CHICAGO — The WNBA’s investigation into whether a Las Vegas Aces sponsorship deal violated the salary cap was inconclusive, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Saturday.
“No discipline will be recommended or imposed,” Engelbert said during her press conference prior to the WNBA All-Star Game “Of course, if new or additional evidence comes to light, we’ll continue to investigate. But, you know, the integrity of our game is number one.”
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority offered in May 2024 a $100,000 sponsorship agreement to Aces players for each of the following two seasons. That amount exceeded the salaries for six of the players, according to Spotrac.
No such agreement was offered for this season, but player salaries also dramatically rose after the new collective-bargaining agreement was completed in May. Each Aces player earns at least $270,000, according to Spotrac. The initial offer prompted the league to launch a probe into whether it skirted salary-cap rules.
“We did this the right way,” LVCVA president and CEO Steve Hill said at the time. “We did something that we think works for Las Vegas and I think great for the players. We did this without the team. It was our idea and any questions they ask they’ll find that out.”
