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Longtime WNBA Star Demands League Pay The Players More

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Feb 25, 2025 1:08 PM ET

With less than one month remaining in the inaugural season of Unrivaled women's basketball, the sport seems primed for another year of incredible growth. But for one WNBA star, it's a chance to make an appeal for higher pay.

In a recent interview, Connecticut Sun guard Natasha Cloud spoke about the takeaway that WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert can take away from what she's seen at Unrivaled thus far. Cloud made it clear that the takeaway is that the players want more money and feel that there is room to grow the sport if the players get more priority.

"We want our money and we want it now. In my ten years in the W, we’ve grown so much, but still have room to grow… Just prioritize the players," Cloud said, via @MylesEhlich on X.

Natasha Cloud on what Cathy Engelbert (who is in the building tonight) and the W can take from Unrivaled: "We want our money and we want it now. In my ten years in the W, we’ve grown so much, but still have room to grow… Just prioritize the players." (Q: @dblfluidity)
— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) February 25, 2025

But the topic of athletes asking for more money has always been a contentious one. Users on social media are largely dismissive of the idea, asserting that the WNBA isn't profitable enough to offer the players more money in the first place:

"I can see why they want their money but the league loses money already so how do they pay more then?" one user replied.

"The league needs to generate money in order to raise salaries. I get that the players want to and should be paid more but where is the revenue going to come from to supplement that? You have to mane a profit first, shoot you have to break even first."

"Unrivaled is unsustainable paying the salaries it does without bringing in a larger audience."

Others feel that those issues are overblown and the future of the sport depends on giving athletes enough money to make the sport worth playing:

"If you think the W “doesn’t have it” to give Unrivaled is proof that they could go get it if they tried. The product is excellent, these ladies deserve to be paid their worth & they should demand that the league give it to them!"

"Tash is all fired up. Love it"

"Tash speaking the truth."

Do you think the WNBA should offer its players more money?

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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