Is it possible, however, that this simply shows an inherent sexist bias by consumers against womens basketball? 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. Boys and men pick on the league every day. In the NBA, the same ratio is about 4.7. The NBA's highest-paid player in 2020-2021 makes 194.2 times more money than the WNBA's highest-paid players Heading into the 2021 WNBA season, there are seven players tied for the highest salary in the league DeWanna Bonner, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird , Liz Cambage, and Elena Delle Donne, who each . As fans, we deserve to see them playing at their highest level after a restful off-season. So why are we getting paid so little? There need to be more women and more people of color hired so we can curate our own sports stories. If that is so then why can Russia and Europe and China pay them well? Women have all of those qualities. Last year, the average WNBA salary was US$71,635, and this year appears to be closer to $75,000. Its been brought to public attention that the girls basketball teams at the final four have lower grade weight rooms and have been mistreated in their bubble. Oh god I hope the WNBA players now push hard for that. The men tend to play to impress or are just out there for the results, and we play for the process. However, that is not going to happen. In 2019 the NCAA lost $2.8 million on the womens basketball tournament. They are often separated from their families and have to deal with the instability of uprooting their lives multiple times a year. However, the WNBA actually loses $10 million a year as an organization, with costs outweighing revenue. without needing to get a second job to pay the bills. Enough of this feminism and lets look at reality. We feel strongly that if it hadnt been for our consistent advocacy, the WSL would not have made that announcement, Brennan told ESPN. 1. Tho Bishop is an Assistant Editor for the Mises Wire. All Rights Reserved. In a way, this strategy makes perfect sense. Your email address will not be published. Has the WNBA made profit? And for the first time, gamers could play with WNBA players in NBA Live 18. As women, we work just as hard or maybe even harder than men do when it comes to achieving our goals. Since the NBA formed the WNBA I can't see how they could not just pay the men less to pay the women more. Here are five athletes, teams and leagues that are leading the charge: The USWNT has long been associated with leading the way in the fight for gender equity in soccer. Playing overseas in Europe, Asia, or Australia can often. BY: Matthew Schleif Has the WNBA made Profit? Part of HuffPost News. 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). Many will say womens basketball is boring or played the wrong way, and they may even say it sucks, but I think we play the game better than the men.how? We play as a team and, most importantly, we play off each other. . I dont fault the WNBA players for wanting more money. They incur a lot of wear and tear and injuries to their bodies. Perhaps the American public will come to appreciate thestrong fundamentalsof theWNBAand, as a result, salaries will improve. Demanding that female players be paid what they deserve is not about comparing the WNBA to the NBA as apples-to-apples salaries. 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. As women, we have to fight," Diggins-Smith told Bleacher Report. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. Doppler, the mascot of the Seattle Storm, waves a rainbow gay pride flag before the start of a game. That it might possibly contain some, oh I don't . And while that's not a dollar amount to sniff at, these women only have so long to earn money off their . 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. The players are the latest athletes to demand equal treatment. As someone who has studied the WNBA for years, Ive been excited to witness, over the course of this season, continued growth in viewership and attendance, along with sponsorship revenue. 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. Because we actually play THE GAME. 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. You may opt-out by. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images). Proclaiming that women should get paid as much as men is a great way for a man to demonstrate his feminist bona fides. 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. 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. 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.. As many may not know, men get paid way more money than womens basketball does. Women athletes should be paid the same as men athletes. According to the WNBA, this was most-watched regular season since 2014, with viewership across ESPN networks and NBA TV up by 31 percent. In 2017, the team threatened to boycott the 2017 IIHF World Championships if a settlement was not made with USA Hockey for equal treatment to the mens team. That means WNBA players are only getting about 21.5% of league revenue. 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. 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. There is, however, one sector of the economy inwhich it continuesto be taken seriously: sports. All rights reserved. The main reason why WNBA players are paid less is WNBA is not as famous as NBA. Due to this situation the question has surfaced of, Should women basketball players be compensated the same as mens? 2023 Womens Sports Foundation. They have the trappings of fame without the benefit of the wealth that comes with it. This is the first time salaries for women in the WNBA will achieve an average salary that is six figures (Glamour). you gotta take a breath, kid. Revenues, on the other hand, should not be confused with profits. Ever. Twenty-eight members of the current national team pool announced in March that they aresuing U.S. Soccer, seeking equitable pay and treatment, including damages for back pay. The league average in 2022 is just $102,751 for WNBA players. Comissioner Cathy Englebert (Comissioner of the Womens National Basketball Association), Diese Seite ist durch reCAPTCHA geschtzt und es gelten die Google. The women of the WNBA are simply seeking the recognition they deserve for their performances. 