By Mark Seavy  

Amid soaring team values and franchise fees, women’s professional sports leagues and their athletes are moving to level the playing field with their male counterparts. 

While a substantial financial gap remains, female athletes are rapidly gaining endorsement deals, sponsorships, licensing deals, and salary increases as these once fledgling leagues shift to sounder financial footing and gain traction as financial investments. 

For example, the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries, which are in the league finals this month against the Atlanta Dream, are valued at $1 billion after negotiating sponsorship deals with 40 brands and generating $100 million in revenue during a 22-game regular season played before sold out crowds. And that was just three years after co-owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, who also own the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, paid a $50-million WNBA franchise fee.