OPINION Should WNBA Players Be Paid More?

Getting paid 66k-75k to hoop for 3 to 4 months is good. I would hope in those other 8 to 9 months of non-basketball, they have another 10k to add on top of their salary from another source of income

Only 5-6% of black women or women period make over 100k and I think maybe 3 to 4% make over 75k to even begin with so to make that in 3 months isn't bad as one may think.

I don't know many women, black women at that that's making 60k in 3 months of doing anything in the U.S.
 
BlackRain said:
Like you said paying the players more was a gamble the NBA owners took even at a loss. The WNBA owners could've chosen to take a similar gamble. It wasn't impossible they just chose not to.
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lol Why would the WNBA owners choose to do that when they have a historical precedent of it not working out too well for the NBA. Also, you're ignoring the fact that the WNBA owners actually only own about 40 percent of the league. The NBA owns 40 percent, and they have some other investors. So, no taking that gamble wouldn't have been as simple as you're making it seem.

BlackRain said:
The numbers aren't available for the 2000s, part of the issue some have with how WNBA owners have hidden numbers, but i can tell you as of this year for the Mystics rookies the average salary is between 66k-75k and in DC and PG County that will barely qualify you for a 600 sq ft 1 BR apartment depending on the area. Most would need a roommate or cosigner to avoid being smack in the middle of the hood making that money here.
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I live in PGC. A 66K salary does not doom you to the hood. lol You're killing me with this hyperbole. The problem is we associate playing pro sports with people balling, so WNBA salaries don't match up with that. WNBA players have to live like regular people, which I'm sure sucks when they look at how their male counterparts live, but they are not on the brink of poverty, so stop it.

Knock_Twice said:
Getting paid 66k-75k to hoop for 3 to 4 months is good. I would hope in those other 8 to 9 months of non-basketball, they have another 10k to add on top of their salary from another source of income
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This is another good point. 66K for 4 months of work is actually pretty dope by normal standards. It's kinda crazy that people make it seem like the WNBA players are so put out because they have the opportunity to go overseas and make even more money on top of that 66k they've already made. Do you know how many people would sign up for that kind of deal right now if it was open to them?
 
The Lonious Monk said:
lol Why would the WNBA owners choose to do that when they have a historical precedent of it not working out too well for the NBA. Also, you're ignoring the fact that the WNBA owners actually only own about 40 percent of the league. The NBA owns 40 percent, and they have some other investors. So, no taking that gamble wouldn't have been as simple as you're making it seem.



I live in PGC. A 66K salary does not doom you to the hood. lol You're killing me with this hyperbole. The problem is we associate playing pro sports with people balling, so WNBA salaries don't match up with that. WNBA players have to live like regular people, which I'm sure sucks when they look at how their male counterparts live, but they are not on the brink of poverty, so stop it.



This is another good point. 66K for 4 months of work is actually pretty dope by normal standards. It's kinda crazy that people make it seem like the WNBA players are so put out because they have the opportunity to go overseas and make even more money on top of that 66k they've already made. Do you know how many people would sign up for that kind of deal right now if it was open to them?
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I didn't say it would be simple or that it would easy to do. I simply said it could be done.

I've worked in Property Management for a good number of years now and so I have to know this. 66K in PG County or DC ain't getting you much. Average rent in the county alone as of June 2025 is 2K/month and the only thing keeping it that low is a cap on rental increases that companies are actively fighting against. On a 66k/year salary with majority of places required 3x monthly rent to even income qualify that severely limits options as that would mean they could only afford 1600-1800 max. So yeah that salary here ain't going far at all. It has nothing to do with balling and more to do with literally knowing what the cost of living here is.
 
Asked AI "Why should WNBA players receive more pay?" Rephrased the response to be a paragraph and I agree.

