‘I’m getting my mama a new house’: what happens when a huge pay boost changes WNBA players’ lives?

The league’s new CBA has made some players millionaires. After years of instability, they’re now able to take control of their future

The WNBA is entering its 30th season, a milestone worthy of as big of a celebration as its players could muster – and this year, they mustered up a lot. The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) negotiated a landmark collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league that, among other things, introduces a revenue sharing system and an estimated average salary of $583,000.

This season, all players will make the minimum of $270,000, up from $66,000; others may make as much as $1.4m. It’s money that Alysha Clark, a veteran forward for the Dallas Wings and vice-president of the WNBPA, describes to the Guardian as “amazing”. One of the most incredible aspects of the new deal, she says, is having the ability to pave the way for future generations of WNBA players.