Let’s play ball
Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks
Sure, any basketball fan has heard of, or possibly been involved in, the argument about WNBA salaries. Should WNBA players should be paid as much as NBA players? Or at least more than they get paid now?
But, it’s draft season, so I say we get the debate going again.
First things first
Just so you know what were talking about, here are the critical facts for comparison:
- Minimum salary for 3-year WNBA player: $51,000
- Salary cap for WNBA team: $803,000 per team
- Minimum salary for 3-year NBA player: $826,269
- Salary cap for NBA player: What salary cap?
OK, so really the salary cap for the NBA is $59 million per team, but it’s a “soft cap,” meaning “there are several significant exceptions that allow teams to exceed the salary cap to sign players,” according to Wikipedia.
Payment on principal?
So, let’s talk WNBA salaries. Getting paid $51,000 to play basketball for a season is nothing to sneeze at. I’d be sitting pretty if I made that much. It’s not like these women are going to need payday loans for groceries like us commonfolk.
The debate on the subject revolves around the principal of the thing. Equal pay for equal work has been an issue in this country since women joined the workforce.
Shake your moneymaker
Of course, we all know where this is going. The players, both NBA and WNBA, are paid according to how much money the franchise/sport/organization — whatever you want to call it — brings in.
Furthermore, the WNBA does not actually “bring in” any money, per se. One online commenter at “Simon on Sports” says: “the only reason that the WNBA even survives is because it seeps money off of the NBA.”
The NBA subsidizes the WNBA to the tune of about $12 million per year.
There’s your trouble
I have heard few people argue that WNBA players should make the same salaries as NBA players. There is a small sprinkling of people out there who believe the WNBA players should get equal pay because they are doing the same job. But those are few and far between.
Most people agree that the NBA is the moneymaker, and the players are paid accordingly. NBA players get paid tons of money because their games bring in tons of money. WNBA players get paid less because the WNBA, as a business, is not profitable. What seems to be at the root of the contention is that the gap in pay is so huge.
‘Fun with math’
Stephon Marbury
Yes, you read my little bullet list right: The salary cap in an entire team in the WNBA is lower than the minimum salary for a single player that’s been in the NBA three years. This seems to be what’s causing the trouble.
One sports blogger put it this way:
“Now Let’s Have Some Fun with Math. Stephon Marbury makes $22 million this season. The WNBA has 13 teams. 13 times $803,000 is $10.5 million. That’s half as much as Marbury is making for doing absolutely nothing.”
Read up on Stephon Marbury here.
Share your opinion
Some say WNBA players are underpaid. Some say NBA players are overpaid. Some say the disparity is just too big. What do you say?
NO ones saying women deserve the same pay as their male counterparts. all we are saying is that they deserve a decent wage.All nba players do not make the same money.Some make 2o million a year and some make only thousands.but they make a livable wage.women ball players barely make as much as a garbageman,do you think thats fair.they need a minimum wage that is fair.I know they won’t make what their male counterparts are making at least for a long time. male models make a decent wage,male tennis make a decent wage why not female basketball players.
This has got to be one of dumbest arguments ever. Socialism at it’s best. It makes no sense what so ever. Which is why it’s so entertaining. Okay, let’s do this:
1. Choose a select group people ( women, children, mexicans, blind people, etc.)
2. Slap “NBA” after their initial identifier. Maybe the kNBA, NBA for kids.
3. And immediately pay them millions of dollars, of which men have been building up to that pay since the inception of the league.
That’s dumb. Anybody who thinks that NBA players should be paid the same as WNBA players are mad at God for not designing women to be better ball players?
With all that being said, I love watching women’s tennis. And we all know that women’s gymnastics always tops men’s.
Please stop the idiocy.
Why are so many people are leaping to the NBA’s defense…what have they ever done for you? Not to mention how they probably view the fans that make their wealth and popularity possible. Athletes on all levels besides amateur club teams, from high school, college if they attend, and pro, are brought into a culture of privilege and class separation and superiority. Just look at the criminal offenses committed by athletes across many sports – they receive gentler punishments, simply because they can throw an inflated ball around. Do you think they’d rally to the cause of the fans? Not likely.
If you were to gather any random group from any team of NBA players together and ask if they’d give up a few million per year, to cut ticket prices in half to allow fans easier access and greater value for purchase, do you really think they would? Of course they wouldn’t, and fans make their living possible.
