How a WNBA veteran helped secure a historic three billion dollar media rights deal.
Veteran forward Alysha Clark shares her personal journal detailing the high-stakes negotiations behind the WNBA's transformative new contract. This account offers an inside look at the bargaining process that could reshape the future of women's professional sports.
In 2025, the WNBA reached a 3.1 billion dollar media rights agreement, marking a pivotal moment for the league. Alysha Clark, the league's oldest player, participated in the negotiations alongside a Nobel Prize-winning economist. Her journal provides a minute-by-minute perspective on the intensity of these discussions as they approached the final deadline.
The current landscape of the WNBA stands in stark contrast to its early years. When Clark began her career, she earned an annual salary of approximately 36,400 dollars, while players faced modest travel conditions, including economy flights and shared hotel rooms, reflecting the league's initial financial constraints.
