Nneka Ogwumike, the President of the WNBA players’ union, has been repeatedly asked about the league’s collective bargaining agreement following the explosive growth of the league since the addition of the 2024 draft class, which includes stars such as Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.
The league is seeing record numbers in ticket sales and is set to earn even more with its new media rights deal, which starts in 2026 and is set to be worth around $200 million per year.
While player salaries have increased in recent years, Ogwumike addressed the subject following her Seattle Storm’s victory over the New York Liberty on Sunday.
“We have women out here who know the business. And we understand where our league has been and where it’s going,” Ogwumike said, according to ESPN. “And we’re prepared. We’re prepared.
“And we want to be able to come out here and represent ourselves and our value the same way we do on the court, in our contracts, in our facilities, in the standards of the resources that are available to us.”
The union wants the league’s new contracts to reflect the financial growth around the league.
“Everybody wants to go to the same place. Everyone just has a different idea of how we get there,” Ogwumike said. “But it definitely starts with valuing the players in a way that makes sense for what we’re doing out here, and also makes sense for the people that follow us and the fans that are supporting us.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth recently, so we have to see that being reflected in how we’re compensated to continue to give you guys games like this every night.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.