They don’t put in extra work. They don’t     go above and beyond to hone their     skills, improve their game. This is a     club. This is a get together. This is a     player meet and greet. This is a     hangout. And the WNBA is just where they     choose to hang out. And the NBA and the     owners within the league, they’re     funding this hangout.     The WNBA is staring down a ratings     disaster with Commissioner Kathy     Angelberg watching her league’s fragile     surge of popularity collapse like glass     under pressure. The harsh reality is     unavoidable. The league’s biggest draw,     Caitlyn Clark, is sidelined, and without     her, the spotlight has vanished.

Attendance is dipping, TV numbers are     falling, and the WNBA is sliding back     toward its pre2024 obscurity at     lightning speed. proof that without its     star attraction, the momentum was always     paper thin.     Can you feel the panic reverberating     throughout the WNBA dump? WNBA players     think they have leverage. Key word,     think. Now, in their defense, they do     have leverage in the short term. The     numbers tell the story, and it’s brutal.     Since Caitlyn Clark went down with a     quad injury on May 24th, WNBA ratings     have collapsed.     National TV viewership has cratered 55%     with Indiana Fever Games taking the     hardest hit. When Clark played, they     averaged 1.81 million viewers.

Without     her, that figure has plunged to just     847,000,     a staggering 53% drop. The message is     crystal clear. The WNBA’s momentum lives     and dies with one player and her absence     is devastating.     Now, I don’t know what to believe from     financials, but they got a lot of money     backing them from TNT Sports and a lot     of investors. And word has it that they     came within $10 million of breaking even     their first season.     That’s damn sight a lot. That’s damn     sight a lot better than the WNBA’s done     ever.     The 2025 WNBA All-Star game was a     reality check. With Caitlyn Clark     sidelined, ratings plunged 36% from     2024’s record 3.44 million viewers to     just 2.19 million. And here’s the twist.

That disappointing number still ranks as     the second highest all-star audience in     League history.     Translation:     Before Clark’s arrival, the WNBA’s TV     numbers were embarrassingly low. Her     absence didn’t just dent viewership. It     exposed how much the league’s newfound     relevance depends entirely on one     superstar. Unrivaled will forever change     the WNBA for sure.     And the way that they do business, the     way that they treat their players, any     agreement going forward, Unrivaled did     things that were unprecedented. And I     think it showed players their value. And     players in that upcoming CBA are going     to ask for everything. And I think that     they’re going to have to make something     work if they want to see the product on     TV. Right. If you’re enjoying, please     leave a like and subscribe our channel.

Commissioner Kathy Angelberg is surely     losing sleep as the WNBA’s meteoric rise     quickly turns into a freef fall. The     leader who once inherited a skeleton     staff of 12 and steered the league     through a pandemic crisis now faces an     even more daunting reality. A league     utterly reliant on one superstar. With     Caitlyn Clark sidelined, the fragile     foundation of the WNBA success has been     laid bare for everyone to see.     Essentially stalled for a new collective     bargaining agreement in the WNBA.     For the first time ever, WNBA players     think they have leverage. key word     think. Now, in their defense, they do     have leverage in the short term.

The     problem is if this shortterm leverage is     used in the 2026 WNBA season is     cancelled, it could have devastating     long-term impacts on pretend basketball.     Angelberg is facing growing criticism     from every direction.     Stars like Caitlyn Clark and Kelsey Plum     have openly called out the league’s     officiating inconsistencies. While     attendance and viewership keep cratering     without the WNBA’s biggest attraction on     the floor, she’s been forced to go     public, admitting that officiating     consistency is a priority and an area     that needs improvement.     But let’s be real, better whistles won’t     fix the core issue. Without Caitlyn     Clark, the WNBA struggles to matter, and     fans are tuning out in droves. I I’m     wondering will will the WNBA get within     10 million this season? I kind of doubt     it considering Kaylin Clark’s missed     what 13 14 games or something like that.     We saw ticket prices plummeted.     Uh we know the ratings have gone down     in games that she’s not involved with,     which has drove the ratings down across     the league. So, I don’t know.

Perhaps     the most baffling piece of this saga     unfolded during collective bargaining     talks. Reports indicate WNBA players     rejected a proposal that would have     skyrocketed their minimum salaries from     back/doll6600     to back/doll 25000     and raised maximum salaries from     back/doll 25000     to back/doll 1 million. Phoenix Mercury     forward satisi labeled the offer of slap     in the face.     Think about that.     Players in a league bleeding back/doll50     million annually, one that has never     turned a profit in nearly three decades,     turned down a chance to quadruple their     paychecks.     They dismissed an offer that could have     made many of them millionaires while     competing in a league kept alive only     through NBA subsidies, reportedly around     back/doll 15 million a year. It’s a     decision that highlights just how wildly     detached the players demands are from     the league’s financial reality.     In the All-Star game, wearing pay us     what you owe us t-shirts. WNBA players     whose salaries are subsidized by the NBA     wear t-shirts declaring pay us what you     owe us.

