The WNBA’s pay dispute is reaching a boiling point. With the league’s collective bargaining agreementofficially expired after the 2025 season, players and owners are locked in tense negotiations that could shape the future of women’s basketball.

The last CBA, signed in 2020, improved salaries and travel conditions, but as the game’s popularity soars, players believe their pay should reflect the league’s growth.

Attendance and TV ratings have climbed to record highs. The arrival of players like Caitlin Clark has brought a new wave of fans and sponsors, and players see this as the perfect moment to demand a fairer share of the profits.

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said she remains “hopeful” that an agreement or an extension can be reached soon. However, the players’ union sounds less optimistic. Erin D. Drake, senior adviser and legal counsel for the WNBPA, told The Athletic’s No Offseason podcast that talks are far from complete. “It takes two to tango,” she said, noting that the league has lacked a sense of urgency to finalize the deal.

Kelsey Plum’s words light up the conversation

That’s where Kelsey Plum entered the picture. The Los Angeles Sparks guard and two-time WNBA champion sparked national debate after explaining exactly what the players are asking for. Speaking on The Residency Podcast, Plum clarified that the issue is not about matching NBA salaries but about getting the same percentage of shared revenue.

“We’re not asking to get paid what the men get paid,” Plum said. “We’re asking to get paid the same percentage of revenue shared.”

Currently, players receive 50 percent of incremental revenue instead of total league revenue, according to Her Hoops Stats. This means that if a player’s jersey sells out, she may not see any money from those sales. “They sell my jersey in Mandalay Bay,” Plum said. “I don’t get a dime.”

There is zero chance that the women in the WNBA are going to get the same percentage of ‘revenue’ that the NBA players get

David Samson

Her comments quickly went viral, dividing opinion across social media. Former MLB executive David Samson, now with Meadowlark Media, called her demands “a fantasy” and claimed there is “zero chance” the WNBA will match the NBA’s revenue model.

At the same time, several analysts and former players defended Plum’s stance. ESPN’s Andraya Carter and Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks pointed out that her argument mirrors what NBA players fought for decades ago: not equal pay, but equal structure.

With fan interest in the WNBA at an all-time high, Plum’s words may have captured a turning point. Whether the league views her message as a call for partnership or a challenge to its system remains to be seen.