Caitlin Clark has driven interest in the WNBA onto another level but the organization is set to record a stunning financial loss for the season, according to a shock new report.
The New York Post claims it will record an eye-watering $40million loss despite sellout crowds for the current ongoing finals and for multiple Clark Indiana Fever games and TV ratings on the rise.
The publication also says that NBA owners are unhappy with the financial state of the league. The NBA owns around 60 percent of the WNBA and team owners have spent hundreds of millions on the setup, which started in 1996.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said before that the WNBA loses around $10million a year.
The Post quoted an unnamed NBA team executive as saying: ‘The WNBA owes the NBA so much we won’t see any windfall for years.’
The report also says New York Knocks owner James Dolan has been pushing Silver on when they will see a return on their investments.
‘There’s a bunch of owners who see Dolan as their hero for pressing Silver on these questions but Silver is not giving us any answers,’ the executive is quoted as saying.
Back in June, The Washington Post predicted the WNBA would lose $50million for the season, so the recent reports of $40m marks a silver lining.
This year, the organization has been arranging chartered flights for teams – a long-standing request from teams for player safety as the negotiate a packed calendar. But that costs around $25m a year.
In 2026, the WNBA will enter into a $2.2billion, 11-year television deal and from 2025, the WNBA will expand its regular season and playoff schedule.
WNBA stars are paid a surprisingly low amount. Clark’s rookie contract with the Fever is worth around $76,000.
Angel Reese, Clark’s rival at Chicago Sky, said earlier this week that she could not afford her $8,000 monthly rent on her current pay, which is estimated at $74,000.
But thanks to Clark and Reese, among others, interest in the league has grown massively.
This season’s finals, between New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, have been played in front of sellout crowds and the series has gone down to Game 5, with the championship to be settled on Sunday night.