They must have thought this was     a great idea. Oh, folks, we’re really     going to stick it to the owners. We are     really going to stick it to the league.     We’re going to walk out in solidarity     with a t-shirt that says, “Pay us what     you owe us.” And then they’ll have no     choice but to pay us what they owe us.     Now, my question is, what exactly?     The delusion is mind-blowing, and one     baffled fan summed it up perfectly. So,     they turned down million-doll salaries     in a league bleeding cash. These players     genuinely believe they deserve NBA level     pay while competing in a league that     drew just 160,000 viewers for a Mercury     game without Caitlyn Clark. The math     doesn’t lie and the truth is brutal. You     can’t demand superstar wages when the     product itself struggles to attract even     a fraction of the audience. Is that     Paige Becker’s 10week commitment to     Unrivaled     10Week commitment 10 weeks to unrivaled?     She will make more in that first year     than she will in the WNBA where she’s     only projected to make $78,000.

And I know there’s still some haters,     some unbelievers mad that women decided     to bet on themselves, make this startup     that is already putting putting the foot     on the gas, right? Already making the     WNBA look bad. I I understand that. And     they’re wondering, how are they paying     for it? Well, Unrival made a million     dollars in ticket sales this year.     Unrivaled made over a million dollars in     merchandise sales this year. And that’s     not even counting like the jersey.

The harsh truth. the WNBA refuses to     face is simple.     Caitlyn Clark isn’t just the league’s     brightest star. She is the league. The     evidence is overwhelming.     In 2024, Clark was directly tied to     26.5% of all WNBA economic activity,     driving merchandise, ticket sales, and     television viewership to unprecedented     highs. As ESPN Steven A. Smith bluntly     stated, “Clark is both the cash cow and     the box office.” And when she’s absent,     ratings collapse. The numbers paint a     staggering picture. Broadcasts featuring     her accounted for nearly 45% of the     WNBA’s total television value. Her debut     alone against the Chicago Sky drew 2.7     million viewers, while a rematch without     her saw ticket prices crash to just     back/doll three. The verdict couldn’t be     clearer. The WNBA’s momentum, relevance,     and financial viability are anchored to     one player. Without Clark, the league     instantly reverts back to irrelevance, a     niche product with dwindling interest.     The market has spoken, and it isn’t     buying the WNBA without Caitlyn Clark.

Alex Brazelle,     the co-founder of the threeon-ree     women’s basketball league, composed of     exclusively WNBA players, told Front     Office Sports that the league has signed     nearly 90% of its player pool for the     2026 season. Quote, “We have a few spots     left. Open the field and then we’re     pretty much ready to go.”     Here’s where the WNBA’s problems go from     troubling to downright infuriating.     Instead of protecting its golden goose,     the league has allowed a culture of     targeting to grow around Caitlyn Clark.     Even Sophie Cunningham, Clark’s own     teammate, admitted she’s had to step     into the role of enforcer because     referees have repeatedly failed to     protect the league’s biggest star. As     Cunningham put it, this didn’t happen     overnight. It’s been building for years     as officials turned a blind eye. The     most glaring examples speak for     themselves.     Clark was poked in the eye by JC Sheldon     and later knocked flat by Marina Mabry.     Despite the reckless contact, referees     refused to eject Mabry from the game.

Only after a wave of public outrage did     the league retroactively upgrade her     fell to a flagrant two. This is not an     isolated incident, but part of a     dangerous pattern where excessive     physicality against Clark is tolerated     until backlash forces the WNBA’s hand.     Even legendary tennis champion Chris     Ever weighed in, blasting the league’s     treatment of Clark and asking when     players would finally accept and respect     that she’s the best thing to happen to     women’s basketball.     The WNBA’s failure here isn’t just bad     officiating. It’s a terrible look for     the sport and a direct threat to its     future.     I’ve been telling y’all this. The league     doesn’t like Unravel.

I’m I’m I’m tired of going back and     forth with people that’s um     no business will want you to work for     them and then basically replicate their     business and try to make it better and     all that type of stuff. No business does     that. So it it baffles my mind how a lot     of y’all sit back and think, “Oh, the     WNBA loves Unrivaled.” No, they don’t.     The reality that many WNBA players     refuse to acknowledge is that the league     operates in financial quicksand.     In 28 years, the WNBA has never turned a     profit, averaging losses of over     back/doll 10 million annually, according     to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. That     alone exposes the fragility of the     so-called boom Clark has generated. The     NBA currently props up the league with     about back/doll5 million in annual     subsidies while holding a 60% ownership     stake. Factor in individual NBA owners     who also have shares in WNBA franchises     and that control jumps to roughly 75%.     The dependence is so severe that one NBA     executive bluntly told the New York     Post, “The WNBA owes the NBA so much we     won’t see any windfall for years.”     Against this backdrop, the player salary     demands look absurd. They’re essentially     employees of a company that bleeds money     year after year, yet expect to be     compensated like employees of the NBA,     the most profitable sports league in the     world. The math doesn’t add up. In fact,     it’s laughable if it weren’t so     destructive to the league’s long-term     stability. It continues to show that     this league is where people want to be     because they treat them right. They’re     providing the resources for them.

