WNBA Stares at Potential $850 Million Dilemma Amidst Lockout Threat, Unrivaled’s Rise

There is a reason why, even when star WNBA players demand ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us,’ the league hasn’t obliged. It is because they don’t make a profit! NBA commissioner Adam Silver once said, in 2018, that the WNBA’s losses were roughly $10 million a year. Reports last fall said the WNBA was due to lose $40 million in 2024. Amidst this issue, the last thing the league would want is to splurge its money into any additional investments. However, the non-profits aren’t stopping team owners from going big into new practice facilities for their players.

A social media user by the name of ‘Merrikaty’ recently highlighted a comparison of how much the front office of each top WNBA team is spending on their respective practice facilities. At the top is the Los Angeles Sparks, which, according to reports, will be spending a whopping $150 million. In the same price range is a facility for the Portland Fire/Thorns. Meanwhile, the New York Liberty, which announced a Dedicated State-of-the-Art 75,000 sq. ft. practice facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, back in March, will spend $80 million. The Indiana Fever isn’t that far behind with a $78 million investment for a new three-story, 108,000-square-foot facility. The Dallas Wings, who acquired the 2025 1st draft pick Paige Bueckers, will spend $55 million, and the Chicago Sky will spend $38 million.

The revised amount of $48.6 million for the new Dallas Wings facility was recently reviewed by the Dallas City Council committee. Issues arose from the start, as Council member Paula Blackmon called the price tag steep and stated that she would not support any potential cost increases. In her own words, “Don’t come back to us if you need more than 50 million (dollars)”. This would be a problem since Johnny Perez, a resident of an independent senior living complex, had highlighted the need for an amenity accessible to the public as well within the area. Council member Chad West also stated that he expects the community to have access to it.