A few months into the WNBA offseason, the silence between the Players Association and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert regarding the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is becoming deafening. The tension reached a boiling point last week when the WNBPA officially authorized its executive committee to call for a strike “when necessary.” While the vote isn’t an immediate walkout, it serves as a high-stakes warning shot: the players are done with a system where the maximum salary is capped at roughly $250,000.
While icons like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese have used their massive brands to secure generational wealth through endorsements, the league’s foundational pay structure remains stuck in the past, creating a volatile environment as the 2026 season looms.
Sophie Cunningham and the “Barely Surviving” Reality of WNBA Salaries
One of the loudest voices in this shift has been Sophie Cunningham, whose fame reached a stratosphere few expected this year. Originally dubbed “Caitlin Clark’s bodyguard” for her fierce on-court protection of the Fever’s superstar, Cunningham has successfully parlayed that grit into a massive digital brand. According to Google’s annual “Year in Search” for 2025, Cunningham landed at No. 7 on the list of most-searched athletes in the U.S., making her the only woman to crack the top ten.
However, despite her skyrocketing visibility and her own successful podcast, Cunningham hasn’t been shy about the financial disparity that still haunts professional women’s basketball.
In a recent appearance on the viral “Sundae Conversation” with Caleb Pressley, Cunningham didn’t hold back when asked if WNBA players actually get paid. “Barely. But we’re still surviving,” she replied with a bluntness that resonated across social media. The interview took a more provocative turn when Pressley jokingly asked if she’d consider OnlyFans as a financial fallback given her free-agent status.
Cunningham played along with a sharp wit, laughing off the “Plan B” suggestion by pivoting to her actual future plans, though the underlying message was clear: for a player of her caliber and reach, the WNBA’s current paycheck is a drop in the bucket compared to her market value.
How Unrivaled and Project B are Rewriting the Script
As the WNBA struggles to finalize a CBA that reflects its new era of popularity, players are increasingly looking toward alternative leagues to get the compensation they deserve. We are seeing a massive shift toward platforms like Unrivaled-the 3-on-3 league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, which offers six-figure base salaries and equity stakes for just a few months of work. Even more disruptive is the new global 5-on-5 startup known as Project B, which is set to launch its inaugural season in late 2026.
Sophie Cunningham has already committed to the project, where reports suggest she will be earning a salary north of $2 million, roughly eight times the WNBA’s current supermax. This “gold rush” toward independent leagues is a direct response to the stagnant negotiations at the WNBA headquarters.
With players like Cunningham, Kelsey Mitchell, and Nneka Ogwumike securing multi-million dollar deals and equity in these international tours, the WNBA’s leverage is slipping by the day. Caitlin Clark hit the nail on the head when she noted that these are the most defining moments in the history of the sport.
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