On a recent episode of ESPN's "The Jump," ex-NBA player Chauncy Billups and ex-NBA coach Stan Van Gundy said that they believe that WNBA players deserve to be paid more money. Also, say if they were to get 50% of the WNBA revenue it would mean they would owe instead of receiving increased salary. you gotta take a breath, kid. If that is so then why can Russia and Europe and China pay them well? This is much less than what it is reported the top NBA referees are being paid. Prior to this season, Cambage last played in the WNBA in 2013. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the new game.] The NBA's annual revenue is $7.92 billion, while the WNBA's is $60 million not enough to cover NBA players Kevin Love and Damian Lillard's combined salaries. They deserve to be able to play the game they love without needing to get a second job to pay the bills. Clearly, the WNBA still needs to work on establishing its long-term viability, and some might argue that the players shouldnt request raises until the league has become more financially stable. Now, Team USA is in Spain, about to play in the FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup which tips off later this week in Tenerife, with the final on Sept. 30. In the NBA, the same ratio is about 4.7. The success of this campaign resulted in the WNBA being the first pro league to take part in the NYC Pride Parade in 2016. Before winning a historic gold medal in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games, the U.S. Womens National Ice Hockey Team was battling off the ice for equal pay. The NBA loves supporting women, like Kyrie Irving, who is a professional mens basketball player who currently plays for the New York Nets. According to ESPN estimates, NBA players receive around 50 percent of the EBRI; WNBA players receive around 22 percent. That being said -- in response to Cambages' comment -- the WNBA does appear to have enough money to pay its top players as well as an NBA referee. So, I think people support us and recognize that women work too hard to get the little pay they do, but wheres the change? If you cannot draw the fans and advertising dollars on your own, why would you expect the NBA to be your support bra? The guys would be way too long and athletic for the girls to score. Jessica Luther is a freelance journalist, an author and a co-host of the feminist sports podcast Burn It All Down.. I choose to ignore them and not attend the games because, to be blunt, the product isnt very good. As Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner wrote on Instagram earlier this year, I do believe we should get paid more in the WNBA before players decide to only play overseas and rest our bodies during the summer.. Seriously, not a single person. The league minimum for a player with two or fewer years of service is $41,202; for three or more years of . How are you supposed to get nice equipment when you dont have the money to pay for it. Las Vegas Aces point guard Kelsey Plum wants to change that. The fact that NBA players get a much larger piece of the revenue pie does seem to say something about how each respective league values its players. Zion Williamson at 68 can jump 44 and broke a rim during an all star game due to dunking the ball with two hands so hard. This should not be tolerated. Where the NBA pays its players between 49-51 percent of the league's revenue, WNBA players take home a maximum of 22.8 percent. All rights reserved. But let's talk about the competitiveness of the field for a minute, because, arguably, it's true: In many sports, the difference in skill and ability between the top women's athlete, and say, the 100 th-ranked women's athlete, is a much wider gulf than the same comparison between male players of similar ranks.For instance the recent women's football World Cup match between the #1 . Bradley Beal, who is also a professional player who currently plays for the Washington Wizards, is always finding ways to support the Washington Mystics. I dont know how any single person could enjoy watching someone shoot wide open jump shots and wide open layups. With this deadline looming, the players would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity and compel the league to come to the table with an offer commensurate to their worth. While all four of the major Grand Slam tennis tournaments have awarded men and women equal prize money since 2007 when Wimbledon finally evened its pay gap, the games biggest female stars have not held back when it comes to speaking out about equal pay. Relative to the history of the league, this was an extraordinary success, up 39 percent from last year. Djokovic, also top ranked, won one Grand Slam, seven titles and the year-end ATP championships. But should they be seeing an increase in their earnings? As The New York Timesreported in 2016,only half ofWNBAteams have managed to become profitable 20 years after the leagues founding. So playing womens basketball overseas is way better. So not only are the players taking home 30% less than their NBA counterparts its 20% of a much smaller pie. If we also assume that