And I don’t want to lose the WNBA or miss out on seeing the best female basketball players playing in the league. But in January, less than two years later, the WNBA and its players’ union reached a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with improvements in pay and benefits. Many of the women don’t get lucrative endorsements, and getting into broadcasting or some other sports-adjacent field once they retire is not guaranteed. In the NBA, we adopted a rule in the 2019–2020 season to have a mental-health professional on staff. After pushing their bodies to the limit in their regular season and in an equally demanding World Cup, a whole lot of WNBA players will be spending a significant chunk of their year overseas playing on professional teams and in leagues in order to supplement their WNBA income. This is about more than pay; it’s about recognition for their hard work as athletes. I think it's past due." Starting rookies earn no less than the $50,000 minimum. The WNBA will suffer if they don’t figure out some way to pay players more. The WNBA inked a landmark labor deal in January, guaranteeing improved pay and unprecedented health benefits, after its players opted out of their CBA for the first time. They are often separated from their families and have to deal with the instability of uprooting their lives multiple times a year. Before the CBA, female athletes received less than 30% of revenue-sharing and lost half of their salaries if they went on maternity leave during the season. Basically, they want a fair share of the total revenue of the WNBA. The veteran minimum is $117,500. They’re making the most of it while they can. What many of the women are asking for is equity in revenue sharing, as economist David Berri has written about repeatedly at Forbes. So are the top 20 and the top 30. Dallas Wings point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith recently told Wealthsimplethat she wanted to be paid like a man. The WNBA loses money even at a 75/25 split. When asked about the pay disparity in the WNBA, Taurasi said, “It’s just so sad to me. Kobe said it best: there are women “who could play in the NBA right now.” I think Diana Taurasi, Elena Delle Donne and Breanna Stewart could play in our league. are vocal in their support of the women’s league because of the quality of play and because they understand the hard work these women put into their game. In the middle of January, a huge mile stone was reached in this push for equality. For many reasons, the female athletes have always been paid less than the men. WNBA Star Candace Parker Doesn't Want To Be One Of The Boys . WNBA contracts practically push for it." You can unsubscribe at any time. An average player in the … They're more than deserving, and, to be honest, it's about time. As Phoenix Mercury’s 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.”. But I believe the rest of us, including myself, can do more to show our support for female athletes, so that they can get the respect and fair treatment they deserve. If WNBA players think they deserve more money, fine. From playing over seas she get paid about $1.5 million for playing the same game as in the United States. Maybe not the best choice of words — but ultimately, Green is arguing that women DESERVE better pay, and need to change their PR strategy in order to achieve their goal. Story from Equal Pay Day. TweetThe WNBA will never make as much money as the NBA does. Many WNBA players insist that they deserve equal pay to their men counterparts. The disparity in between NBA and WNBA players may be an unavoidable by-product of … about what they have said to make them seem petty or jealous. It felt like records were set on an almost weekly basis. If WNBA players think they deserve more money, fine. is not about comparing the WNBA to the NBA as apples-to-apples salaries. The pay ceiling for top players would triple to more than $500,000 — which is still significantly less than NBA players (the minimum salary for … First, based on their skill level and work ethic, WNBA players deserve to get more money. Today is National Voter Registration Day! She told the reporter that “she wants there to be something for future generations to aspire to. A WNBA spokesperson reached out to HuffPost after this op-ed was published, however, and said the WNBA has lost significant money every year and has shared its financials with the Players Association. That would be more than fair. These women should be paid more. The WNBA pays about 20 percent of its revenue to its players, while the NBA pays 50 percent to its players. You have 2 free articles left. The women in the United States are generating more money than the men are, and the women deserve to be paid at least equal, if not more, than … Draymond explained during a Wednesday interview why he believes female athletes — specifically WNBA players — are “doing themselves a disservice by just complaining.” Last week, this exciting season of the WNBA ended after the Seattle Storm swept the Washington Mystics to win their third championship. Posted by 2 years ago. The WNBA will suffer if they don’t figure out some way to pay players more. The WNBA is An Inferior product to the NBA and players in the WNBA do not deserve equal pay. Source PA Images: Brittney Griner is among the WNBA’s highest-paid athletes. And there is seemingly no end to the people who tell them to be quiet, who disparage their talent and work and even lie about what they have said to make them seem petty or jealous. Those are honorable reasons to stick with the WNBA, but players shouldn’t have to choose between these personal anchors to the league and their need to make a living. 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 media coverage and the corporate sponsor looks." And no one wants to see the WNBA die, least of all the players. Former NBA star Jalen Rose speaks to EBONY.com about the WNBA players, the growing gender pay gap and how the league can fix the problem. They just want their percentage of pay to be equal to the NBA. ©2021 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. In this case, Women Basketball plays half the games so they should get half the salary. Boston Celtics player Enes Kanter on respecting the women of … According to a 2017 report, the top WNBA players only make around $100k in annual base salary. They shouldn’t have to work so hard for so little. Kanter, who founded the You Are My Hope campaign to fight against human-rights violations in his home country of Turkey, plays for the Boston Celtics. Michael Jordan’s “flu game” is famous for so many reasons, yet Skylar Diggins-Smith’s playing her entire 2018 season pregnant only led to her getting flak for taking the 2019 season off, because of postpartum depression, so she could return mentally and physically. Evidence suggests the WNBA pays only about 20% of its revenue to its players. