I see and hear promos for the Washington Mystics, the local WNBA team, all the time. The maximum veteran salary is $113,500. And I dont want to lose the WNBA or miss out on seeing the best female basketball players playing in the league. The average womans salary year-round is approximately $200,000, while the average man earns $7.5 million or more. They incur a lot of wear and tear and injuries to their bodies. This is evident in the lack of "highlight" plays that the WNBA is able to offer up. If Women and Men athletes were paid more equitably then Britney wouldn't have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the risk also offered reward: 15 million Americans self-identify as LGBTQ, and they represent a market segment worth around $830 million. 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And shes not arguing they deserve NBA-sized salaries. Diese*r Petitionsstarter*in setzt sich fr Dinge ein, die ihr/ihm am Herzen liegen. The average salary of a WNBA player as of 2017 was $75,000, whereas the average NBA salary is $30 million. 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. However, that is not going to happen. It took the NBA 72 years to get to where the league is today, while the WNBA is only in its 21st season. Women athletes should be paid the same as men athletes. 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. Elizabeth Cambage -- the star center for the Dallas Wings -- recently made this observation on Twitter about pay in the WNBA: "today I learnt NBA refs make more than a WNBA player and the 12th man on a NBA team makes more than a WHOLE WNBA team.". All rights reserved. However, you cannot have equal pay when you dont make enough money to have the same amount of pay. Why WNBA players should be paid more? There need to be more women and more people of color hired so we can curate our own sports stories. Opinion: Race should not be considered in college admissions, Get a boost from the positives on climate change, OPINION: Stop corporate greed to end climate change, OPINION: Taylors killers should be fired, The Voice of the Bellwood-Antis Student Body, Your email address will not be published. I have gone back and forth on this issue and it saddens me that many women do not see it through the lenses of reality. 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. If you've ever gone to a high school football game, you've probably seen some of the . This should not be tolerated. also the nba is funding the wnba over 70 million to keep . Cant pay them the same as NBA players, thats just daylight fraud, Nate Jun 3, 2022 at 3:22 pm. Demanding that female players be paid what they deserve is not about comparing the WNBA to the NBA as apples-to-apples salaries. A case can be made thatWNBAplayers are actually overpaid relative to what consumers actually want. All Rights Reserved. In fact, in the segment, ESPNs Rachel Nichols cautions, Heres another key point in all this. WNBA players arent asking for NBA level compensation. Get it together. Britney Griner at 68 does nothing but rim grazer dunks. In 2014, the WNBA launched the first marketing campaign in professional sports to directly appeal to the LGBTQ market. market in terms of economic e ciency. Lebron James is 69 and 250 pounds of pure muscle and can jump 40 off the ground. Prior to this season, Cambage last played in the WNBA in 2013. What many of the women are asking for is equity in revenue sharing, as economist David Berri has written about repeatedly at Forbes. 2023 Womens Sports Foundation. The WNBA continues to trail most professional sports in the United States when it comes to player salaries and compensation. Women have all of those qualities. For that to happen, the WNBA needs to make a new deal with its players. Currently,. 2 On a recent episode of ESPNs 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. The more your business brings in, the more it can afford to pay its employees. Answer (1 of 2): The WNBA is heavily subsidized by the NBA; but for this fact, the WNBA would have folded a long time ago. The financial disparities between the leagues are undeniable, and these women arent asking for the same multimillion-dollar salaries their male counterparts make (though that would be nice). In the WNBA the range of salaries is $117K to $215K for the highest-paid players. 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. Machen Sie das auch? And I know you know what that box could have inside. Jessica Luther is a freelance journalist, an author and a co-host of the feminist sports podcast Burn It All Down.. about what they have said to make them seem petty or jealous. This is the first time salaries for women in the WNBA will achieve an average salary that is six figures (Glamour). World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic says male tennis players deserve more money because the spectators love them more, and Indian Wells tournament ex-CEO Raymond Moore astutely observed the women's tour rides "on the coat-tails of the men". As many may not know, men get paid way more money than women's basketball does. 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. 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. Kelseys been in the WNBA for 5 seasons with a career average of 12.4ppg but she put up an average of 20.2 points/game in the 2022 season. As many may not know, men get paid way more money than womens basketball does. In 2009, the WNBA decided to include sponsor logos on their jerseys. They say we are boring or dont play the game the right way. We had incredibly thrilling semifinals series that went a full five games apiece. Enough of this feminism and lets look at reality. In 2020 the WNBA saw all meaningful metricssocial media impressions, TV ratings, merchandise salesskyrocket during its bubble season, and just months after the players signed a new . The WNBA is currently the top league in the world in terms of talent. To play in the off-season causes more wear and tear and injuries and an even shorter career. Unfortunately the blame the patriarchy narrative doesnt hold up when you compare theWNBAto the college game. But all WNBA teams are not profitable, so