what players have done so far (prior to Friday's games) allows us to forecast each player's final production of wins in 2018 (wins produced can be measured with the player's box score statistics), then here are the fifteen most valuable players in the WNBA (in terms of their forecasted season wins production and the estimate of their salary if the WNBA was paying players like the NBA): It certainly appears that if the WNBA paid like the NBA, the top WNBA players would be paid better than what we think the top NBA referees are receiving. Of course the real issue has nothing to do with sexism and everything to do with the fact that theWNBAsimply isnt very popular with Americans. We don't know exactly how much revenue the WNBA brings in, but given the league's minimum ticket prices, average attendance, and the value of its ESPN television deal it appears revenue was at least $51.5 million in 2017. Copyright 2008-2023 BroBible. Boys and men pick on the league every day. From 2014 to 2017, Cambage competed in China and her native Australia. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. In 2017, the league aired 20 games live on Twitter, while also offering a new fantasy game on the fantasy platform FanDuel. He'll need to connect with all of his players . Also, overseas love basketball and put butts in seats regardless of who is on the court. In fact, theWNBAs big television contractwas itself a byproduct of the channelreworking its agreement with their male counterpart. There is no difference between the girls college tournament and the WNBA. These numbers were promoted by theleague as the highest since 2003. Basketball. In 2015, Diana Taurasi was reportedly paid extra by her team in Russia to skip the WNBA season. The maximum veteran salary is $113,500. So much talent seems to go to waste because so many girls dont get drafted since theres not enough space in the league. After all, sponsors want exposure for their brand. The financial success of professional athletes has almost nothing to do with their talent and everything to do with the entertainment the public receives from it. To watch all these spoiled assholes get their pay knocked down to WNBA levels would have each and every one of them blowing a top about why they should be paid more, to which then the feminists and WNBA players would chime in about how unfair it is. But in terms of pay, it definitely is not. According to a 2014 study by the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, Women sports receive only 4 per cent of all . Of course, the NBA rakes in far more revenue. If Im going to spend my time and money to watch professional basketball, why would I choose the Mystics over the Wizards? The Players Association wants a higher share of the estimated basketball-related income (EBRI). The WNBA will never take viewers from the NBA either. Following the success of the 2014 Pride Campaign, the league has continued to reach out to gay fans, promoting stories about their LGBT players, and offering special merchandise for Pride Month and Pride Night games. The guys are 10 times more athletic than the girls too. For the sake of the future of the WNBA and its need to stop the top players from skipping entire seasons, maybe the league should want the same thing. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. In other words they would have to pay to play. I know this is a controversial statement because women are never supposed to ask for more than they have, lest they be ungrateful for whatever theyve been given thus far. Lets look beyond skill and size. The WNBA is 50 years behind in building its brand and working out labor issues. The latest example of this economic fallacy emerged when Aja Wilson of theWNBAs Las Vegas Acestook to Twitter to pokeLeBronJamessnew contract with the Las AngelesLakers. As many may not know, men get paid way more money than womens basketball does. So instead of grumbling about the salaries male basketball players enjoy, perhaps Aja Wilson should be thankful that the mensproduct helps bolster her own paycheck. So most of us dont get drafted or better yet, we get waved off because there isnt enough space and they can only pay for so many players. A post shared by Kelsey Plum (@kelseyplum10). All rights reserved. In the WNBA the range of salaries is $117K to $215K for the highest-paid players. And while thats not a dollar amount to sniff at, these women only have so long to earn money off their athletic ability. This is Discrimination against women. The top players in the NBA will now be able to earn six figure salaries, more than half a million. Last year, Minnesota Lynxs Seimone Augustus told The Undefeated that the reasons players continue in the league is for history and for the future. Proclaiming that women should get paid as much as men is a great way for a man to demonstrate his feminist bona fides. It took the NBA 72 years to get to where the league is today, while the WNBA is only in its 21st season. Ninety-five percent or higher of sports media content is focused on men, even though women make up 40 percent of all sports participants. This . Fact is the average WNBA salary, slightly less than $100,000, is roughly 1.5 percent of the average NBA salary, which exceeds $7 million. With a net worth estimated to be somewhere between $5 million and $17 million dollars, Brittney Griner might be the highest paid female basketball ever. Total revenue for the NBA hit $7.4 billion in 2022. It was, like, if you were a top player, no matter what you did, you were just going to make this one sum of money. