Sky’s Angel Reese Takes Dig at WNBA Pay
The disparity in WNBA pay has been one of the hottest topics in professional sports for some while now. Concerns have been raised about gender equity, revenue sharing and the valuation of women athletes. In a recent social media post, Chicago Sky star forward Angel Reese spoke on the issue.
Despite record growth in viewership, sponsorship, and fan engagement, most WNBA players earn only a fraction of what their NBA counterparts receive. NBA players receive nearly 50% of basketball-related income, while WNBA players receive less than 10% of their league’s revenue.
If WNBA players received a 50% share of projected $500 million annual league revenues, as NBA, NFL, and MLB players do, the average salary would jump to around $1.5 million annually.
WNBA salaries currently range from $66,079 to $249,244, with the average base salary around $100,000. In contrast, the NBA’s minimum salary is $1.27 million, and the average salary now exceeds $13 million. Star NBA players like Stephen Curry earn over $60 million per season. Some of their contract are more expensive than many WNBA teams’ valuations.
Women's basketball players have been vocal about their demands and wore t-shirts with the phrase, “Pay Us What You Owe Us,” written on them ahead of the WNBA All-Star game. The 16,000-plus fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse erupted in chants of “Pay them!” when the players made their message public.
Reese, who has often thrown jabs at the league for extremely low pay, has grabbed the spotlight again for her bold comment. On Friday, the two-time WNBA All-Star posted some snaps from her offseason trip on her X handle. A user asked her if she wants to be an Instagram model or WNBA player.
“well no i’ll never pick because my dream job doesn’t pay me enough while my side job pays me 7 figures. anywayyy…..go check out my new episode😘,” Reese replied.
well no i’ll never pick because my dream job doesn’t pay me enough while my side job pays me 7 figures. anywayyy…..go check out my new episode😘 https://t.co/uAImqRFPd0 https://t.co/1Z8lO8hTvM
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) October 2, 2025
Reese once candidly admitted that her WNBA salary ($73,439) barely covers basic expenses such as rent and transportation, and she has to rely on endorsements to supplement her income.
Multiple NBA stars have recently spoken up in support of their female counterparts. Shaquille O’Neal described the pay gap as unacceptable, while Curry argued that current compensation models undersell athletes’ actual value.
The Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier fired shots at the league’s leadership following her team’s exit from the 2025 WNBA season. She revealed that the league commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, told her that WNBA superstars should be on their knees and thank her for getting the media rights deal that is helping them earn millions of dollars off the court.
It is high time the WNBA changed how it operates, or we might be headed for more protests from the athletes. With the women’s game's popularity on the rise, the fight for pay will just get more intense from here.
feed
Nishant is a sports writer with over four years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and soccer. He has bylines in several reputable digital media platforms, including Sportskeeda, Athlon Sports, Pro Football & Sports Network, and PinkVilla. He's known for delivering insightful and engaging coverage on everything, turning game-day grit into punchy storytelling.