Diana Taurasi has been one of the most elite players in the WNBA for two decades. The problem was that she had never been paid as such. 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 I should have been paid to be the best basketball player in the world, not to use social media or do commercials,” Taurasi said Front Office Sports returning in August. “It’s one of the things that has always worried me the most. I don’t want to advertise, I don’t want to be the spokesperson for every product in the world.”
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The pay gap between men and women in American basketball
Taurasi was one of the most vocal supporters of increasing player salaries in the WNBA. She lamented having to play overseas during the offseason to supplement her meager salary, claiming that the janitors made more money than her.
For Taurasi, they should be paid for their skills, just like their male counterparts.
“When I think about the NBA, Kobe was paid to be the best basketball player in the world. Jokic was paid to be the best basketball player in the world. I think we need to change that, move to women’s basketball. That’s what you are. Let’s get paid for that and hopefully the next CBA can reflect that.” Taurasi continued.
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For context, Kobe Bryant was the highest-paid star in the league for three seasons (2009-10, 2013-14 and 2014-15). He was the second player to earn a salary of $30 million for a season, in 2013-2014. Michael Jordan was the first to sign a $33 million contract with the Chicago Bulls in 1997-98. Interestingly, Nikola Jokic has never been the highest-paid player, but he will earn more than $55 million in 2025-26, just behind Stephen Curry’s $59.6 million.
According to Forbes in 2024, NBA players were paid significantly more than WNBA players. The WNBA’s average annual salary is $150,000, while the NBA’s average salary is almost $10 million, or about 67 times more.
While it is true that the NBA reaches a global audience compared to the WNBA, the previous CBA did not help women’s crusade for better wages. WNBA players receive a much smaller percentage (around 10%) of revenue. By comparison, NBA players receive 50 percent of the league’s revenue.
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Of course, the counterargument is that the NBA makes way more than the WNBA, and that’s a fact. However, the latter is gradually narrowing the gap, with estimates projecting a turnover of around $1 billion in 2025, driven by superstars like Caitlin ClarkAngel Reese and others.
If WNBA stars play their cards right in CBA negotiations, the days of getting summer jobs overseas will be long gone.
What the WNBPA is looking for
We understand why Taurasi (and many others) denounce the unbalanced revenue sharing model of the old ABC. However, with no agreement in sight in the near future, it appears the process has failed to convince stakeholders that real progress has been made.
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According to at ESPN, “The WNBA’s latest proposal includes an uncapped revenue-sharing model that would increase maximum salaries above $1.3 million (from $249,244 in 2025) and reach nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement; average salaries above $530,000 (from $120,000 in 2025) and increase to more than $770,000 over the life of the agreement; and minimum wages over a quarter of a million in the first year alone (compared to $66,079 in 2025).
Additionally, the union wants 30 percent of gross revenues, while the league wants 15 percent, or roughly the equivalent of half of net revenues.
Even if the negotiations are very far away, it is already a step in the right direction. Regardless of the outcome, WNBA players can expect substantial salary increases and additional benefits from the revamped revenue sharing, whether it’s 30 or 15 percent of gross income.
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Taurasi will unfortunately no longer be there, having announced his retirement in February. Still, the scale of the new negotiations suggests the league can no longer ignore the standards it has championed.
Related: ‘Kobe Cut Us Off’ – Nick Van Exel Reveals MJ’s Advice That Changed Kobe Bryant’s Career
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on January 1, 2026, where he first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Basketball Network as Favorite source by clicking here.
