Kelsey Plum Calls for WNBA Players to Get Bigger Revenue Share

Aces star Kelsey Plum voiced her displeasure with the WNBA’s current pay structure and advocated for a larger revenue share from the NBA on Monday.

“We’re not asking to get paid what the men get paid,” Plum told The Residency Pod. “We’re asking to get paid the same percentage of revenue shared.”

International salaries have far exceeded that of the WNBA for years, as players often have elected to play overseas during the WNBA’s offseason for additional pay. Overseas, players’ salaries could exceed seven figures, something that does not happen in the WNBA. For the upcoming 2023 season, WNBA base salaries will range from $62,285 to $234,936, according to a recent story published in The Athletic. 

Beginning in the 2021 season, WNBA players now benefit from a 50/50 split of revenue with the league. In addition, as part of the WNBA and WNBPA’s new collective bargaining agreement that went into effect in ’20, top-earning players can now make $750,000 when including base salaries, awards and bonuses. Additionally, the Commissioner’s Cup prize pool is $500,000. The bonus pool has doubled to $500,000 while the league’s marketing deals amount to $1.5 million. 

Editors’ note: Nov. 29 at 1:23 p.m. ET: This story was updated to reflect more ways in which WNBA players can earn money on top of their base salaries.