And besides – basketball is BORING regardless of the gender playing the game!
The comparison here doesn’t work. It’s not like we are comparing two investment banking executives doing the same exact job. Hilary and Obama had a hard fought battle because many felt they were equally qualified for the job they were fighting for. If the two NBA’s were doing the same job equally there would be no reason for a WNBA they would just all play together. The Pawtucket Red Sox players are doing the same job as the Boston Red Sox players. Should the the Paw Sox ace be paid as much as Josh Beckett? I think the pursuit of pay equity is an important one but I just don’t think this example belongs in the arena.
NBA is over paid period. I cant stand to watch NBA because they dont play! They show out, they dunk and block and they do it because that is wat the people want. That is wat brings in the money. Do they even know wat defense is anymore? I sure havent seen it. Yes men and women are different. Men are stronger and faster but if you watch the NBA and then the WNBA you’ll see that the women actually play the game. No we can’t dunk or block like men and that’s ok but you will see the women play defense and shoot the ball from outside. I know sports are hard work, i played 3 in high school and one at the college level. It all takes hard work for anybody. but NBA has become more of a show than an actual sport. you wanna see real basketball with defense and shooting watch women cause all ur gonna see with men are dunks to get the money flowing.
yo man i think this wack!!! tha nba should be gettin paid as much as us girls do! they aint need all dat money..i mean all they do is play tha game and they get paid that much!!! i mean theres people that actually have jobs and get paid tha same amount..but they actually work for it. Yea tha nba players work hard too..but not like actually using they head and all that crap. i mean i luv tha nba but they payment is just outrageous. i mean all dat money could be goin to other important things like tha needy, homeless shelter and so on..yea they get mo people at they games but that shouldnt mean they get mo money…anyways i just think this wack n i wanted to let u kno i aint like this at all…pce
well as far as me im goin b playn n da wnba and i could care who watch it as long as im doin wtf i love and will allway’s love 2 do and 2 all dat think women can’t ballu get 5 and i all ready got my 5 and holla at me on da black top,gym,front yard,fisher press court wat ever and i bet we dog dat azz put ur money were ur mouth is lmfao serious bussiness gurl’s rule..WNBA ALLDAYYYY FCK HATER’S IM OUT 10-4 OVA N OUT…SIEDAH KOOL-AID WINSTON#24 804 ALLDAY
There is no discrimination in basketball. No-one calls the fact that female models make more than male models discrimination, it is just market forces. There is nothing to stop millions of women making women’s basketball the biggest money sport in the world, but they chose to spend their time and money elsewhere. There is discrimination in tennis, against men. Some of their earning are confiscated to give more to women who are worth less in the marketplace, You are either in favour of fairness, or you are not. If you support a system where things are left alone whenever men are worse of, but interventions are made when women are worse off, that means you are actually sexist.
You idiots say the NBA doesn’t play defense are so stupid. There isn’t one girl in the WNBA that could score on an NBA defender if he tried to lock her down. Stop telling me it is more fundamental,it isn’t. They are the worst when it comes to handling the ball and minimizing turnovers. That is the definition of fundamental basketball. They make poor decisions,have poor shot selection,can’t finish 2 on 1 fast breaks……. Stop being apologists for bad execution. If you made any WNBA player use her opposite hand she becomes worthless. Screw political correctness. Ben York,who is some wnba hack writer says we need to change. What? If your food sucks,I need to change my palate. I won’t be happy until the WNBA folds like any other business.
To anyone that would make the ridiculous statement that “wnba players should be making at least 6 figures…”, you have got to be kidding me!? Why? If the wnba was any other business they would have shut down already because they never make a profit. They cant even afford to pay their players without the help of the NBA! A teacher makes roughly 30 grand a year, but some chick that plays a game badly for two hours at a time should get 3 times as much? That would be the definition of charity.
Let’s make it more difficult in the NBA – raise the hoop, make the court larger and make it a foul to hang on the hoop and let’s see who actually plays a team sport………I stopped watching the NBA years ago – they have been a bunch of whinney, overpaid babies for a very long time……..while the women of the WNBA are not as physically strong as their male counterparts – they certainly play the game much better and anyone who missed the finals has no clue what they are missing! There’s much more to the sport than the slam dunk!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree, I have supported the wnba since it stated back in 1996-97, and I will keep doing so. I love the ladies game they play a team game always. I have been coaching girls basketball the pass 5yrs. out in Va.