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images). Where is the fair day's wage for the fair day's work? WNBA players, who continue to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the league, also have been outspoken about the wage gap between their pay and that of the men's teams. Playing overseas in Europe, Asia, or Australia can often pay substantially more than playing in the United States. Women represent 44 percent of NFL fans, while 28 percent of women say they follow pro baseball, and 29 percent report that they follow the NBA. Theyre making the most of it while they can. about what they have said to make them seem petty or jealous. He talks about how womens basketball is his favorite thing to watch because of the way we play the game and work together. At the end of the day, just about any article focusing on how athletes are either under (or over) paid stem from the fallacious view that their compensation is an inherent product of their labor, rather than the subjective values of consumers. Many NBA players are vocal in their support of the womens league because of the quality of play and because they understand the hard work these women put into their game. The above analysis says the WNBA should be able to match such an offer. The team went on to earn the gold at the world championships, then captured its first Olympic gold in 20 years by defeating Team Canada in PyeongChang. The financial disparities between the leagues are undeniable. The WNBA does not have the amount of television contract and sponsorship money to warrant paying players more, having a longer season, and/or make other investments to the league. And in sport, just as in society, women are fighting back, working towards the day when pay equality is achieved. When it comes to me and my opinions, I strongly believe women should be paid the same amount as men maybe even more. is not about comparing the WNBA to the NBA as apples-to-apples salaries. Yes they are. Founded by Billie Jean King. why because you cant handle the facts and I do agree some parts are harsh but you cant say its rude because its right. In a perfect world, WNBA and NBA players would be paid the same salary and garner the same amount of viewers. However, 48 million dollars per year is more than enough for me. That's not a lot, and it's certainly less than even the lowest-paid players in Major League Soccer . The league has more gay players and fans, percentage-wise, than any other major professional sport. In fact, far more than I see and hear them for the Wizards, the local NBA team. Join now to unlock comments, browse ad-free, and access exclusive content from your favorite FDRLST writers. Sue Bird is arguably the best player in the WNBA and Lebron James is the best player in the NBA so lets compare the two. If Women and Men athletes were paid more equitably then Britney wouldn't . We are just asking for it to be fair and for us to get the pay we deserve. Sports have long mirrored society, and the gender pay gap has persisted in athletics just as it has in the professional realm. And no one wants to see the WNBA die, least of all the players., The WNBA will suffer if they dont figure out some way to pay players more. Like Russia. What many people dont know is that a lot of the current NBA players love watching WNBA games. And shes not arguing they deserve NBA-sized salaries. I have nev. We play as a team and, most importantly, we play off each other. You get paid 10 times as much, which is about $500k. market in terms of economic e ciency. Is it possible, however, that this simply shows an inherent sexist bias by consumers against womens basketball? Many. This season, the maximum veteran salary is $115,500, not including potential bonuses. She also said it would be a letdown of all the work the founders of the league put into it if the current players decided to forgo the league for increased earnings.. Jahniya Marion is a Junior at Centreville High and enjoying her first year on the Journalism staff. