"Not even a year's worth of my rent" - Fans abuzz as WNBA hikes Finals bonuses amid ongoing CBA negotiations

WNBA fans reacted to the WNBA increasing the per-player bonus on the championship team to $22,908 for the 2025 WNBA season. The amount is more than $20,825, which the New York Liberty players were paid last season.

Reacting to the revealed bonus amount, one of the fans compared the money to a year's rent and slammed the league for not fairly paying their athletes.

"The runner up bonus is not even a year's worth of my rent, and I'm a student renting a 'student' (read: shitty) flat. WNBA is a JOKE when it comes to paying it's athletes."

A fan mocked the low payment and said that players were just playing for glory.

"Lol. Just say they are playing for glory and the status that comes with being a champ. That price is nothing."

With money that low, one of the fans was left guessing if the sum was payment for each of the seven games in the series.

"Is that per game???"

Meanwhile, a fan said that payment wasn't as bad as it was projected.

"That’s not too bad. I would take 22k to play 4-5 games or ride the bench."

With the Collective Bargaining Agreement deadline approaching at the end of October, one of the fans hoped for a bigger paycheck for players.

"I hope higher bonuses are part of the new CBA !!"

A fan predicted this season to be Cathy Engelbert's last season as the WNBA Commissioner.

"This is definitely the last season until WNBA gets a new commissioner, mfers are greedy😭22k to divide amongst the entire team." "Comical smh." one fan said.

Charles Barkley warns WNBA player amid tense CBA negotiations

There are fewer than three weeks left before the new CBA deadline, which ends on Oct. 31. While the players are adamant about their higher wages, the league has refused to comply with the players' demands, citing financial sustainability.

After Napheesa Collier virally revealed her conversation with Cathy Engelbert, the players seemed to have gained more power, as public support has grown. However, in his recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on Friday, Barkley warned players against overreach.

They need to be very careful, they're walking on thin ice right now," he said. "I know they're doing some great things, but you can't overplay your hand…just because you got power and talent, these billionaire owners are just gonna give you everything you want, that's not gonna happen."

Barkley also added that after the players' strike, he didn't like the outcome for himself.

"You know what I was doing? Sitting my Black a** at home, unemployed … playing damn tiddlywinks."

The NBA legend suggested that the best course for the players would be to take the best deal and then continue to grow and renegotiate again after the CBA expires.

"No matter how many millions you got, you’re not a billionaire. So, you always have to be careful overplaying your hand. What you do is, you try to make the best deal possible in the moment and keep growing," Barkley added.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has assured that the WNBA will get a deal done with the players.

Edited by Nandjee Ranjan