Fever's Sophie Cunningham Calls for Higher Player Salaries in New CBA amid WNBA Growth

With CBA negotiations between the WNBA and the league's player association looming, Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham called for higher player salaries amid the continuing growth for the WNBA.

She read a statement on behalf of the WNBPA on Sunday.

"On behalf of my teammates and every member of our union, I want to be very clear that we remain committed to negotiating the next CBA with the league and the teams, in good faith and privately," Cunningham said. "But we do want to set the record straight, not for the headlines but for the fans who support us and deserve transparency. What's at stake: This is a defining moment in the WNBA. As the league grows, it's time for a CBA that reflects our true value. We are fighting for a fair share of the business that we've built, because it is a business. We are not fighting for anything that's unreasonable. When it comes to salary and revenue share, we are fighting to share in the growth that we've created. Every other category across the business has grown... the only thing that is still capped is our player salaries, which is insane. We deserve a fair share, and we're demanding salaries to reflect our true value in the business. The clock is ticking. We come out here and play most of every night in front of these fans. We will continue to do that, but the current system is unsustainable for us, and that means it's unsustainable for the business that we have created. Nothing short of transformational change will do for the future we see."

Last year, WNBA players opted out of their CBA, which means there could be a lockout if no new deal is agreed upon at the end of the 2025 season.

The WNBA has grown rapidly in recent years, with last season setting several viewership records. It was the most-watched WNBA regular season on ESPN platforms ever, set the single-game attendance record, had the highest attendance totals in 22 years and set the all-time records for digital consumption and merchandise sales, per the WNBA.

The league is also expanding, with the Golden State Valkyries having joined the WNBA this year and two more teams in Toronto and Portland set to enter the league next year.

With the rapid growth coming to the league, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said the upcoming CBA will be "transformative."

"This league is transforming," Ogwumike told ESPN's Kevin Pelton and Michael Voepel in May. "As a players association, we want to evolve with it and have that be reflected in how players are taken care of and how our protections are not getting lapped by the evolution of this league."

The last CBA in 2020 increased the maximum salaries from $117,500 to $215,000 and bumped the cap from $996,100 per team to $1.3 million. Pelton reported that one team source said max salaries could increase to $1 million while the cap could be in the range of $4 million to $5 million per team.

Along with higher salaries, the WNBPA is hoping to have a seat at the table for media rights negotiations. Per The Athletic's Ben Pickman, executive director of the players association Terri Jackson said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert "seemed inclined" to include the WNBPA in the next media rights negotiations.