Former Opals captain Tess Madgen has hailed the WNBL’s ground-breaking new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) as “phenomenal”, and a “long time coming”.
The four-year deal will see minimum wages increase by 104 per cent over the next four years, and has been labelled the “single biggest investment in the history of the WNBL” by CEO of the Australian Basketball Players’ Association (ABPA), Jacob Holmes.
The current minimum wage for a WNBL player is $23,000, which will increase to $46,952 by 2028/29, equalling the pro-rata rate for men’s players on the minimum wage.
“I didn’t think I would see that happen while I was still alive,” Madgen told ABC Sport.
“For too long, women who play sport professionally within Australia have been undervalued.
Former Opals captain Tess Madgen says it’s smart business sense to invest in women’s sport. (Getty Images: Corbis/Tim Clayton)
“So it has been awesome to see all the key stakeholders get together to make sure players are getting what they deserve.”
The deal, which also sees teams’ salary caps increase by 8 per cent per year, comes at a time when women’s basketball has skyrocketed in popularity globally.
Some have credited this to once-in-a-generation talent and WNBA player Caitlin Clark, with Madgen arguing the ‘Clark effect’ proves investing in women’s sport is a savvy decision.
“Businesses and investors can see, not just with basketball, but also with what the Matildas did at the World Cup, that it’s not just the right thing to invest in women’s sport, it’s actually a smart thing to do,” she said.
Most players still working part-time jobs
Bec Cole, a two-time WNBL champion with the Southside Flyers, agreed that the deal would “change the game” at a time when women’s basketball is undergoing significant overhaul in Australia.
Cole believes the deal will have a huge impact on players who’ve had to juggle study and work with playing. (AAP: Morgan Hancock)
The WNBL is now owned by a consortium led by Robyn Denholm’s Wollemi Capital Group Syndicate, and Larry Kestelman’s NBL, with Basketball Australia retaining a minority stake.
The leadership change had instigated frank conversations about the state of the WNBL, with players continuing to call for improvement in sub-par wages and conditions.
“The wage increase is so great to see, because we have athletes who put in the time and hours and work just as hard as the men and people in other sporting codes, but they’re taking on part-time jobs or studying because they can’t pay their way,” Cole told ABC Sport.
Cole explained that from a roster of 12 contracted players, most teams would currently have only three to five players with the luxury of dedicating full-time hours to basketball.
Cole is one of those “fortunate enough” to be able to focus on training and recovery alone, and says she is regularly “inspired” by her teammates’ professionalism while juggling multiple responsibilities.
“I don’t know how they do it, because the league is getting more professional, and we are doing all these hours, but the money wasn’t quite matching up to it,” she said.
It’s hoped the changes will allow more players to become full-time professionals. (AAP: James Ross)
“So for future generations to actually be able to say they choose basketball, because they can do this as a profession, makes me so happy.”
CEO of the ABPA, Jacob Holmes, confirmed that most WNBL players continue to work part-time jobs to support their basketball careers.
“We want to see that change,” Holmes said, noting that many Australian basketballers have continued their careers overseas for lack of opportunity.
“The opportunity to stay and be a full-time professional is really important, and that’s what we’d like to progress to from this agreement onwards, because this is just the foundation, and there’s still more work to be done.”
More support for mental health, wellbeing
The deal will also see improvements to a range of player conditions, including greater investment in mental health support and career development, as well as contract protection insurance payments for injured players.
Bendigo Spirit won the championship last season. (Getty Images: Ian Hitchcock)
Madgen, who last year retired from the national team, as well as the WNBL, said this was critical in light of the game’s rising popularity.
“That comes with new levels of pressure, like social media expectations and more visibility,” she said.
“So I’m really happy the CBA invests in the wellbeing and development of players off the court, so they can have an identity away from basketball as well.
“Too often, when players retire from whatever sport they do, they go through mental health battles and have a bit of an identity crisis… so it’s really important that we set them up well for retirement.”
The changes will come into effect for the 2025/26 season which will tip off later in the year.