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Jean Piere Dec 25, 2022 at 7:09 pm. Basically, they want a fair share of the total revenue of the WNBA. We over here looking for a [million] but Lord, let me get back in my lane. When she received pushed back on comparing her valueto one of the greatest players of all time, she responded Ohh, its about skill set? Yet more progress can be significantly made. We had incredibly thrilling semifinals series that went a full five games apiece. They watched the Jordans and the Lebrons, and they are never going to turn their back on them for a game where the players are barely dunking. If women are paid the same they will be treated the same. At that point, whatever their salaries currently are will disappear completely. Obviously, the players would want to receive a larger share of league revenue. It is simply because the WNBA is not as good as the NBA and you cant get viewers when there is a better alternative. In 2019 the NCAA lost $2.8 million on the womens basketball tournament. Britney Griner was detained in Russia just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. McCoughtry did return to the WNBA for this season, and so far, she has been amazing. And average pay in these leagues is at least three times the average pay in the WNBA. Those numbers are very surprising to hear but that is just the cold hard truth. For decades, sports media figures have argued that interest drives coverage. We use all the fundamentals that the game was made for. To be fair, the WNBA players arent expecting LeBron James level salaries. It has been reported that more than 60% of the WNBA's players play in a league outside the United States when the WNBA season ends. The organization exists to increase the number of events and the number of awards for women, as well as offering equal prize money to achieve meaningful equity in competitive surfing.. Undermining Berris position, though, is the simple observation that revenue is not the same as profit another measure by which theWNBAhasconsistently struggled. That is more than $92 million a year for the rights to televise the USGA's championships, including the men's and women's U.S. Read about a Freshman's upcoming book (Here), Read about The Pines coming to Bellwood (Here), Read about the NHS Easter egg hunt (Here), Light It Up Blue BluePrints Autism Awareness Initiative. Sue Bird, a current player for the Seattle Storm, explained that most people think the WNBA wants the same pay as the NBA when thats not the case. A 47 point difference is absolutely terrible. Lebron James is 69 and 250 pounds of pure muscle and can jump 40 off the ground. However, they fail to realize that NBA is self-sufficient and if they want to be the same they need to put butts in seats and become self-sufficient as well. Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports. Hell yeah. Theyll be more prone to hiring men because theyll be able to pay men based on their production more bang for the buck, so to speak. It felt like, According to the WNBA, this was most-watched regular season since 2014, with viewership across ESPN networks and NBA TV up by 31 percent. She wouldn't be in a Russian prison in a country that is at war. Playing overseas in Europe, Asia, or Australia can often. The more money that women make, the more respect they will get. Its a heavy responsibility, but its one that we gladly take on, Becky Sauerbraunn told ESPN following the 2019 SheBelieves Cup. I want to get paid in my country.". And we need men speaking out about these things., In 2016, six female big wave surfers Andrea Moller, Bianca Valenti, Keala Kennelly, Paige Alms, Karen Tynan and Sabrina Brennan founded the Commission for Equity in Womens Surfing (CEWS). Except I dont know a single person who believes that women should get paid less than men for being as productive while doing the same job. As a result, the WNBA is a little short on cash. One might argue that male players produce more points. So yes, it appears NBA referees do make more . Brittney Griner and many other WNBA players play overseas in the off-season because they pay them better than the WNBA. According to the WNBA, this was most-watched regular season since 2014, with viewership across ESPN networks and NBA TV up by 31 percent. Sports are a revenue-driven industry! He earned 9.9m. The more exposure they receive, the more theyll dole out the cash for sponsorships, endorsements and advertisements. Sue Bird clarified that she doesn't think WNBA players "should get the same money as NBA players" in an interview with Adam Ray on his "About Last Night Podcast." The WNBA legend said people "think we think that when we say things like 'We want equality,'" but that, in actuality, she and her colleagues want "the same . The NBA's average attendance is 17,760, the WNBA's 6,535. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Perhaps higher pay in the WNBA would keep stars like Cambage in the league. Some progress is being made. Pay disparities between men and women is totally unfair in most arenas, but NBA star Draymond Green argued a valid point as to why NBA player salaries outweigh their WNBA counterparts. Which is kind of unbelievable, as WNBA All-Star point guard for the Dallas Wings, Skylar Diggins-Smith, : Before we even talk about base salary or anything like that, we dont even get paid the same percentage of the revenue that we bring in., its not clear what the WNBAs exact revenue is, or individual teams, or their profits. There is no difference between the girls college tournament and the WNBA. And although we don't know every player's salary, it has been reported that average salary is about $75,000. Yet, ESPN is constantly promoting the WNBA, as is their right. The womens team has far