For the WNBA, $128k a year is a legitimate minimum level of pay. They can also have the free time to go to European leagues or elsewhere and earn additional salaries.
No that's a legitimate salary for a garbage man or auto mechanic. Not an elite athlete in the national spotlight.
That's for a 3 month season. Elite athlete in a national spotlight? Lol, most people can't even name 5 current WNBA players or who won the previous championship.
So the average NBA player makes $100k per game. I'm advocating we pay the average WNBA player $25k-$30k per game.
There are about a million female basketball players in this country who can. And I would bet most Americans couldn't name 5 current NBA players or remember who won the last championship...
I disagree. Most people in my house couldn't do that, and I watch the NBA all the time. And my kids play basketball. Most people don't give 2 shits about the NBA.
Well, if most people don't give 2 shits about the NBA, then most people give 0.0000000002 shits about the WNBA
In a $15 billion industry, they are among the top 600 talents. I don't think being paid 30% of what their male counterparts make for a performance is asking too much.
Is it really reasonable to pretend that the WNBA is a significant part of the $15 Billion industry? G-league players are also among the top 600 talents in said industry. Do they also deserve to be paid 30% of what NBA players make?
The WNBA is not a signficant part of professional basketball. It wouldn't lose money if it was. G-league is a farm league for the NBA. Average salary is like $35k
No, I don't think that's the same. They are not at the peak of their profession, therefore not among the top 600. Though they are likely among the top 1000, after WNBA Players have been accounted for. WNBA players are at the top of their profession and should be compensated as such. This is how we keep building women's sports so we can be as competitive as possible on the world stage. Making opportunities like this for female athletes makes athletics more valuable overall. It increases the size of the pie by creating more sports fans.
Because they can still make the NBA. They aren't at the top of their profession. But I'm fine with the NBA paying these guys better as well.
That would be interesting. Problem is WNBA players can't defend NBA players. But they can shoot the lights out. I think allowing WNBA players is fine, if they can actually compete with the physicality. But I think that would turn into more of a circus and might end up costing the NBA more than just paying WNBA players better.
If we're considering professional basketball as a whole to be a $15 billion industry, then the WNBA players are not really at the top of their profession. If we're saying they should be paid more because they're at the top of their profession, then their profession (women's basketball) should be considered independently. I feel like you want to have it both ways, and I just don't think it's a reasonable way to evaluate this topic.
The most recent numbers I could find was 2018 and the WNBA has lost on average 10 million a year as a league. More fans are not going to show up at the games just because you are paying the players more. So if you have a large increase in salaries for a league that his a net negative, how in the world are you covering those salaries?
They should try to build organically, without having to rely on the NBA at all. It should be self-sustaining. I mean its a bigger story when NBA players attend WNBA games than the WNBA games itself.
