Opinion by MollyMcChesney

“Pay us what you owe us.” This is a motto that the 2025 WNBA players have picked up. There has been a long lasting issue within the WNBA, well before the big names of Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers arrived in the league. 

Quite frankly, the WNBA needs to pay its players what they owe them. 

For as long as the league has been around, it has been losing money and heavily subsidized (supported financially) by the NBA. 

This issue has been largely reflected in the players’ paychecks. Realistically you cannot expect the same effort from WNBA players as NBA players when they are paid such low wages. 

A prevalent issue that has plagued the league is the reffing. There is often a bias against players and it can be seen that the veterans of the league are able to get away with more against the young players. 

This is unacceptable and needs to be addressed and have action taken against them because it has resulted in major and minor injuries to players young and old.

Women’s sports have gained popularity all over the world and if women’s sports are going to succeed, they need to be treated in the same manner as men’s sports. 

When the 2025 regular season came to an end, Napheesa Collier told her story about a discussion with the commissioner of the league, Cathy Engelbert. 

Engelbert made comments regarding Caitlin Clark’s pay and claims that because of the WNBA and Englebert’s, players have the platforms to make money through  opportunities such as brand deals and sponsorships.

The ironic part is that these players do not need the league, the league needs them. 

Further issues have stemmed from this problem including the amount of games and the timeframe of the season. 

Just this year, we have seen stars like Caitlin Clark and Sydney Colson get injured as a result of the violence that the league’s referees have allowed and the amount of time between games that does not allow for recovery. 

These professional players are not being treated with the respect they deserve when it comes to referees, rigor of the season and arguably the most important, the pay. 

The WNBA’s popularity is growing but so is its criticism, rightfully so. 

If nothing is changed, players should turn away from the league. 

There are other options for women’s basketball and, if the players are not treated with the respect they deserve, the only logical option is to go somewhere else because they make the league, the league does not make them.