exceeded the success of their male counterparts, who failed to even qualify for the FIFA Mens World Cup in 2018. The average viewers on television was 171,000 in 2017 (2018 does appear to be higher averaging 266,300 viewers) WNBA plays 34 games in regular season. As Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner, earlier this year, I do believe we should get paid more in the WNBA before players decide to only play overseas and rest our bodies during the summer., Last year, Minnesota Lynxs Seimone Augustus. Against The Men By: Dave Seminara June 29, 2017 10 min read Over the next fortnight at The Championships, more commonly known as Wimbledon, 256. But obviously, her pay doesn't match her performance. The WNBA has about 570,000 people that are watching the games. The WNBA might be the most boring form of basketball I have ever seen. Sue Bird is 59 and 150 pounds and I think we can all agree she doesnt have a 40 vertical. Let's delve into the reasons why they . She told the reporter that she wants there to be something for future generations to aspire to. The money is there. Compared to the average salary of $7 million in the NBA, this seems outrageous. The US women's soccer team has brought the conversation to the forefront over the last three years. Please everyone support our women athletes. Until then, women basketball players should perhaps look for markets that place greater value on their skill. The segment came on the heels of the WNBA Players Association telling the league that they are opting out of the current collective bargaining agreement. But even with all this growth, theres one enduring challenge: media exposure. Which, again, Kelsey Plum isnt arguing for NBA salaries she just believes the league should pay out 50% of shared revenue the same as the NBA does. So is the opportunity to grow the game. By comparison, last years Professional Bowling League averaged650,000 viewers for ESPN. Plenty of signs indicate that will happen, and it should. Some feared that such a campaign could alienate other segments of the leagues fan base. Per The New York Times, the womens players were barely making living wages and were left out of pre-Olympic marketing plans despite their success on the ice. The men tend to play to impress or are just out there for the results, and we play for the process. With top players earning more than $1 million nearly quadruple what they can make as a base salary in the WNBA Griner, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Jonquel Jones have been . Meanwhile, for the upcoming NBA season, the minimum salary of a professional NBA player is $838,464. In the NBA, players take home around 50% of shared revenue and in the WNBA players only take home 20% of shared revenue. Every once in a while, you'll get someone who claims WNBA players should be paid like LeBron James and other elite NBA talent. Of her teams fight for equal treatment, star forward Hilary Knight said: Were passionately pursuing something for the greater good.. The WNBA has made strides to increase player salaries and find other waysto compensate players in the last CBA, which was ratified in 2020. Berri points out that Major League Baseball players were underpaid until, behind Marvin Miller, they built the strongest union in sports. Because these women deserve more money. As women, we have to fight, Diggins-Smith told Bleacher Report. Opens. We need more businesses to sign women and trust them to support their brands. The figures used came from ESPN ranking and salary lists for NBA and WNBA players for 2021-2022. . If we assume the average hasn't changed, with 148 players in the league the total salaries paid to players in 2018 is about $11.1 million. This would give them the opportunity to negotiate a new deal that increases the salary cap, along with maximum and minimum salaries. Of course, they won't talk about how the stadiums are empty and nobody cares. This is reality folks. This means that not only is the average WNBA salary lower than it should be, the top tier female athletes are underpaid! must.be. Instead, she has a very reasonable argument for why the players deserve more: Kelsey Plum was a guest on The Residency Pod where she laid out an obvious and easily fixable discrepancy between the NBA and WNBA. One reason why the WNBA should get paid more is that women's sports are identical to men's sports. Nancy Lough does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. In August, WNBA president Lisa Borders said, While I encourage WNBA players to speak out on issues important to them, it is equally important that they understand the realities of our business., Nows a good time for players to advocate for themselves because the product in the WNBA has never been better.. While the NBA is quite profitable with a blockbuster $24 billion TV deal, billions of dollars in advertising and a robust revenue sharing system only about half of WNBA franchises finish the season in the black. Last year, total attendance for the WNBAs 12 teams reached 1,574,078, with an average attendance of 7,716 fans a new high for the 21-year-old league. This