History is often shaped by quiet, incremental moments. For Connecticut Sun center Brittney Griner, her milestone was marked by a turnaround jumper against the Los Angeles Sparks at Mohegan Sun Arena May 30. With that basket, the 6-foot-9, 10-time All-Star, WNBA champion with the Phoenix Mercury, became the 18th player in WNBA history to surpass 6,000 career points, helping the Sun secure an 84-81 win. Reaching this milestone cements Griner’s status as an elite offensive player and redefines her as a leading figure in women’s basketball history.
The Business of Basketball: The 2026 CBA Transformation
While Griner’s achievement solidifies her on-court reputation, her current work environment reflects seismic shifts in the WNBA’s fundamental economics. Earlier this year, the WNBA and Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) finalized an extensive Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), effective through 2032. This landmark labor contract redefines salary standards, revenue sharing, and workplace protections.
Under the 2020 labor agreement, maximum player salaries hovered around $242,000, significantly lower than international offers. This pay ceiling reduced domestic earning potential, leading elite American athletes to seek income abroad. Data compiled by The Associated Press found that top European and Russian clubs routinely offered salaries exceeding $1 million per season—illustrating a sharp economic contrast for athletes making career decisions.
It was this exact economic disparity that famously led Griner to play in Russia during the WNBA offseason. According to a report from CNBC, Brittney Griner was arrested in February 2022 at a Russian airport on accusations of smuggling vape cartridges with cannabis oil, an event that had a significant impact on her career.
Griner, 35, stated bluntly that wage disparities forced women athletes to travel across the globe to achieve financial parity with their male counterparts, where average NBA salaries often exceed WNBA averages by multiples of 40 or more. “The whole reason a lot of us go over is the pay gap,” Griner noted.
This financial revolution immediately affects top-tier superstars. Under the new CBA, the maximum contract salary has risen to $1.4 million in its first year, clearing the path for the first multimillion-dollar player valuations in women’s professional sports. Average league salaries are projected to exceed $583,000, significantly reshaping the global landscape of women’s basketball.
A Homecoming on the Horizon
The WNBA’s evolving business landscape will soon bring Griner’s career full circle. She is currently playing in Connecticut under a lucrative one-year, $1.19 million maximum contract, reflecting the league’s new elite salary structure.
Meanwhile, the Sun franchise is preparing to relocate. In March 2026, the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the $300 million sale and move of the Connecticut Sun to Houston Rockets owner Tilman J. Fertitta. The team will complete the 2026 season in New England before officially relocating to Texas for the 2027 season, reviving the Houston Comets brand—the league’s original dynasty.
For Griner, a Houston native, the relocation offers a fitting conclusion to her career. Her pursuit of scoring and blocking records will now take place before her hometown crowd. Griner’s milestones do more than rewrite the record books; they validate the league’s corporate growth, rising salaries, and increased public respect that she and her peers have worked for over decades.
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