How about all those with the negativity if everything was so terrible about the WNBA why you even on this site reading anything about it. Why take the time to even read an article about their salaries if you don’t give two f***s. I mean really. I think these women should get paid alot more than they do. I’m not saying millions a year because there isn’t enough filled seats even at the games. I been to a wnba and the crowd was weak i must say..but the game was very good. I asked a group of young girls why they don’t attend these games and most say because they don’t have ways to the games. Not everyone that is a fan of the wnba live in a city to go enjoy and watch the games. There is a bunch of young girls i know who would love to watch candace, diana, cappie,dawn and so forth. I mean as a boy they have alot to look forward to in basketball if that’s there goal. But after college, for a girl, its really not a dream anymore. You have to worry about how your going to support yourself and your family if you have one. So there going to have to make sure they have a plan B and C. These women have to go all the way across seas to make money on their off season. Why do you think these countries pay so much for them? HUH? because they have game!! so what if they cant dunk ..hell that gets old too. Duh, a guy’s game is going to be different. NOT everygirl has the ability to be 6″4, 6″7 and so forth to go a dunk some damn ball. But there teamwork and effort and having the heart to love the game the way they do no matter how much money they make, now thats a player. Because i bet if you told an NBA player they was going to make that much, i bet they ass wouldn’t even play anymore. So stop dissing the girls and show them love…if you don’t wanna do that LEAVE EVERYTHING THAT GOT TO DO WITH THEM ALONE !! its that damn easy go watch your NBA then. the wnba is still young and has alot of growing to do..and i think there salaries is apart of it!
yoo laura correct me if I’m wrong but did michael jordan not get the ball an awful lot and score a bunch of points, ye something like 30 000+ in his career.
that is weird isn’t it, how you claim to not like the nba now when its all about individual players yet you are going to remember one of the biggest ball hogs of all time in Michael Jordan.
ANYWAYS the point of this is to discuss whether or not they should be paid more and i think The G Child nailed it. i also think that if the wnba wants to make more money they need to become more like the nba. face it people love to be dazzled by individual performances much more than watching fundamental basketball. you can find examples of this even in the nba in a person like Tim Duncan a.k.a the big fundamental can’t pull in a crowd and sell tickets like a lebron james or kobe bryant. so in order for the wnba to succeed they are going to need some players who can bring in a crowd. i also think they should lower the nets to allow for more dunks because the slam dunk is a big part of basketball, that’s what people think of when they think of a basketball game. they think of people running up and down the court and dunking the ball, and as “great” as a layup or jump shot may be its not gonna amaze anyone and the reason people come to watch a basketball game is to be amazed. so if they change up somethings in the game and make more like the nba they will make more money and pay their athletes better.
Laura yu have no clue wat yur tlkin about watch the celtics next time there on … their offense s selfless rondo would rather get an assist than a bucket and KG sets more screens than takes shots the wnba is terrible everyone knows it i dont even think the players like to watch their own highlights so learn somethin about basketball before yu say the wnba is better than the nba yu douche
Ok we women are well aware that we may never be able to jump over 2 players and dunk the ball at the same time. I love sports but the most boring sport to watch on television besides baseball and is the NBA. Its not even a team sport anymore. They just want to see what single player gets the ball the most and scores the most. You watch a WNBA game and its a team sport. The only thing I will ever remember about the NBA is Jordan, Bird, and Johnson. That’s it.
Hey Loso, bitter against women much? LMAO I have season tickets to both PHX Suns and PHX Mercury….and as a HUGE fan of the sport of basketball, and one who truly appreciates the beauty and art of the game I can say you are DEAD WRONG as far as entertainment factor! Trust me, 6′4″ women CAN dunk. WNBA games at times are even MORE exciting, brutal, and cut throat than NBA games….(ever seen a guy keep playing sporting a fresh shiner or bloody lip?)perhaps you just prefer MEN….heheh Sadly, I agree no doubt the women will never come close the the men’s salaries….but not because they don’t deserve it probably because the industry is dictated by folks such as yourself, Bubba….doh!
wildthinginaz, to me it looks like you are saying that WNBA players are tougher than NBA players, and that is one of the most outrageous things ive ever heard. WNBA players wouldnt last ten seconds in an NBA game.
