Recently, Angel Reese decided to make herself eligible for the WNBA draft. This was shortly after star Caitlin Clark announced her eligibility as well. What ensued was one of the most star-studded WNBA drafts of all time. In the wake of that event, there were several social media posts detailing the rookie contracts these ladies were receiving. They all were making considerably less than six figures per year. Conversations about pay disparity between the NBA and WNBA have gone on for years. It’s widely understood how the metrics of revenue, viewership and attendance all play a role in the contracts these teams can dole out. The NBA’s viewership, sellouts and volume of played games are simply higher. For instance, a 2022 study by WSN reports that the NBA’s revenue was $10 billion compared to the WNBA’s $200 million. However, it should be noted that that $200 million number is a huge spike from 2022’s $60 million. Attendance in the NBA averaged 17,184 compared to the WNBA’s 5,679....