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our. As David Berri … Pay disparity isn’t only a women’s issue; this is a human-rights issue. The Boston Celtics player says men need to do more to support WNBA players in their fight for equal pay. Playing overseas — in Europe, Asia, or Australia — can often pay substantially more than playing in the United States. We in the NBA Need to Fight Beside Them. It's time for women in sport to start being grateful again they get the opportunity to play professional sport and stop all this campaigning for equal pay for equal work. Part of HuffPost News. "Most contracts that pay NBA players more than 100 times a year what a WNBA player makes wouldn’t even allow such reckless offseason activity. According to a 2017 report, the top WNBA players only make around $100k in annual base salary. The interview with Wealthsimple took place a month after Diggins-Smith told a Dallas Morning News writer it was “appalling”what WNBA players make compared to their male counterparts in the NBA. After making it professionally, they continue to battle for equitable pay, balanced media portrayal and fair treatment. This was a stellar season, where the final eight teams that made the playoffs weren’t determined until the last few games. Archived. One cannot fully compare the NBA with the WNBA because the level of play is evidently different, but the WNBA still has star athletes. The WNBA has a new CBA (collective bargaining agreement) that will last eight years! If the WNBA doesn’t figure this out, players are going to opt out of the league. So Do Female College Athletes. Some of the fights that began this decade, like the USWNT’s fight for equal pay and the WNBA’s fight for increased pay, are carrying on into the next decade. Currently, the NBA pays its players 50 percent of its total revenue. Because these women deserve more money. "The women of our league deserve it. Dissenting voices are necessary for change, and players such as former Husky Kelsey Plum are providing them on the WNBA-NBA wage gap. WNBA Players Don't Deserve Equal Pay. This was a stellar season, where the final eight teams that made the playoffs weren’t determined until the last few games. Plenty of signs indicate that will happen, and it should. Players who go overseas end up playing almost year-round, with little break for their bodies to recover. The new agreement raises the base salary … They absolutely have that right. Subscribe for just $25. Some of the best players in the WNBA such as Diana Taurasi have chosen to take this upcoming season of the WNBA off due to financial offerings. They are also saying they deserve better and equal training facilities. 13. Thursday is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. Ticket sales are only part of it, yet it’s a big part. But WNBA players only take less than 25 percent of the total earnings of their league. Please attempt to sign up again. Subscribe for just $25. As for the players, well, they deserve to be able to play the game they love (that they’re good at!) The conversation about pay equality in the WNBA got a jolt in 2018 when star player A’ja Wilson tweeted that LeBron James’ salary “must be nice.” I remember her catching so much heat from that tweet. This is not what happens as women basketball players would be payed on average around 3.5 million (the average men’s salary is 7 million). One of the reasons we’re even talking about equal pay in sports today is because of the courageous fight of the U.S. women’s national soccer team. I just can't see how one could think these women deserve the same pay as their male counterparts. And again, in the NBA, the players are paid 50%. Currently, the WNBA’s highest player… We often end up cherry-picking which female athletes deserve our time, money, and support. Also of note, the current collective bargaining agreement between the USWNT Players… The maximum salary for a WNBA player is $113,500.The minimum salary for a WNBA player is $41,202, which is also equal to the rookie minimum salary.. If the WNBA Players Association wants to opt out of its current collective bargaining agreement with the league and renegotiate terms, they have to do so by Oct. 31. Demanding that female players be paid what they deserve is not about comparing the WNBA to the NBA as apples-to-apples salaries. I never thought of anything more than putting in my best work and helping my team win. Both Bird and Ogwumike are … A dream came true When I was drafted into the NBA a decade ago. Equal Pay for Equal Effort? They have to fight two battles—one on the court, and the other off court. And yet, they do it, in large part, for the financial security it provides. They absolutely have that right. A WNBA spokesperson reached out to HuffPost after this op-ed was published, however, and said the WNBA has lost significant money every year and has shared its financials with the Players Association. Again, these women are the best at what they do. In the men’s league, about half the league’s revenue goes toward paying the athletes. And no one wants to see the WNBA die, least of all the players. 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. According to the WNBA, this was “most-watched regular season since 2014,” with viewership across ESPN networks and NBA TV up by 31 percent. The WNBA and the NBA are two separate companies so they can only pay their players based on what each company makes themselves. Here are these women, playing the same sport we are, receiving less than we do. After all, the WNBA is subsidized by the NBA in a variety of ways, including by direct financial support, free publicity, and the fact that many WNBA … An average WNBA player made $71,635 last season and the number is expected to increase to approximately $75,000.. 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