaries
When the WNBA tipped off in 1997, players fought for basic livable wages. Fast forward to 2024, and the league’s top performers can earn $241,984, which is nearly double the previous 2019 supermax salary of $121,500. Even rookie minimum salaries have more than doubled to $64,154, though this still pales in comparison to the NBA’s $140 million salary cap.
The raw numbers show progress, but context still matters. WNBA players receive about 33% of league revenue, while NBA players get roughly 50%. That gap represents millions in lost wages. Historically, this pay disparity forced WNBA players into a grueling year-round schedule. Approximately half of the league’s players still compete overseas during the off-season, risking burnout and injury to make ends meet. The situation was particularly stark for Black women, who make up over 60% of the league’s players, reflecting broader patterns of labor undervaluation.
The Unrivaled League
Enter Unrivaled, founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier and supported by some top names across sports, including a recent investment by NBA Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. The new league aims to provide domestic playing opportunities and bypass the WNBA’s prioritization rule, which penalizes players who arrive late from overseas commitments. Starting in Miami with plans to expand nationwide by 2026, Unrivaled represents a bold attempt to reshape the economics of women’s basketball.
But the landscape is already shifting. The explosion of sponsorship opportunities has created new paths to financial security. Rookie Angel Reese, for example, who entered the Chicago Sky as the No. 7 pick in 2024, maintains significant marketing potential. Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark’s NIL valuation hit $3.1 million before even turning pro; numbers that would have been unimaginable a few seasons ago and depict the power of NIL changes for women athletes specifically.
These opportunities, combined with rising salaries, are finally giving top players like Wilson and Clark the luxury of true off-seasons, which is a benefit men athletes have long enjoyed. While their absence from Unrivaled’s inaugural season might disappoint some fans, it represents progress: women athletes can now prioritize their health without sacrificing financial stability. The 2020 collective bargaining agreement accelerated this transformation, introducing fully paid maternity leave, upgraded travel accommodations, and revenue sharing opportunities. These changes came through years of activism led by players like Angel McCoughtry and Nneka Ogwumike.
Caitlin Clark’s Presence Driving Change
While Wilson and Clark’s decision to rest might seem to conflict with growing the game, it actually demonstrates the sport’s maturation. For the first time, top women basketball players can make the same career choices as their men counterparts, including the choice to rest. The question isn’t whether these improvements represent progress – they clearly do – but whether they’re coming fast enough to match the rapidly growing value these athletes bring to the sport.
As the momentum continues to build across the entire women’s sport ecosystem, opportunities for women athletes to better monetize their playing ability will continue to expand. Yet challenges to additional equity do remain. The minimum WNBA salary does not match the current median U.S. household income, and marketing opportunities remain concentrated among many of the top athletes. For now, however, Wilson and Clark’s decision signals a new era in women’s professional basketball. An era where players can increasingly choose their paths based on their health and career longevity, not just financial necessity. While Unrivaled represents an important new opportunity for many players, the fact that top stars can opt out shows just how far the sport has come, and hints at how far it still has to go.
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