This past year, the WNBA and its athletes reached a CBA to increase player salaries: a big wager on the league for 2020. “What we have here is a multidimensional pay structure,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said to the New York Times,  “… making a big bet on this league, a big bet on women, and that in professional sports, the WNBA can lead the way.”

 

 

 

The NBA splits its revenue 50-50 with its players while women players get 20%-30% of the WNBA’s income; however, if the league reaches certain profit markers, its players could be splitting the returns 50-50 in 2021. It all hinges on 2020 and the league’s implementation of a new 36-game schedule with the Commissioner Cup—an in-season competition to attract new fans. It’s an innovation the NBA will be watching closely in 2020 and beyond.