It is relevant to compare the percentage of revenue that goes to the players in the WNBA vs. the NBA. It is also relevant to compare how that has changed for NBA players over time.
But yes, in terms of raw dollars/numbers, there is not place to compare salaries.
The NBA has funded the WNBA very well for years. And it is not like funding the G League, where players may come up to play in the NBA; no WNBA player will play in the NBA.
Also unlike the G League -- which has 27 teams, all of which are either single-affiliated or owned by an NBA team -- the WNBA only has certain franchises still owned by NBA teams -- Phoenix Mercury, Minnesota Lynx, Indiana Fever, plus the Washington Mystics (same ownership group, Monumental Sports & Entertainment) and the New York Liberty (previously owned by MSG Company; sold in 2019 to Joseph Tsai, the minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets).
With all due respect,
@bballnut90 , I have to disagree.
There are 144 players in the WNBA. In 2017, the average WNBA salary was $71,635; in 2018, that number was closer to $75,000. In 2019, the highest paid players will be earning between $115,000 and $119,000.
As of April 22, 2019 -- which is just shy of four months and which is comparable to a WNBA season -- tennis has:
-- 150 players who have earned at least $72,000 for 2019.
-- 122 players who have earned at least $100,000 for 2019.
-- 98 players who have earned at least $122,000 for 2019.
-- 76 players who have earned at least $150,000 for 2019.
-- 57 players who have earned at least $200,000 for 2019.
-- 33 players who have earned at least $300,000 for 2019.
-- 19 players who have earned at least $500,000 for 2019.
WTA YTD Prize Money (as of April 22, 2019)
While the
average salary of WNBA players for 2017 was $71,635 and approaching $75,000 for 2018, the WTA had
at least 150 players earn $72,000 this year.
Now,
the LPGA might be more comparable to the WNBA, in terms of compensation for approximately four months (link is to LPGA prize money to date). But in terms of being highly compensated as professional athletes, tennis players are at the top.
And if you look at
ESPN's 2019 world fame rankings, the top female athletes on the list (and the only ones to break through a male-dominated list) are all tennis players -- Serena Williams (#17), Maria Sharapova (#37), and Sania Mirza (#93). The
2018 list had a good number more women on the list, but most of them were tennis players.
I might amend your statement to say, "WNBA players make WAY more than almost any other female pros [in terms of female athletes in professional team sports]"
You ask the questions that the WNBA has been asking for years -- and that women's sports have been asking in terms of an overly saturated and crowded marketplace.
Yes, the casual sports fan will not tune in to watch the WNBA (maybe a playoff game, but that is likely it). And I will agree that unlike tennis, women's basketball suffers in a way that other female sports do not, in terms of how it appears on television and the inevitable comparison to men. Whereas when the top women's tennis players play, it is usually with serves over 110 miles per hour, fast groundstrokes, competitive rallies, etc. Other than the speeds of serves and possibly speeds on groundstrokes, the differences between when the top women play as opposed to the top men are not so vast that the average sports fan thinks, "I could beat [insert female tennis player]. Because of the nature of the largely "under the rim" game, the casual sports fan can look at missed layups and think, "No way is she better than I am."
In terms of "respect," however, you see many NBA players/analysts discussing the league on sports talk shows and quite a few NBA players showing up at NBA games. This is a good thing, as it will slowly ingrain the idea of a professional women's basketball league into the sports consciousness.
Now, will the WNBA ever be as popular as the NBA or any of the Big Four professional sports? No. But could the WNBA carve out a market niche like MLS? Absolutely.
These teams/leagues are either state-sponsored or funded by rich owners not concerned with profit margins (perhaps there is some other benefit, such as tax breaks). But you correct, in terms of any capitalistic sense (or western capitalistic sense), this would not be a successful business venture.
I have had a number of discussions with
@ucbart and
@EricLA about this topic. #BestGroupTextEver
As only 5 of 12 WNBA teams are owned by their NBA counterparts or have the same ownership group as NBA teams, there cannot be things like charter flights. That makes commercial flight (with lines, uncomfortable seats, delays, etc.) a fact of life for WNBA teams.
The players know (or should know) that a strike or work stoppage would be the death of the league. So the players should be firm but with reasonable demands. For example:
- Eliminate back-to-back games. Without charter flights, commercial travel is uncomfortable and perilous (in terms of delays and scheduling). While this may be challenging in World Championship years, it can -- and should -- be done.
- Upgrade the rookie pay scale. In 2018, the salary cap was $976,300. There is leeway there to increase the rookie pay scale. Alternatively, the players could push to have rookie contracts with fewer years. As an example, A'ja Wilson was picked #1 in the 2018 WNBA Draft and earned $52,564 for 2018. Because of the four-year rookie contract, she will only earn $67,020 in 2021, her fourth WNBA season. Limit the rookie contracts to two years, with a middle tier between rookie contract and veteran deal. Or just limit rookie contracts to three years, with players eligible for the veterans' salary jumps beginning with their fourth season.
- Change the offseason compensation limits. The WNBA salary cap rules limit what a team can pay its players in the offseason. The rule was designed to prevent cap circumvention (I believe the total amount is $50,000). This is why Kristi Toliver is only earning $10,000 as an NBA assistant coach for the Washington Wizads, as Elena Delle Donne stayed in the US and is getting the bulk of the Washington Mystics' $50,000 (and since the Mystics and Wizards have the same ownership group, there is no way around this). If this amount is increased, this will allow players to not just skip going overseas, but also have them stay and work in their respective WNBA municipalities to help with community events, try to promote season ticket sales, etc.
And the WNBA should be proactive with its own sponsorship/marketing ideas:
- Start brokering sponsorship deals with airlines to either potentially get charter flights or at least first class designations for cross-country travel).
- Consider having WNBA double-headers in cities where there are not WNBA franchises, but where there is guaranteed to be a large turnout (especially if a former local college star is involved) -- Knoxville, TN; Columbia, SC; Kansas City, MO; Louisville, KY, etc.
Also -- and I simply cannot stress this enough -- the WNBA needs to explore particular ownership groups, as they did with the Las Vegas Aces and the Connecticut Sun before that, as their respective costs are not just relative, but lower than those of other franchises.
- With Las Vegas and Connecticut, the owners of the WNBA franchises (Mohegan Sun for CT, MGM Resorts International for LV) also own the respective arenas in which those franchises play (Mohegan Sun Arena for CT, Mandalay Bay Events Center for LV).
- And since both of these are attached to/part of casinos/resorts, there is already the "infrastructure" in place -- e.g., food/beverage/concessions, security, etc.
- In addition, the ownership group is not paying rent for the arena (as other franchises have to do), as it would be paying rent to itself.
- As a result, not only are the costs of operation for these two franchises is significantly less that the costs of operation for other WNBA franchises, but the ability to make a profit is much easier.
- And even if attendance is not a huge percentage of capacity, if the attendees for WNBA games stay at the resort, spend time in the casino, etc., the franchise can recover any costs that way.
Just a few random thoughts from me, CamrnCrz1974.
