According to some of the most recent updates from the ongoing WNBA CBA negotiations. The WNBA has offered players a minimum of $220,000, with an average of more than $460,000, heading into the 2026 season.
The WNBA 2024 season averaged about 42-55 games over nearly 6 months. If a player were to agree to a $220,000 minimum, a WNBA player should expect to receive an average of about $5,238 per game in a 42-game season spanning about 6 months.
In its 2025 season, Unrivaled reportedly paid its players an average salary of $220,000. Unrivaled averaged about 14-16 games in about 3 months, which is roughly $15,714 per game, per player.
As it stands today, rookie contracts in the WNBA are about $66,000, and if a rookie plays an average of 42 games, that is about $1,571 per game.
I Am Humans rejects the WNBA’s $220,000 minimum offer for a straightforward reason: introductory algebra. The numbers speak for themselves.
With the way things are right now, WNBA players can make 233.33% more income playing for Unrivaled in just 3 months, compared to playing in the WNBA for 6 months.
($66,000, 6 months , WNBA vs 3 months , $220,000, Unrivaled)
The WNBA is larger, more prosperous, and more established than a startup organization like Unrivaled. The WNBA is a globally recognized league with sponsorships from Nike, Cash App, Ring, Ally, Albert, GEM, Walgreens, Yale New Haven, Car Max, Vanda, Barclays, Liberty Mutual, Providence Swedish, Symetra, Lilly, Salesforce, UChicago Medicine, Magellan, Federated Insurance, Mayo Clinic, Chase, Kaiser Permanente, UCLA Health, Albert, Flippers World, and Frys.
Unrivaled barley in its second year as a league is the elephant in the room.
Players could go to Unrivaled, divide their WNBA schedule in half, and be paid more in 3 months, work less, build their own brand, and have equity in a league that supports their development.
Suppose Unrivaled pays players a minimum of $220,000 for a 3-month contract. If the WNBA wants to match Unrivaled, players should expect to receive a minimum of $15,714 per game, across the board, minimum.
These numbers suggest that all 15 WNBA teams would need to set aside $7.9 million to fulfill minimum player contracts to match Unrivaled player incomes.
(42 games, minimum of $659,988, 12-woman roster, $15,714 per game per player)
With breakout stars like Caitlin Clark, the WNBA could fill an entire roster with the revenue from one player alone. Revenue excludes ticket sales, alcohol sales, food sales, merchandise sales, and private donations or television ad revenue.
Meanwhile, NBA players are paid a rookie minimum of close to $2 million for #30 round picks.
The WNBA has about an average roster of 12 players. Unrivaled has an average roster of 6 players.
Unrivaled, a startup organization barely in its second year, has done more for WNBA players in one year than the WNBA has in 28 years.
With the current minimum of $220,000, the WNBA is currently offering. Players should expect to work an average of 28 more games. Put more stress on their bodies and receive the same pay as Unrivaled.
As it stands, players earn an average of $15,714 per game working for Unrivaled. Compared to the WNBA, where players earn an average of $1,571 per game, working in a league in its 28th year.
Suppose players accept the league minimum of $220,000 and play an average of 42 games in 2026. Players should expect to make $5,238 per game.
So, is there an elephant in the room or not?
Sources:
Feinberg, D. (2025a, January 16). Unrivaled women’s Basketball League is setting a new standard for salaries before it even tips off. Sports. https://apnews.com/article/unrivaled-womens-basketball-league-salaries-57f09b1429fd33a2478c8454ce35e23c
Feinberg, D. (2025b, November 18). WNBA’s latest CBA proposal would put Max salary over $1.1m with revenue sharing. Sports. https://apnews.com/article/wnba-cba-negotiations-deadline-499cb4d9d7723c185bf056e71e3755de
RealGM. (n.d.). NBA rookie scale – realgm. 2025-2026 NBA Rookie Scale. https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/info/rookie_scale
Unrivlaed Schedule 2025. Unrivaled. (n.d.). https://www.unrivaled.basketball/schedule?season=2025
WNBA Schedule 2025. WNBA. (n.d.). https://www.wnba.com/schedule?season=2025&month=all&team=all