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. Members of the U . 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. And its something were going to keep trying to push and push and push until we feel that everything is equal. However, if NBA wanted to pay WNBA players more wages and salaries . This should not be tolerated. 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. WNBA stars including Aja Wilson, Brittney Griner, Liz Cambage and Skylar Diggins-Smith have all spoken out about WNBA salaries compared to their NBA counterparts. So, are women better than men at anything? Old Joe Biden Has Never Told a WEIRDER Story Than This One, Et Tu, Paul? Some would say that the WNBA should be able to pay their players more because there are only 12 teams, compared to the NBA with 30 teams. 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 . "There need to be more women . The top players in the NBA will now be able to earn six figure salaries, more than half a million. 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 . So yes, it appears NBA referees do make more than a WNBA player. This year, all of the major professional sports leagues had a presence. 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). The new CBA addresses this issue. Note: This piece has been updated with a response from the WNBA indicating that the league does share its financials with the players union. Yes they are. I dont know anyone who would disagree with that. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images). The Long Fight for Pay Equality in Sports. Last week, this exciting season of the WNBA ended after the Seattle Storm swept the Washington Mystics to win their third championship. 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. If you cannot draw the fans and advertising dollars on your own, why would you expect the NBA to be your support bra? The yearly revenue is 7.92 billion dollars for the NBA, and the WNBA is 60 million dollars. And in sport, just as in society, women are fighting back, working towards the day when pay equality is achieved. From 2014 to 2017, Cambage competed in China and her native Australia. I dont know how any single person could enjoy watching someone shoot wide open jump shots and wide open layups. 53 points is something that happens every week in the NBA and they have guys that are 66 to 69 guarding them. But in terms of pay, it definitely is not. Solely because theyre women? Finding accurate financial data on any sport league is challenging. And I dont want to lose the WNBA or miss out on seeing the best female basketball players playing in the league. Also, overseas love basketball and put butts in seats regardless of who is on the court. As said in the article my Glamour, the . In the offseason, almost every WNBA member plays overseas, where they can make up to 10 times their normal WNBA salary. In fact, theWNBAs big television contractwas itself a byproduct of the channelreworking its agreement with their male counterpart. 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. 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. Until they get it, some of the worlds best female basketball players will be walking off of planes and onto courts as they meet the demands of a year-round basketball schedule. The NBA player whose salary is closest . 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. 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.. In contrast, NBA players receive about 50% of league revenue. Gender wage disparity arguments are a great way to virtue signal. This has ledDavid Berri ofForbesto argue that becauseWNBAsalaries make up less than a quarter of league revenue, as opposed to the NBAs 50 percent split, theWNBAis clearly exploiting their players. 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. The Greatest Food Debates Of All Time, Answered Pineapple On Pizza? Join now to unlock comments, browse ad-free, and access exclusive content from your favorite FDRLST writers. For decades, sports media figures have argued that interest drives coverage. They're better at dealing with kids. Whining about some that is not withstanding the reality of the matter. I have nev. I have zero doubt that one day she will prove herself worthy as an employee and that over time her compensation will match her production. Mar 1, 2023. 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? The NBA doesn't even do that much compared to other jobs and sports. It is very clear why NBA players make more money than WNBA players they simply generate more revenue. 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. This was a stellar season, where the final eight teams that made the playoffs werent determined until the last few games. Thats far away from here, but thats what were fighting toward.. The WNBAs current collective bargaining agreement wont expire until October 2021, with the maximum salary paid to WNBA veterans set to increase $8,000 from $113,500 to $121,500 by that year, which barely keeps pace with inflation at its current rate. Liz Cambage, WNBA player for the Las Vegas Aces, spoke on how her head coach, Becky Hammon, is making 4 times her salary. 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. For example, if a woman made an NBA team, then she should get paid commensurate to her position and contributions to her team. This . 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. Basically, they want a fair share of the total revenue of the WNBA. It's not entirely clear what NBA referees make, but Yahoo.com reported a few years ago that salaries range from $150,000 to $550,000. 15 Episodes of Seinfeld That Teach Everything You Need To Know About Life. They deserve to be able to play the game they love without needing to get a second job to pay the bills. In addition to the comments from Plum, A'Ja Wilson and Diana Taurasi recently argued WNBA players should be paid more. 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. Basketball. 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