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One of the largest criticisms of the NWSL has been the minimum salary that many players have had to live with. This was identified as a priority to address by NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush at the NWSL draft.
The NWSL is more than doubling the minimum salary from $7,200 in 2016 to approximately $15,000 in 2017. The minimum was as low as $6,000 in 2013. This was originally reported by Corey Roepken of The Houston Chronicle. A league official confirmed that it is accurate.
It was also confirmed that the NWSL salary cap will go up for 2017 but the exact number was not available yet. The 2016 salary cap was $278,000, an increase from $265,000 in 2015.
With two previous women’s professional leagues having failed after three years, the NWSL has been focused on sustainability. Now entering their fifth season, two teams have been added and the league has steadily matured.
Two teams have been put up for sale but both readily found buyers. The Western New York Flash was purchased by North Carolina FC and re-branded to the North Carolina Courage. FC Kansas City was sold to an investor from Minnesota but the team will remain in Kansas City.