Draymond Green has never been shy from speaking his mind and this time he turned his attention ot the evolving landscape in the WNBA. The league recently finalized a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) following weeks of negotiations.
While he celebrated the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) reaching a new, more beneficial deal, Green believes the players had more leverage than they actually used and made it clear they could have pushed even further.
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“I was definitely in favor of them locking out because, as good of a deal as this is, I always think you can get better,” he said. “And personally, I don’t think probably 80 to 90% of the women in the WNBA does not solely depend on the WNBA revenue money as their revenue.”
“And unlike the NBA, players can’t hold their ground and end up with these awful deals to save our lives in large part due to it is the main source of money for probably 98% of guys. And so guys be wanting to get back to playing,” he added.
A missed opportunity to maximize leverage
The new CBA, which includes salary increases, improved travel conditions and more overall benefits for players, marks another important milestone for the WNBA, which has seen a surge in popularity in recent years due to the emergence of stars such as Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu.
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The WNBA has seen increases in TV ratings, attendance and investment, driving the league’s upward trajectory. Still, Green believes that growth itself was the very reason players had the upper hand and could maximize their benefits.
“Everybody’s on TV like ‘Oh man, y’all don’t want to lose all the momentum that y’all gain.’ Well, guess who else doesn’t want to lose the momentum they’ve gained? The owners,” Draymond said. “The owners that been funding the league that had been losing money and now it’s winning.”
“And I just felt like with the ladies, they had an opportunity to, if they strike, really apply more pressure to the owners and get more of what they wanted because they all don’t depend on it. They can all go do other things to continue their livelihoods,” he added.
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Historically, many WNBA players have supplemented their income by taking more lucrative contracts overseas in the offseason, with some even walking away from the league entirely. But with increased popularity and revenue in recent years, the WNBA has become a stable league for players to secure better contracts.
It’s long been known that many WNBA players earn most of their income from endorsements. WNBA contracts last season averaged around $120,000, compared to the new CBA, which massively increases the average salary to around $500,000. While the new deal is a massive increase, Green still thinks the players could have done more with the position that they had.
“And I think, for them right now, I think the WNBPA is in the biggest position of power right now as it stands today because as the salary cap rises, people will stop doing other things,” he stated.
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“They’ll stop going to Europe. They’ll stop doing other things because they’ll make more money, and so then this could be their main source of income,” Green continued.
The WNBA’s evolution is evident
Despite Green’s claim that the players had the opportunity to secure a better deal, the current agreement is undoubtedly better than what they had before. The pressure of a lockout during lengthy negotiations also shows that the players have more room to negotiate in the future.
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With the talent in the league at maybe its highest ever and the popularity of some superstars rivalling that of the NBA’s, it can’t be denied that the league is still heading towards an upward trajectory.
But Draymond’s comment offers a reflection on how crucial the WNBPA’s decisions are not only for player salaries and benefits, but also for the future of the league. As the WNBA continues to grow, the owners may have the capability to shape the league, but the players have more power than ever before.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