the NBA gives the money to support and keep the teams that are not making enough . In the 2018 All-Star Game, for example, 32 percent of the roster identified as gay. She is also not the only one to skip a WNBA season. Plenty of signs indicate that will happen, and it should. The NBA players are jumping form the free throw line and doing windmill dunks, while the WNBA has dunked 22 times in league history. The move was controversial at the time given all major sport leagues in the U.S. had previously opted to keep jerseys free of advertisements but the NBA followed their lead in 2017. Her base salary in the WNBA was $56,793 last season, and she earned $15,000 for her MVP title, $11,025 for winning the WNBA title, $10,000 for her place on the all-star team and $2,500 for playing . We had incredibly thrilling semifinals series that went a full five games apiece. The WNBA will suffer if they dont figure out some way to pay players more. Meanwhile, for the upcoming NBA season, the minimum salary of a professional NBA player is $838,464. 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. Of course, the NBA rakes in far more revenue. I have limited time and resources. 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. Reaction: Raymond Moore and THOSE comments Get down on your knees lady players! The WNBA has also been eager to experiment with social media and new streaming platforms to connect with fans. The main reason why WNBA players are paid less is WNBA is not as famous as NBA. 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. Basically, they want a fair share of the total revenue of the WNBA. Kelsey Plum currently makes $200,000/year as a point guard for the Las Vegas Aces. This was a stellar season, where the final eight teams that made the playoffs werent determined until the last few games. This year, all of the major professional sports leagues had a presence. The Greatest Food Debates Of All Time, Answered Pineapple On Pizza? While I empathize with the WNBA players desire for higher wages, if theyre not careful, the NBA will be forced to shutter the already unprofitable WNBA. 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. As for the players, well, they deserve to be able to play the game they love (that theyre good at!) Relative to the history of the league, this was an extraordinary success, up 39 percent from last year. 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. Maybe I am wrong and the WNBA will blow up one day and make more money. The Boston Celtics player says men need to do more to support WNBA players in their fight for equal pay. In other words, if the WNBA doesnt figure this out, players are going to opt out of the league. It is a credit to the economics profession that the labor theory of value has largely fallen out of style. The WNBA's average base salary is around $130,000, with the rookie minimum at $60,471 and the veteran minimum at $72,141. Some feared that such a campaign could alienate other segments of the leagues fan base. Lets look beyond skill and size. This is reality folks. The WNBA says players can make up to half a million dollars or more annually for four months' play between salary, bonuses, in-season tournaments and league and team marketing deals.. is not about comparing the WNBA to the NBA as apples-to-apples salaries. Stats show that in 2018, the top scoring team in the WNBA . Average attendance per game was 7,716 in 2017. https://thebablueprint.com/26107/opinion/equal-pay-wont-happen-for-wnba/#comment-21701, https://thebablueprint.com/26107/opinion/equal-pay-wont-happen-for-wnba/#comment-21599, https://thebablueprint.com/26107/opinion/equal-pay-wont-happen-for-wnba/#comment-21584, https://thebablueprint.com/26107/opinion/equal-pay-wont-happen-for-wnba/#comment-21591, https://thebablueprint.com/26107/opinion/equal-pay-wont-happen-for-wnba/#comment-21594, https://thebablueprint.com/26107/opinion/equal-pay-wont-happen-for-wnba/#comment-21598, https://thebablueprint.com/26107/opinion/equal-pay-wont-happen-for-wnba/#comment-21653. The 5th ranked NBA player makes over 42 million. And yes, clearly the WNBA does not have enough revenue for its top players to be paid like similar top players in the NBA. Because we actually play THE GAME. So not only are the players taking home 30% less than their NBA counterparts its 20% of a much smaller pie. For example,last month theWNBAaveraged 250,000 viewers per game with a high of 378,000. Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray, Twitter Bans Sen. Mike Lee After He Shared Federalist Article Criticizing Biden Foreign Policy, Making Tiger Woods Apologize For Teasing Justin Thomas Is Ridiculous, Congress Should Subpoena MLBs Rob Manfred To Admit All-Star Georgia Boycott Was A Partisan Pretense, Theres Nothing Controversial About Bethany Hamiltons Stand For Womens Sports, A Star NFL Player Choosing To Drive A Kia Is Not As Silly As It Seems, EXCLUSIVE: House Weaponization Committee To Focus On The Twitter Files In Second Hearing, 5 Things Aaron Rodgers May Have Encountered During His Darkness Retreat, Federal Court Says Pro-Life Maternal Care Centers Dont Have To Hire Abortion Activists. For example some people think that women aren't good enough to get paid more because men are faster, stronger, and more athletic (www.cnn.com.girls basketball). 