Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: NBA, Basketball
John McDougall
An alternative pay model could address the concerns of WNBA players who have protested and called for a new payment structure to be implemented.
Players in the WNBA recently wore t-shirts before their All-Star game protesting the pay gap between men and women basketball players and the different contracts for both genders.
The t-shirts read 'Pay us what you owe us' in a bid to shine a light on a dispute between players and the WNBA.
At present, NBA players are guaranteed 50 per cent of the profits made via the league's revenue.
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However, this figure in the WNBA drops to only 25 per cent of the profits made.
As well as this issue of profit sharing, female players are typically paid much less than male counterparts.
For instance, rookie WNBA contracts begin at $72,000 a year, while only a certain number of players per roster can earn the highest amounts of $250,000 annually.
And though WNBA players can increase their earnings through endorsements and through competing in other leagues and competitions during the off-season, this pales in comparison to NBA stars and their income.
WNBA star Angel Reese has even claimed she could not afford her $96,000 annual rent on her $72,000 salary, with her other sponsorships and earnings from other competitions needed to support her outgoings.
She said (via ESPN): “I just hope y’all know the WNBA don’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think that pays one of my bills, [the salary] isn't enough to pay my car note, I wouldn’t even be able to eat, I wouldn’t be able to live. I'm living beyond my means!"
The WNBA players have received support from Jasmine Jordan, the daughter of NBA legend Michael Jordan, after she shared WNBA star Kelsey Plum's comments on Instagram.
But an NBA star has offered an alternative payment model which could see fairer pay in the WNBA.
Giannis Antetokounmpo plays for the Milwaukee Bucks and is a backer of Unrivaled, which has also seen investment from former Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
Unrivaled is a player‑run 3×3 women's basketball league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.
It offers higher average salaries of between $220,000 and $242,000 a year and includes equity and revenue-sharing, offering a better model than the WNBA's standard structure.
This direct financial support can be seen as an indirect critique of the existing WNBA pay system and appears to be a genuine alternative which might help to resolve the current issues.