Women's basketball legend Nancy Lieberman credits Caitlin Clark for new WNBA CBA, higher salaries
WNBA legend Nancy Lieberman believes Caitlin Clark is to thank for the league's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that has allowed players to get much higher salaries.
"She’s a generational player. She came with a fan base of millions, and it’s helping the league,"Lieberman said.
"They don’t get the $2.2 billion collective bargaining agreement, honestly, without her being there."
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That recent surge in attention has helped change the financial future of the WNBA.
The WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association reached a tentative new collective bargaining agreement in March. The deal delivers major salary increases, a larger salary cap and more player benefits.
The new WNBA CBA is a transformative seven-year labor deal establishing the first-ever revenue-sharing model (averaging 20% of league and team revenue). It nearly quintuples the team salary cap and introduces sweeping upgrades to player benefits, family planning and facility standard
Lieberman said Clark’s arrival helped push the league into a new era.
"You can’t deny she brings the media," Lieberman said. "You’re talking about her. You probably weren’t talking about anybody four years ago."
Lieberman compared Clark’s effect on the WNBA to that of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods on their respective sports.
"She’s done her job, just like Tiger did, just like Michael Jordan did," Lieberman said.
Clark entered the WNBA in 2024 after a record-setting college career at Iowa. She brought massive television audiences, sold-out arenas and a national conversation that followed her from college into the pros.
Lieberman said that kind of attention does not take away from the rest of the league. It helps expose more fans to everyone.
"Now, you take A’ja, you take Napheesa, you take Stewie, you take Kelsey Plum, and you take Sabrina, and all these other great athletes, and now you put them together — that’s very formidable," Lieberman said.
"These young players that are coming into the league have this incredible fan base," Lieberman added. "They were making millions of dollars in college with their NILs, so they just brought that to the league...
"We shouldn’t be jealous of them," Lieberman said. "We should celebrate them, not tolerate them."
Clark's Indiana Fever are off to a surprisingly underwhelming start to the 2026 season amid championship expectations after how close the team got last year.
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In 2025, the Fever came one game shy of reaching the WNBA Finals, all while Clark was sidelined with injury. But so far Indiana is off to just a 6-5 start this year, while Clark has seen a seeming decline in shooting accuracy.
But Lieberman believes the Fever will be "fine" as the season develops. Lieberman said teams now circle Fever games the way players once circled matchups with Michael Jordan.
"You see the schedule and you get amped up for the Fever because you’re dealing with some of the most famous players in the league," Lieberman said.
"Same with Angel Reese. So, it's just part of it, people used to get amped for Michael Jordan. It's okay, you've created a reputation for yourself, you've been able to exceed the reputation, and people want to play against the best."
She said the same is true for other marquee teams and stars.
"It’s like the Aces," Lieberman said. "You look at the schedule and you go, ‘We’re playing A’ja Wilson,’ and you get amped up for this. Same with Angel Reese."