WaPo:
Multiple people connected to the WNBA, however, cautioned that only around 40 percent of WNBA revenue actually reaches the league’s teams and players.
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Also hanging over the league: the expectation that the players will opt out of the collective bargaining agreement next year. In the past, the players have been frustrated by what they view as a lack of transparency about the league’s finances.
Another lingering question in WNBA circles is how league decisions are made. When [the WNBA commissioner] announced the league would pay for charter flights ahead of this season, plenty were pleased but didn’t understand what had changed or who ultimately signed off on the expense, which [the commissioner] said would cost $25 million per year for the 12 teams.