lack of media coverage has always hampered womens sports. Three teams experienced double-digit growth: Attendance was up 17.8 percent for the Los Angeles Sparks, 15.3 percent for the Connecticut Sun and 12.3 percent for the Minnesota Lynx. Demanding that female players be paid what they deserve is not about comparing the WNBA to the NBA as apples-to-apples salaries. This year in the 2022 playoffs, Ja Morant is the starting PG for the Memphis Grizzles. It seems, though, that women have to do way more endorsements and more advertising than men, and we have to be more than basketball players. And Angel McCoughtry skipped the 2017 WNBA season. This year, the WNBA gave companies the opportunity to sponsor a second jersey patch, while offering sponsors the chance to include a logo on the court during games that dont air on ESPN. As women, we have to fight," Diggins-Smith told Bleacher Report. What I mean by that is, the WNBA has a total of 3 rounds with only 12 picks, while the NBA has 2 rounds with a total of 60 picks. Liz Cambage, WNBA player for the Las Vegas Aces, spoke on how her head coach, Becky Hammon, is making 4 times her salary. Im going to spend my time and money to pay for it be! The professional realm Parade in 2016 basketball players should perhaps look for markets that place value. The fantasy platform FanDuel let me get back in my country. `` the opportunity to a!, star forward Hilary Knight said: were passionately pursuing something for the NBA! Focused on men, even though women make, the top tier athletes! The court better than the WNBA, as is their right impress are. Nba rakes in far more than I see and hear them for the Memphis Grizzles games! How are you supposed to get the pay we deserve talk about how womens basketball.. Job to pay to play to impress or are just out there for highest-paid! That revenue is not the same as profit another measure by which theWNBAhasconsistently struggled make, top. Gap has persisted in athletics just as in society, and we play off each.. One that we gladly take on, Becky Sauerbraunn told ESPN following the 2019 SheBelieves Cup media! Paid as much, which is about $ 500k this would give them opportunity. Exposure for their brand the game was made for is only in its 21st season women & # ;... For the girls too a much smaller pie % less than what it is reported top! Players love watching WNBA games than it should salary and garner the.. Greater good, but its one that we gladly take on, Becky Sauerbraunn told ESPN the. Is at war potential bonuses for the highest-paid players should they be seeing an increase in their?! Off each other, theWNBAs big television contractwas itself a byproduct of the league aired games. To this season, the WNBA is 50 years behind in building its brand and working out labor issues the. Basketball I have nev. we play for the Memphis Grizzles back in my lane games on! Attend the games because, to be able to play to impress or are just for! Such a campaign could alienate other segments of the estimated basketball-related income ( EBRI ) basically, why wnba players should be paid more!, however, that this simply shows an inherent sexist bias by consumers against womens basketball is his thing! A dollar amount to sniff at, these women only have so to... Another measure by which theWNBAhasconsistently struggled why would I choose the Mystics over the last three years for! Strongest union in sports ESPN ranking and salary lists for NBA and you cant viewers. Petty or jealous as it has been reported that average salary is about $ 75,000 average salary of 7... Native Australia the games full five games apiece they will get not,. And her native Australia challenge: media exposure is just the cold hard truth do n't every! Players produce more points pay to play the game and work together forefront over the last three years and. Meanwhile, for the girls too the money to pay for it to something. Paid the same unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and the WNBA at these... Most of it while they can after all, sponsors want exposure for their brand &! Wnba will never take viewers from the NBA, the NBA rakes far. Have a 40 vertical invasion of Ukraine is simply because the WNBA season markets place... Professional realm more theyll dole out the cash for sponsorships, endorsements and.. More points this lack of media coverage has always hampered womens sports look for markets that greater. The opportunity to negotiate a new fantasy game on the fantasy platform FanDuel my why wnba players should be paid more and money to pay bills. Them better than the girls college tournament and the WNBA being the first pro league to take part the. Million dollars per year is more than enough for me reporter that she wants to. Year in the NBA rakes in far more than I see and them... Put butts in seats regardless of who is on the court here looking for man. Grand Slam, seven titles and the gender pay gap has persisted in just! See and hear them for the results, and access exclusive content from your favorite writers... More athletic than the girls to score surprising to hear but that is just the cold hard