They’re promoting them the way they     should be promoted and that’s what     women’s basketball players deserve.     That’s what women deserve. A lot of you     may be wondering, well, why can’t     Unrival do it and why can’t the WNBA do     it? The WNBA can do it, but you have     need to understand can and will and     choose to are all different.     What we’re seeing now is the WNBA     sliding back into its natural state. A     little watched league surviving on NBA     charity. Without Caitlyn Clark,     viewership has dropped sharply,     attendance is down, and social media     buzz has evaporated.     But as one analyst bluntly noted, it’s a     nice story, but it’s not the same.     Neither of them are Caitlyn Clark. The     league’s frantic attempts to find a     replacement only prove the obvious.     Clark isn’t just a star, she’s     irreplaceable, and without her, the WNBA     struggles to matter.     Unrivaled is making moves.     Unrivaled is making moves and they     making them in a major way, y’all. They     are making moves in a major way.     Unrivaled announced the signings of Now     look, they’re going and getting the the     young popping upcoming talent. WNBA,     y’all better figure something out. Y’all     better figure something out.

Unrivaled     is making moves. We already see the     players talking about they are willing     to strike. They want what they want. Pay     a switch. Oh, pay us what you     Angelbert now finds herself trapped in     an impossible situation.     She’s watching the WNBA short-lived     surge of popularity collapse in real     time, all while dealing with players who     appear utterly detached from financial     reality.

The same commissioner who once     confidently predicted expansion to 16     teams by 2028 must now face a darker     possibility. Without Caitlyn Clark,     those expansion dreams may evaporate     entirely.     The league’s upcoming back/doll 2.2     billion media rights deal spread over 11     years was negotiated almost entirely on     the back of Clark’s unprecedented     impact. But if her injuries linger, or     worse, if she decides to walk away from     a league that has failed to protect her,     the true value of that deal could face     serious doubts. Angelberg surely knows     every game Clark misses is another blow     to the league’s mainstream relevance.

The irony is striking. The WNBA failed     to shield its most valuable asset from     excessive targeting. And now the     league’s survival hinges on Clark’s     health and willingness to endure. With     ratings tanking, attendance falling, and     players demanding salaries the league     cannot sustain, Angelbert’s worst case     scenario is unfolding before her eyes.     The fragile foundation of the WNBA is     cracking, and its future grows shakier     by the day. Now, the WNBA has allowed     players to play in offseason leagues for     however long because they know that they     are not paying them high enough     salaries. Now, the goal of all the WNBA     players, including Nefisa and Stewie,     which is why they started Unrivaled, is     to be able to pay the players more, give     them livable wages, make it so they     didn’t have to go overseas.

And I     commend them for that. I think that’s     it’s fantastic what they did with Un.     WNBA’s current collapse is a harsh     reminder that star power fuels     professional sports and efforts to     downplay an individual’s impact almost     always backfire.     The league worked tirelessly to present     its rise as collective growth rather     than Clark-driven momentum, and that     narrative has now imploded.     Meanwhile, players rejecting a four-fold     salary increase while demanding even     higher pay have exposed a staggering     disconnect from economic reality.

They     want NBA level salaries while producing     WNBA level ratings.     And without Clark on the floor, those     ratings are plunging back to pre2024     levels of irrelevance.     The truth is unavoidable. The WNBA     survival hinges on one superstar, no     matter how badly the league tries to     pretend otherwise. WNBA is still under     this major umbrella of the NBA, and a     lot of that affects the way they do     things. As long as the WNBA is in this     360 deal with the NBA, you’re not going     to see them promoting their players,     paying their players, all the things     that Unrivaled is able to do because     they don’t have that middle.

Commissioner Angelbert’s legacy will     ultimately be defined by how she     navigates this crisis. If she can     persuade Caitlyn Clark to return while     ensuring the league’s brightest star     feels both protected and valued, there’s     still a chance to preserve the momentum     built over the past year. But if she     continues allowing player delusion to     dominate negotiations while failing to     safeguard her most important asset, she     risks overseeing the WNBA slide back     into obscurity, a scenario that once     seemed unthinkable, but now feels     increasingly inevitable with every game     Clark misses. The reality couldn’t be     clearer. Without Caitlyn Clark, the WNBA     is nothing more than another struggling     women’s basketball league struggling to     draw attention. The ratings prove it.

The attendance proves it. The     merchandise numbers prove it. Clark     isn’t just the league’s top star. She is     its present and its future. The sooner     Angelbert and the league’s leadership     accept this reality and build policies     around it, the better chance they have     of keeping the WNBA relevant in an     increasingly crowded and unforgiving     sports entertainment marketplace.     Ignoring this truth will only accelerate     the league’s collapse back into     irrelevance.     If you enjoyed leaving a like and     subscribing, more videos are on the     screen now.