No One wants to see women play sports. Its not entertaining. It will never make a profit. I tried to watch a wnba game once; I fell asleep. No offense to women but there just not big enough, strong enough, or fast enough to entertain most sports fans. They cant even dunk for God’s sake. WNBA=Fail
The WNBA is in its infant stages and also is a womens league. Come on people think…if anything has a tough time gaining support in this country it is something thats new (WNBA) and it is 100% female. Naturally the WNBA will have to overcome more of a boundary than the NBA ever had. It also doesnt help that the NBA is so visible now. There was a time not to long ago when Jordan retired and KOBE, DWAYNE, and LEBRON hadnt arrived yet. The NBA was so boring, this was one of the reasons for the rule changes to help team provide more offense and be more appealing in a time when there wasnt any star power. Again the WNBA is a womans league and it is in its infant stages. Right now the WNBA might not appeal to the average fan but to those who know and love BBALL it doesnt matter whos playing BBALL is BBALL. Another thing that I like about the WNBA vs NBA is it doesnt take the players as long to contribute to the league. If you look at the NBA 3/4 the players drafted dont make an impact untill 3 to 4 yrs down the line. Your avergae WNBA player goes to school 4 years and is able to step in on the pro level immediatley. Just another reason I like the WNBA.
Everybody knows the NBA is better than the WNBA that’s just a true fact, but WNBA players sweat,go hard and do what the men do.Look at Candace Parker,Diana Taurasi,Cappie Pondexter and Tamika Catchings 4 of the WNBA’s best players they do what men do Candace dunks,Diana dominates from the 3,Tamika defensive player of the year(2009),And Cappie is just and all around player.They Win championship titles just like the men do,so why can they atleast make more money than they do now,some NBA players suck ass and still make millions of dollars for example Sheldon Williams sucks and he 3mil and Candace PArker is a beast and she makes 44k….Im not saying WNBA players desrve 15mil but damn whats wrong with 5 or 6mil atleast for the best..ya feel me???
I’ve never been a WNBA fan. The truth is that before this Fever/Mercury Finals I may have seen like 90 seconds of WNBA basketball in my entire life. Having said that, this series between the Fever/Mercury has been sensational. The quality of play (I’m a guy) has impressed the hell out of me.
Of course the women are not going to be able to compete with the men on a court, but is that really the point? There should be room for both. I’ve found this series to be incredibly entertaining. These girls can play the game. In a lot of ways it’s better fundamental basketball than you see in the NBA. They are two different games in terms of athleticism, but that doesn’t mean the women can’t play.
I say some on here should open up their eyes and try to view this thru a different prism. Plus, I’d be willing to bet that most of the guys on here are trash talking without merit. I’d bet most are not half the player someone like Tamika Catchings is, most couldn’t beat Penny Taylor in a game of horse…The league may not last and maybe they never do generate enough interest to ultimately keep from folding, but that sure as hell doesn’t mean quite a few of these women can’t play. For ANY guy on here to say something like that screams out inferiority complex. Even if any guy on here really IS a better hoops player, so what? Compared to YOUR male peers, what does that really mean? Get over yourselves…
kc
Girls are not boys,the wnba is not the nba.It’ like comparing apples to oranges. Both are good fruit and have some nutriants. you can’t expect girls to play like boys.It doesn’t mean girls can’t play good entertaining ball.The wnba probably won’t ever be as popular as the nba .but the sport will grow to support itself.Stop dissin’ women sports they are just as important as mens.If you don’t like it don’t watch it.I don’t expect everybody to like ever sport.I don’t care for golf or baseball but you don’t hear me dissin’ the sports or players.They deserve their credit so does the wnba.
The wnba isn’t the nba,you can’t expect girls to play like boys.That doesn’t mean theese girls can’t play ball.It would be like going to a nfl game and seeing male cheerleaders in tight shorts and half t-shirts,most wouldn’t want see that no matter how good they were.I don’t expect you (you know who you are)to like every sport.I am not abig golf fan or baseball,but you don’t here me dissin’ theese sports or players.Thwy deserve credit for what they do.I couldn’t hit a home run or play golf as good as tiger woods.Girls deserve more than cheerleading and tennis.
T
Good point.