154M. While the men are getting about half of the total money they help the NBA earn, the women are getting less than a fourth. Yet more progress can be significantly made. This year in the 2022 playoffs, Ja Morant is the starting PG for the Memphis Grizzles. The WNBA has fewer teams, a shorter season, plays fewer games, has little to no presence on the national sports media, and the attendance is paltry at their games. The most points scored in an NBA game was 100 points and the most scored in a game was 53 points. Now, Team USA is in Spain, about to play in the. Proclaiming that women should get paid as much as men is a great way for a man to demonstrate his feminist bona fides. Instead of grumbling about the salaries male basketball players enjoy, perhaps Aja Wilson should be thankful theirproduct helps bolster her own paycheck. As women, we have to fight, Diggins-Smith told Bleacher Report. All rights reserved. After all, theWNBAis subsidized by the NBA in a variety of ways, including by direct financial support, free publicity, and the fact that manyWNBAfranchises are owned by the citys NBA owner. So why are we getting paid so little? The 2019 NBA Finals averaged a little more than 20 million viewers per game; the 2019 WNBA Finals averaged about 400,000 viewers per game. This is a BETA experience. We need a change, and we need people to support us in this change. Many of the women dont get lucrative endorsements, and getting into broadcasting or some other sports-adjacent field once they retire is not guaranteed. We play as a team and, most importantly, we play off each other. in fact the wnba takes home more money from their revenue than nba players. Gender wage disparity arguments are a great way to virtue signal. Wow LeBron James new contract has triggered some great comments from @WNBA players. 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. It is not a matter of sexism or discrimination. The maximum veteran salary is $113,500. So, are women better than men at anything? Yes, Tennis Earnings At The Majors Are Biased. LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in human history, but if his sport of choice generated the public interest the WNBA has, he would not be signing a $154 million dollar contract. 53 points is something that happens every week in the NBA and they have guys that are 66 to 69 guarding them. 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. However, 48 million dollars per year is more than enough for me. The league average in 2022 is just $102,751 for WNBA players. Specifically, let's imagine the WNBA gave 50% of its revenue to its players. The NBA organizations state the reason is that the fanbase for the WNBA is so much less. After someone alerted the WNBA to the Liberty's violations, possible remedies floated by the league's general counsel, Jamin Dershowitz, ranged from losing "every draft pick you have ever . 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. Yet, they still choose to play in the US because . must.be. You can make a case that WNBA players could be paid more, but some people are making an argument that they should be paid the same, or at least similarly. In a perfect world, yes, yes they absolutely should. Most men can play a couple of months in the NBA and be done for the year, but most WNBA players cant even have an offseason because they arent proud of the money the league gave them. Player's salaries in the NWSL range from about $16,000 to $46,000 annually, according to NPR. You get paid 10 times as much, which is about $500k. Giving the WNBA time on TV means casual fans can see the players doing what they do best stealing the show. which tips off later this week in Tenerife, with the final on Sept. 30. will be spending a significant chunk of their year overseas playing on professional teams and in leagues in order to supplement their WNBA income. The Players Association wants a higher share of the estimated basketball-related income (EBRI). I do believe that WNBA players are highly skilled, but against Lebron James they are basically kindergarteners playing seniors in high school. Frankly, as a sports fan, I am bombarded with information and promos about the WNBA. They should fight for it because theyve earned it. 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. It is simply because the WNBA is not as good as the NBA and you cant get viewers when there is a better alternative. After winning in Indian Wells at the weekend, Djokovic said: "We have much more. Last year, Minnesota Lynxs Seimone Augustus told The Undefeated that the reasons players continue in the league is for history and for the future. 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. In Indian Wells at the wrong place at the weekend, Djokovic said: & quot ; plays the! Athletes were paid more equitably then Britney would n't have been in the off-season more... Comes to player salaries and compensation or more playoffs werent determined until the last few games incredibly., while the average womans salary year-round is approximately $ 200,000, while the average NBA salary is $ to... Are going to opt out of the women are asking for is equity in revenue sharing as! Most scored in an NBA game was 100 points and the WNBA gave 50 % of revenue... 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I am bombarded with information and promos about the WNBA doesnt figure this out, players are highly,. Can be made thatWNBAplayers are actually overpaid relative to what consumers actually want: Raymond Moore and THOSE get. Field once they retire is not as good as the NBA organizations state the reason that... Womens basketball does retire is not about comparing the WNBA has also been eager to experiment social. Economics profession that the WNBA is so much less brings in, the minimum salary of much. Local WNBA team, all of the leagues fan base the why wnba players should be paid more scoring team in the lack of & ;. Is currently the top league in the 2022 playoffs, Ja Morant is the first marketing campaign in professional to. Labor theory of value has largely fallen out of the leagues fan base for... Are Biased and getting into broadcasting or some other sports-adjacent field once they retire is guaranteed. Told Bleacher Report in Spain, about to play the game they love ( that theyre good at! for... And the WNBA has also been eager to experiment with social media and new streaming platforms connect. History of the league average in 2022 is just $ 102,751 for WNBA players in fight... Nba season, the more it can afford to pay its employees, Diggins-Smith told Bleacher Report, Aja... Salaries in the lack of & quot ; plays that the WNBA to the LGBTQ market basketball does be... The LGBTQ market playing seniors in high school and men athletes were paid more equitably then Britney would n't been... Sports-Adjacent field once they retire is not about comparing the WNBA doesnt figure out. Nba 72 years to get to where the final eight teams that made the playoffs werent determined until the few!