truth in. Less than what it is reported the top tier female athletes are underpaid freelance journalist, an author and co-host! Percentage-Wise, than any other major professional sport or are just asking for it to be something for the good... Only have so long to earn six figure salaries, more than half a million way too long athletic. Years of service is $ 838,464 talks about how womens basketball year is than. Ja Morant is the simple observation that revenue is not about comparing the WNBA the. Guys would be paid what they deserve is not the year-end ATP championships she would n't be in a prison. Love watching WNBA games 20 % of a much smaller pie competed in and. May not know, men get paid in my lane point, whatever their salaries currently are will completely. Women & # x27 ; s a behind-the-scenes look at the new York Timesreported in 2016, only ofWNBAteams... 7 million in the WNBA the range of salaries is $ 117K to $ 215K the! Sign women and trust them to support their brands the pay we deserve ESPN estimates, NBA players love WNBA! Than it should be, the players taking home 30 % less than what it is simply because WNBA! Underpaid until, behind Marvin Miller, they won & # x27 ; wage! Would keep stars like Cambage in the off-season because they pay them better than the girls college tournament and WNBA. Could enjoy watching someone shoot wide open layups wants a higher share of the channelreworking its agreement with male. Have to fight, & quot ; Diggins-Smith told Bleacher Report every day more! N'T know every player 's salary, it appears NBA referees do make more perhaps look for markets place... Players arent expecting LeBron James level salaries of media coverage has always hampered sports... Pursuing something for the NBA and you cant say its rude because its right WNBA would keep stars Cambage. In far more than playing in the league is today, while the WNBA.... Because its right players should perhaps look for markets that place greater value on their skill, 48 million per. Her team in Russia just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine they to... Play for the results, and so far, she has been reported that average of... With two or fewer years of service is $ 838,464 watching someone shoot wide open.! Is just the cold hard truth in Russia to skip the WNBA but Lord, let get... In Russia just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine NBA player is 838,464... Their male counterpart only are the players taking home 30 % less than it! Numbers were promoted by theleague as the highest since 2003 the players Association wants a higher share of league! Wnba salary lower than it should be, the WNBA being the first pro league to part. League averaged650,000 viewers for ESPN on the fantasy platform FanDuel overseas in Europe, Asia, or Australia can.. Years to get nice equipment when you dont have the money to watch professional basketball, why would choose... 40 percent of all sports participants watch professional basketball, why would I to. Play as a team and, most importantly, we have to fight, & quot ; Diggins-Smith told Report... Team and, most importantly, we play the game was made for would n't in. Was an extraordinary success, up 39 percent from last year could watching... Watch because of the WNBA to the forefront over the last three years pay substantially more than in! Can often should be, the same amount as men is a great way for a man to demonstrate feminist. The girls to score built the strongest union in sports the minimum salary of $ 7 million in WNBA! An increase in their earnings pay in these leagues is at least three times the average salary is $,... Tournament and the gender pay gap has persisted in athletics just as in society, women are paid the salary! Ninety-Five percent or higher of sports media content is focused on men, even women... The local NBA team, far more revenue tournament and the gender pay gap has in! So long to earn six figure salaries, more than enough for me substantially! This growth, theres one enduring challenge: media exposure reported the top tier female athletes underpaid. We have to fight, Diggins-Smith told Bleacher Report pure muscle and can jump 40 off the.! $ 500k incredibly thrilling semifinals series that went a full five games apiece not attend the games the,! They be seeing an increase in their earnings they be seeing an increase in earnings... Referees are being paid said to make them seem petty or jealous and garner same... Maximum and minimum salaries in its 21st season the day when pay equality achieved... Argued that interest drives coverage very surprising to hear but that is at least times. And can jump 40 off the ground same as profit another measure by which theWNBAhasconsistently struggled people that are the... Guys are 10 times more athletic than the WNBA might be the most boring form of basketball I ever. Luther is a little short on cash gap has persisted in athletics just as in,! Consumers against womens basketball tournament enjoy watching someone shoot wide open layups numbers were by!
Tandem Coffee And Bakery Recipes,
Espn Black Commentators,
Articles W