"WNBA players argue for higher pay not to match NBA salaries, but to receive a fairer share of the revenue they help generate—something NBA players already get. As the league sees rising viewership, media attention, and sponsorships, players believe their compensation should reflect that growth. Many athletes play overseas during the offseason to make ends meet, risking injury and burnout, which could be avoided with better WNBA salaries. Advocates also emphasize that fair pay is about professional respect and equitable treatment, not just money. As the league grows, so should investment in the players who drive its success."
 
BlackRain said:
I didn't say it would be simple or that it would easy to do. I simply said it could be done.
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Ok, then that's a stupid point to make. It could be done, but based on historical precedent it would be bad for the league. So why would they do it? I could go spend all my savings to by Trump meme coins, but why would I do that?
BlackRain said:
I've worked in Property Management for a good number of years now and so I have to know this. 66K in PG County or DC ain't getting you much. Average rent in the county alone as of June 2025 is 2K/month and the only thing keeping it that low is a cap on rental increases that companies are actively fighting against. On a 66k/year salary with majority of places required 3x monthly rent to even income qualify that severely limits options as that would mean they could only afford 1600-1800 max. So yeah that salary here ain't going far at all. It has nothing to do with balling and more to do with literally knowing what the cost of living here is.
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Bro, I used to live in Mitchellville. There are apartments there for 1600-1800 that aren't in the hood. I have young family members that live in Bowie and are paying around that for apartments. They aren't in the hood. You're talking to someone who lives in the area now and mentors young people in the area just getting started. I actually have relationships with youths that are making less than 66K and they're not struggling. You're being hyperbolic and that's really all there is to it. I ain't saying 66K is the best in this area for a single person, but if you're just starting in the work world and you're making that, you're actually doing pretty good.
 
The Lonious Monk said:
Ok, then that's a stupid point to make. It could be done, but based on historical precedent it would be bad for the league. So why would they do it? I could go spend use all my savings to by Trump meme coins, but why would I do that?


Bro, I used to live in Mitchellville. There are apartments there for 1600-1800 that aren't in the hood. I have young family members that live in Bowie and are paying around that for apartments. They aren't in the hood. You're talking to someone whose lives in the area now and mentors young people in the area just getting started. I actually have relationships with youths that are making less than 66K and they're not struggling. You're being hyperbolic and that's really all there is to it. I ain't saying 66K is the best in this area for a single person, but if you're just starting in the work world and you're making that, you're actually doing pretty good.
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The average rent in Mitchellville is around 2300/mo. For a 1 BR its around 1700/mo. No Bowie is not the hood but you also are getting most likely a C or D class property for that money now which isn't the best spot to be as they typcially have all sorts of issues from management to maintenance. It's not only cost of living but quality of living too that comes with lower and higher prices. I never said people should start out balling out but you trying to pretend a 66-70k salary where the majority of that would go to your rent if you can even afford it on your own isn't struggling is not being realistic. Shit there's some apartment complexes that will still deny you if you just barely make the income level solely for that reason. That they don't want people who can barely afford their rent. You living here is fine...I literally work with these numbers every day and see the fluctuations in rent increases on a weekly basis as they go up and down. There's a completely different pov gained when seeing people making even more than that struggling to make rent monthly let alone somebody making 66-70k.
 
Good back and forth, not sure if this helps but only 13 to 15% of all black men make over 75k a year. Not in one place

Only 8% of all black men make over 100k and they all are over the US. Not in 1 place

