The debate over player salaries in the WNBA has intensified after the expiration of the league’s 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement, and billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban believes he has a business-style solution. The Dallas Mavericks minority owner suggested the league borrow a concept from college athletics: Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) partnerships.
For years, the WNBA has faced criticism over pay disparities compared with men’s professional basketball. The issue has become more complicated in the NIL era, where some elite college athletes can earn significant endorsement money before ever turning professional. That reality has occasionally made staying in college financially competitive with joining the WNBA.
As negotiations continue between the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association (WNBPA), reports indicate players are pushing for a major pay increase. The union is seeking roughly triple the current average salary, while league proposals reportedly center around an average of about $540,000 – far above the previous $102,249 figure but still short of player expectations.
Cuban weighed in publicly, offering what he described as a practical financial workaround rather than a traditional salary hike.
Let WNBA teams pay ‘NIL’ money to its players. WNBA teams don’t have the margin dollars from tickets, sponsors, and shared revenues like TV to pay bigger salaries using their own cash flow.
How an NIL-style system could work for the WNBA
Instead of relying entirely on team payroll budgets, Cuban suggested creating sponsor-funded endorsement agreements coordinated by the league. In his concept, companies would pay athletes directly through structured partnerships tied to branding and marketing value rather than standard salary caps.
“With help from the league, they could create NIL deals with sponsors that go directly to the players,” he explained.
“Make it legal. Create a cap per player, based on years of experience.”
The proposal mirrors the college NIL system, where athletes sign endorsement contracts independently of scholarship limits. Cuban argues such a model would allow players to earn more without placing unsustainable financial pressure on franchises.
His reasoning centers on revenue reality. Compared to major men’s leagues, WNBA teams operate on tighter margins and smaller broadcast contracts. According to Cuban, raising salaries dramatically through team payroll alone could strain long-term stability. Sponsor-driven compensation, however, could increase earnings while aligning player pay with marketing value and audience reach.
He even framed the idea humorously through his entrepreneurial background.
Obviously, I’m just spitballing this, but if they came on Shark Tank, that’s what I would suggest.
A possible bridge in ongoing CBA negotiations with WNBA
While negotiations remain unresolved, the previous agreement stays in effect until a new deal is finalized. Cuban’s suggestion highlights a growing trend across sports: blending salary structures with branding income streams.
Supporters of the idea believe it could modernize women’s professional sports economics, especially as player popularity grows through social media and global exposure. Critics, however, may question whether corporate partnerships could create unequal earning opportunities among teammates.
Still, the proposal introduces a creative middle ground – one that doesn’t rely solely on league revenue expansion but instead leverages marketing value to increase compensation.
Whether the WNBA ultimately considers a hybrid pay model remains uncertain. But Cuban’s suggestion underscores a larger shift happening across athletics: athletes are no longer paid only for performance – they are paid for influence.
As collective bargaining talks continue, the conversation now extends beyond salary caps and into the evolving business of sports branding.
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