The new CBA deal highlights ‘why players were aggressive on their demands.’ A five to sixfold raise in pay, and on top of that, a 20% revenue share became talk of the town. Maintaining and improving the facilities mentioned in the commercials is a big win for WNBPA. Rookies like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese also will have a massive surge in their contract values.
While veteran forward Brittney Griner earlier reflected on the ‘positive’ impact of the Clark vs Reese rivalry on the WNBA, she recently spoke about the most meaningful contributor to this historic CBA deal, as per a social media post.
Brittney Griner Credits Angel Reese For CBA Over Caitlin Clark
Even though the WNBA saw a gradual growth over the years, the last two to three seasons have been very ‘productive’ for the league, forcing them to hand the lucrative CBA Deal for the players. Brittney Griner, who earlier said that the past WNBA CBA “didn’t value us”, must be thrilled with the new agreement.
But who takes much credit? As per a ‘fake’ quote posted on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, Griner sided with Reese over Clark. “Thank her for what? That was all Angel Reese. She’s the one who shifted the culture. She made them listen,” the post claims Griner, quoting.
It is important to note that there is no support for such a statement from the Dream forward, and neither any interview nor the media reported the same.
BRITTNEY GRINER: Gives all the credit to Angel Reese for the new CBA deal to WNBA players..
— Hoops (@Hoopss) March 26, 2026
Not Caitlin Clark.
“Thank her for what? That was all Angel Reese. She’s the one who shifted the culture.. She made them listen.”
— Brittney Griner, on Reese’s impact pic.twitter.com/iSo1aRsHLF
As for the players, they both did incredible jobs taking the league to new highs and even adding international fanbases to the ‘W’. Another veteran forward, Breanna Stewart, even praised Clark and Reese for handling the pressure of expectation in the WNBA and thriving at the same time.
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The New CBA deal will benefit the Fever and Sky rookies, too, but there will be a massive gap between the pay, considering their draft selections in 2024.
Massive Pay Difference Between Caitlin Clark And Angel Reese Following New CBA
The 2024 WNBA draft night broke records for the highest views, averaging 2.45 million viewers and peaking at 3.09 million on ESPN, which was a sign of the possible ‘storm’ coming to the league.
While CC and Reese entered the league in the same year, the former Iowa guard was the top pick in the draft, while the LSU Forward was the seventh overall pick by the Sky franchise. Now this impacted the pay under the new CBA.
EPIC example, via @alexaphilippou, for Caitlin Clark:
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) March 20, 2026
– Made $78,066 in 2025
– Salary will jump to $530K in 2026 with new minimums
– Eligible to earn max of $1.3M in 2027 (her fourth year) due to being named All-WNBA previously
– Can sign for $1.7M supermax in 2028 as a UFA
Clark’s 2025 base salary was $78,066, and Reese’s was $74,909. Although the difference between their pay was marginal, in 2026, Clark will receive $527,155, and Reese will get $349,571. That difference is due to new rules in the CBA that stipulate that players will get an extra income boost if they are named to an All-WNBA team in their first or second years of service. The Fever guard earned a place in the All-WNBA after her rookie season.