66k a year under 30 is really good when factoring those %
 
BlackRain said:
The average rent in Mitchellville is around 2300/mo. For a 1 BR its around 1700/mo. No Bowie is not the hood but you also are getting most likely a C or D class property for that money now which isn't the best spot to be as they typcially have all sorts of issues from management to maintenance. It's not only cost of living but quality of living too that comes with lower and higher prices. I never said people should start out balling out but you trying to pretend a 66-70k salary where the majority of that would go to your rent if you can even afford it on your own isn't struggling is not being realistic. Shit there's some apartment complexes that will still deny you if you just barely make the income level solely for that reason. That they don't want people who can barely afford their rent. You living here is fine...I literally work with these numbers every day and see the fluctuations in rent increases on a weekly basis as they go up and down. There's a completely different pov gained when seeing people making even more than that struggling to make rent monthly let alone somebody making 66-70k.
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Again bro, I literally work with young adults just getting out on their own. Most of them aren't making 66K and they aren't struggling and they aren't in the hood. Are they ballin or poised to raise families with that as their sole income? No, but that's not terrible money to make early on in your adult life. And I know we're talking about for people who live alone, but again, if you're a young adult, rooming with someone is perfectly acceptable and helps tremendously with cost and quality of living.

And even if it's not ideal living, it is still better than a situation where the players don't even have the option of relying solely on the basketball pay because it is definitively not enough. And as @Knock_Twice pointed out, that's 66K for around a third of a year's worth of work. That leaves them plenty of time to supplement that income however they want if it's not enough.

Knock_Twice said:
Good back and forth, not sure if this helps but only 13 to 15% of all black men make over 75k a year. Not in one place

Only 8% of all black men make over 100k and they all are over the US. Not in 1 place

66k a year under 30 is really good when factoring those %
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Yeah, I think people in general probably don't make as much as they should given the rising cost in living in the U.S. That said, it is kinda ridiculous to act like WNBA players are struggling and HAVE to work another job just to make a decent living when they are in the top 75% of earners off less than half a year of work.
 
People should be paid what they're worth. Why turn this into a weird feminism issue?

If the WNBA was more popular they would be paid more. Their low pay is due to low popularity. Not their gender/sex.
 
zerogate said:
People should be paid what they're worth. Why turn this into a weird feminism issue?

If the WNBA was more popular they would be paid more. Their low pay is due to low popularity. Not their gender/sex.
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This is just flat out incorrect. If it were correct, there would have been a surge in pay along with the surge in popularity.
 
Don't forget cost of living when discussing their salaries. A salary in one place does not equal the salary everywhere else
 
All jokes aside im all for them getting a pay raise but you guys are acting like they can't afford a reasonable living and its kinda ridiculous.

They ain't missing no meals.
 
mryounggun said:
This is just flat out incorrect. If it were correct, there would have been a surge in pay along with the surge in popularity.
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The WNBA is not popular. Not alot of people watch it. The growth in popularity is only but a recent phenomenon and many of these players had signed contracts years ago -- before the surge in popularity. Perhaps if they renegotiated their contract today.....

Be that as it may it doesn't invalidate the idea in my previous posts that pay is tied to popularity (and other factors) of the league. The money has to come from somewhere. Millions of people watch NBA games hence the higher salaries. Another factor is work hours. WNBA season is shorter than NBA.
 
Yes they should, I’m not sure on the % they can argue that but Im sure it shouldn’t be anywhere near what the NBA is they’re are just not there yet.


But when the ticket prices increase is the crowds still gonna be there like they’re are now. When you go from a affordable family night out to nah just not worth it or can’t afford it will those seats be empty?
 
mryounggun said:
This is just flat out incorrect. If it were correct, there would have been a surge in pay along with the surge in popularity.
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But that's technically what we're seeing now. There has been a surge in popularity, which has led to a big TV deal, which should lead to a surge in pay. There's going to be a bit of a lag between when the popularity increases and when the pay increases because the popularity has to first translate to an increase in revenue.
 
As long as equality is up for debate, the world will never see peace.

The league, any league, does not exist or grow without fanfare, investment, and talent. Why is there any space for debate when we know fans aren't paying to see the owners and investors. Finally, the WNBA has eyes on it, why not make it lucrative for more potential talent to want to join the league? Clark and Reese are only two names, the league will need a dozen more to maintain interest.

Unlike the NBA, a all woman alternative to the WNBA that is on TV could definitely become an alternative if names like Clark and Reese were there.
 
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