Angel Reese can’t pay her bills with her WNBA salary. During an interview, Reese, the Chicago Sky’s All-Star, jokingly said, “I don’t even think that pays one of my bills.” Reese’s interview sparked controversy over the current and ongoing problem with the inequality in WNBA and NBA salaries. The public is not content with the large gap between the average salary per year for an NBA player versus a WNBA player. On average, an NBA player makes about $7.5 million per year whereas a WNBA player only makes $128,000. For example, Caitlin Clark, the number one overall ranked WNBA draft pick only, will earn $338,000 over four years on the court. On the other hand, Victor Wembanyama, the number one NBA draft pick in 2023, earns an average annual salary of about $13.8 million. The salary unequal distribution between the WNBA players and NBA players has fans outraged. However, understanding the behind the scenes of WNBA and NBA will explain why players in each luggage get paid so differently.
Firstly, the average attendance per game is vastly different between an NBA and a WNBA game. For example, the average NBA attendance is 17,760 people per game whereas the average WNBA attendance is only 6,535 people per game. Therefore, the demand for NBA game tickets are higher than the WNBA game tickets, increasing the NBA's overall revenue and ability to pay their players higher salaries.
Secondly, there is a difference in the league maturity between the NBA and the WNBA. The NBA was established in 1946 while the WNBA was established in 1996. Thus, the WNBA is still considered relatively new compared to the NBA. Because of the NBA’s well established league maturity, they have had the time to secure sponsors and brand deals, which help contribute to the player’s salaries.
Lastly, NBA players receive greater media attention. On social media accounts like Instagram, the NBA account has a mass following of 89.3 million while the WNBA account only has 3.1 million followers. The media will focus more on the NBA because more fans prefer seeing NBA players than WNBA players. The media’s attention on NBA players increases both the league’s revenue and individual player salaries.
Regardless of these challenges preventing equal salaries for women players, there are efforts that can be made to work towards salary equality between men and women basketball players. Some efforts include increasing collective bargaining agreements, increasing media attention and visibility, and increasing sponsorships.
Despite the salaries difference between NBA players and WNBA players, the rising popularity of players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers, may change the future of the WNBA and may see a rise in game attendance and therefore higher salaries for the women basketball stars.
Works Cited
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/82196/victor-wembanyama#:~:text=Victor%20Wembanyama%20signed%20a%204,dead%20cap%20value%20of%20%2412%2C768%2C960.
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