If you're upset about WNBA player salaries, you need to invest in women's sports

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Meg Hall on the WNBA salary conversation.

Good morning, Winners! My name is Meghan L. Hall, your resident WNBA and women’s college basketball savant, and I want to discuss something that so many people are talking about right now — WNBA salary.

Let’s talk about how we got here.

The 2024 WNBA Draft was one of the most anticipated draft classes ever because it was loaded with talent and spearheaded by college basketball greats like Cameron Brink, Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso and Caitlin Clark. The collision of the WNBA’s growth and the rise of women’s college basketball is spectacularly happening in real time.

Naturally, that puts the WNBA under a microscope. Issues that have plagued the league for many seasons, like salaries, are bubbling up to the surface again. People are learning the league’s inner workings and calling out the elephant in the room: Why aren’t WNBA players making more money?

For example, according to salary data from Sportrac, Caitlin Clark’s WNBA rookie scale deal will have her make just $338,056 over the next four years. The Aces’ Jackie Young makes a bit more than $250,000 annually, reportedly the highest annual value on a contract in the league.

Other leagues dwarf those raw salary numbers, and folks new to the league are curious about why. Particularly when it comes to the NBA comparison.

To understand that, one must know the league is only 28 years old — well below the 75-plus years its NBA counterpart has been around. It’s been around longer, so it’s seen more investment from outside resources. The NBA has $2.5 billion in media rights deals. The WNBA, comparatively, only has $60 million.

To truly make a fair comparison, you’d have to look at where the NBA was in its 30th year with all of its struggles. Playoff games were taped on a delay. The audience wasn’t there. The league nearly folded because of how unpopular it was and the problems the athletes had. So, why all the fuss about a league so young?

The WNBA’s talent, which so many people have recently discovered, is certainly worth more investment. The league and its owners know things like expansion teams, state-of-the-art practice facilities, and more charted flights are how you sow into the long-term success of its athletes.

But investment can’t just come from the league itself. It comes from TV and media rights deals, partnerships, better negotiations in the next collective bargaining agreement, and detailed storytelling about players. And, just as crucially, it comes from you. Fans consistently watching and showing up to games matters. It shows big-money investors how much people care about this league.

If people want the WNBA to succeed, they have to be ALL IN with their support and show up, like the players and coaches have been doing for decades.

WNBA Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison told For The Win in 2023 that the WNBA is “the best-kept secret that is not so secret.” She’s right.

The secret has been out. It’s time for everyone else to join the women’s sports movement.

The Warriors’ Big 3 might be finished

The Golden State Warriors’ season is over after a loss in the 9-10 Play-In Tournament game to the Kings, Mike Sykes writes. 

This certainly isn’t how the team envisioned itself finishing, but that happens when you’re not constantly on your A-game in an all-time competitive Western Conference.

This may have been the last hurrah for this Golden State team — particularly with the trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Thompson in particular, who shot a putrid 0-10 from the field against Sacramento, is up for a new contract. It’s not a guarantee he’ll be back.

RELATED: Klay Thompson was giving big last-game vibes after the Warriors loss

Curry was asked about the possibility of the Big 3 returning. On one hand, he said, “I can never see myself not playing with those two,” about Green and Thompson. On the other hand, though, he also said, “I just want to win.”

Steph Curry on Draymond/Klay: “I can never see myself not with those two guys.”

Are big changes needed? “I just want to win.” pic.twitter.com/ugRK6e8eeb

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 17, 2024

What should we make of that? I have no idea. We’ll have to wait a few months here to find out.

The Flyers messed it up for everyone

The Flyers ruined SO MANY NIGHTS by pulling their goalie against the Capitals for no reason on Tuesday, Mike Sykes writes. 

Charles Curtis has the situation for you here:

“It was the scenario we were all hoping for, mostly for the drama: the Philadelphia Flyers needed to beat the Washington Capitals but ONLY in regulation on Tuesday.

Otherwise, Philly was out, and some of that might open the door for the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins to grab the second Wild Card spot in the East.

Here’s the thing: the Red Wings went to overtime against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday BEFORE the end of the Flyers game, which eliminated Philly on the spot. But John Tortorella and the Flyers didn’t know that. So in a tie game, the scenario we wanted happened — in a tie game, Philly pulled its goalie, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS UNNECESSARY! —  and the Capitals scored to win the contest.”

That’s a tough way to go out, man. I offer condolences to Red Wings, Pens, and Flyers fans.

Quick hits: This INCREDIBLE Kate Martin story … Nurkic stomping on the Warriors’ grave … and more

— Meghan Hall has more on the incredible story of Kate Martin getting drafted by the Aces, as told by TikTok.

— Jusuf Nurkic’s hate for Draymond Green and the Warriors runs deep. Here’s Charles Curtis with more.

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea with the biggest draft needs for all 32 NFL teams.

— Team USA has a 12th man! Kawhi Leonard has reportedly agreed to play. Cory Woodroof has more.

— Here are all the players who will miss out on NBA awards because they missed too many games this year.

— This Lil Yachty meme is the absolute best. Love this.

That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for reading TMW today. Appreciate you! Peace. We out.

-Meg & Sykes