Posted on 01/01/2026 3:36:53 PM PST by nickcarraway
Taurasi wanted the WNBA to show the girls the money.
Diana Taurasi has been one of the WNBA’s most elite players for two decades. The problem was that she was never paid like one. That’s why the 2009 MVP hopes to see the best women’s basketball players receive the compensation they deserve when the next collective bargaining agreement takes effect.
“I always thought about I should’ve get paid for being the best basketball player in the world, not for doing social media or doing commercials,” Taurasi told Front Office Sports back in August. “That was one of the things I always had the most angst about. I don’t wanna do commercials, I don’t wanna be a spokeswoman for every product in the world.”
The gender pay gap in American basketball Taurasi was one of the most vocal proponents of raising WNBA players’ salaries. She lamented having to play overseas during the offseason to supplement her meager pay, claiming that the janitors made more money than she did.
For Taurasi, they needed to be paid because of their skills, just like their male counterparts.
“When I think of the NBA, Kobe got paid to be the best basketball player in the world. Jokic got paid to be the best basketball player in the world. I think we need to change that, shift into women’s basketball. Like, that’s what you are. Let’s get paid for that and hopefully, the next CBA can reflect that,” Taurasi continued.
For context, Kobe Bryant was the league’s highest-paid star for three seasons (2009-10, 2013-14, and 2014-15). He was the first player to secure a $30 million salary for a season, which occurred in the 2013-14 season. Interestingly, Nikola Jokic has never been the top-paid player, but he will earn over $55 million in 2025-26, just behind Stephen Curry’s $59.6 million.
According to Forbes in 2024, NBA players were paid substantially more than WNBA players. The average WNBA annual salary is $150,000, while the average NBA salary is nearly $10 million, roughly 67 times more.
While it’s true that the NBA reaches a worldwide audience compared to the WNBA, the previous CBA wasn’t helping the women’s crusade for better pay. WNBA players receive a much smaller percentage (around 10 percent) of the revenue. In comparison, NBA players receive 50 percent of the league’s revenue pie.
Of course, the counter-argument is that the NBA earns way more than the WNBA, and that is a fact. However, the latter is closing the gap little by little, with estimates projecting a revenue of around $1 billion in 2025, driven by superstars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and others.
If the WNBA stars play their cards right in the CBA negotiations, the days of securing summer jobs abroad will be long gone.
View post: "They offered to pay me to rest" – Diana Taurasi explained her decision to sit out the 2015 WNBA season
What the WNBPA is looking for
It’s understandable why Taurasi (and many others) call out the lopsided revenue-sharing model of the past CBA. However, without a deal in sight in the near future, it looks like the process has done little to convince players that real progress has been made.
According to ESPN, “the WNBA’s latest proposal includes an uncapped revenue sharing model that would raise maximum salaries above $1.3 million (up from $249,244 in 2025) and growing to nearly $2 million over the life of the deal; average salaries to above $530,000 (up from $120,000 in 2025) and growing to more than $770,000 over the life of the deal; and minimum salaries to in excess of over a quarter of a million in the first year alone (up from $66,079 in 2025).”
Additionally, the union wants 30 percent of the gross revenue, while the league counters with 15 percent, roughly equivalent to one-half of the net revenue.
Although the negotiations are far apart, it’s already a step in the right direction. Regardless of the outcome, WNBA players can expect substantial pay raises and additional benefits from the revenue-sharing overhaul, whether it’s 30 or 15 percent of the gross income.
Taurasi will unfortunately no longer be there, having announced her retirement in February. Nonetheless, the scale of the new negotiations suggests the league can no longer ignore the standard that she pushed for.
Stupid early 80s “Comparative Worth” nonsense.
Beats me. 🤷♂️
who?
Maybe she needs to be shown this...
“Injured Male Tennis Player Ranked 671 Dominates World’s Top Female Player in ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Match”
https://istandforfreedom.com/tennis-men-women-battle/
The men get paid millions because the fans are willing to spend a a ton of money on tickets, cable, merchandise, endorsed products.
The world's best square dancer, skeet shooter, rock climber, or origami artist is never going to pull down 100 million a year. Too bad. It's not excellence; it's popularity.
And when you have to qualify excellence by class, best over 60, best under 10, best from Madagascar, best woman, well, again too bad, it isn't fully competitive.
the pay gap is because of the revenue gap
nba gives the wnba welfare to survive
if anything she is overpaid
I’ve read that the NBA has in recent years financial problems. Underwriting the WNBA is another drain on its finances. NBA is not the huge cash cow in the US like it used to be. To make up this financial loss its gets a lot of funding from China. Basketball is huge in China. You think this is true?
But does anybody watch?
More people are watching since Caitlyn Clark, and some other players have come on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I745Ajeq_B8
Women’s sport that got a lot of viewership were gymnastics and skating. And sometimes tennis. There was a time women’s tennis were more entertaining than men’s tennis. Germany stabbing Monica Seles didn’t help.
The WNBA would cease to exist without the subsidies it receives from the NBA and the coverage and hype it receives from ESPN.
Bitch is delusional...
She would make more money as a realtor if she worked her butt off, than a WNBA player, because WNBA is a niche sport, small audience, with NOT the best players, characters, or athletes.
She’s a mental midget for sure.
He - Kobe Bryant - is dead.
Kobe was more telegenic than you, for one thing.
The woman who came out of UCONN last year - Paige something - is also very good and is playing for Dallas I believe. That’s all this admitted sports nut knows of the WNBA.
Kobe was, ironically, the penultimate “helicopter parent”. Sad it cost him and others their lives. RIP.
Kobe was, ironically, the penultimate “helicopter parent”. Sad it cost him and others their lives. RIP.
If I am the world’s greatest street musician - busker - I’m still only going to get the small change people drop in my hat. And I wouldnt compare myself to The Rolling Stones or The Beatles.
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