I can’t believe anyone actually thinks there are women who could play in the NBA . Where are they ? This is not an equal rights issue . They just can’t play as well as men and are boring to watch . Some things are not equal . How many white guys play in the NBA ? China has 1.3 billion people and 3 guys in the NBA . Why? because in general they are smaller people, period . There is nobody keeping Chinese from playing basketball . It isn’t racism they are just too small . Women are slower and less explosive than men , so nobody wants to see a slow sloppy basketball game . It is like watching Arena Football , only even more boring .
I just heard today on PTI that somebody( I don’t remember who) bought 7200 tickets and gave them away at the Phoneix Mercury game last night. Attendance for the game was just over 7000. How funny is that. They can’t give tickets away
wnba blows worst sport ever watching it is like having bamboo under my finger nails couldnt be worse i cant wait till its just done with what kind of good sport loses players to a maternity league thats bull and if if you dont appreciate this it s an opinion yea they have good fundamentals but this not gonna be bringing in the money you can see their all star game for like !0 bucks you can even stand outside the nba all star game for that
WNBA. Worst sport ever. Unwatchable. As I write this I am changing to the NFL game. Greg, great comments. But to all the girls who’s dream it is to play, keep trying
how could you say that.
First of all, why are most men putting down the men. I bet the wnba women can beat the mens. (Not the nba) Second, ill admit the women are a little slow at taking shots and sometimes are not aggersive as the men but a least there are puting sometime out. The women should be paid a lot more. Adverting tv-wise is so much better. Recently I saw a poster a famous womens basketball player Candace Parker of the Los Angelos Sparks. It was great that they are sopporting the wnba. The problem is that I couldnt tell that she was who she was because it wasn’t labeled her team or wnba or anything. Just her name. If I hadn’t looked around I wouldn’t have seen her at all. So don’t blame the wnba blame the bad advertizing. P.S. the tv channels should have women everywhere. Peace ,love & basket ball
The G Child, I can understand what you’re saying. Of course, can you blame the WNBA for having a longer offseason than the NBA? The NBA takes three-fourths of the year, every year. The WNBA season has to be three months long and the offseason has to be seven months long. It’s the only way they can make solid ratings without much interference from the NBA. And realize what the women are doing during the offseason…they’re playing basketball.
Does that not tell you something? I understand that professional athletes from any sport of any gender make a good amount of money, but if you look at it, they don’t have to play basketball. They can have other jobs, and due to them being women, will likely retire at a young enough age to get a regular job and start a family. That’s respect for the game. They respect it enough to make it their lives. Everyone works hoping to make money for something, but the happiest people are those who enjoy what they do. These women play extra basketball to make it their lives. I’m not saying that NBA players should do that too-and yes, they’re understandably the best in the game and making lots of cash, but the women are just as into it-if not more-than the guys.
And yes, players going to the NBA after their freshmen year does relate to love for the game. Am I saying that ALL college freshmen who skip have no love for the game? No. I’m merely saying that these guys are up and going, leaving for the NBA Draft without a single thought of otherwise. It happens every year, at the expense of the NCAA. And some players even become disgruntled, grumbling about playing in college hoops with no pay, although they’re being given a thousand privileges on top of a free education.
If NCAA women’s players were given the opportunity to skip and play WNBA ball, yes, some of the best would skip. But then again, maybe they’ll value their education and stay for at least three years and study in a community college of whatever team’s city they’re drafted to.
They may have no choice but to stay in college anyway; they’re just going to be playing a league with no significant pay anyway.
because the wnba doesn’t make money yet the players don’t deserve a decent wage.that’s like saying auto workers should be paid minimum wage until the auto companies start making a profit.if you
are doing a job you deserve a decent wage.
100 poo is not that much compared to millions tens of millions NBA players get.
I agree with u.
First off I am a guy and I watch the NBA and every now and again I watch the WNBA. My first thoughts after learning the average salary for WNBA players were that they were being way underpaid even if they are playing less entertaining basketball and for a shorter period of time. But after seeing that the league actually doesn’t make any money and is only surviving because the NBA wills it my mind was changed. I like the WNBA i can watch it in small bursts but until it actually starts making some money then i think the players are getting paid about right. I mean if you think about it the players are getting paid for losing money. Although if that changes then WNBA players definitely will deserve to make at least over $100,000.
and regarding some comments from “Gabe Mambo”
The WNBA regular season is less than half the length of the NBA regular season(82games-34games). The WNBA season runs for about 5 months while the NBA season runs for about 9 months (both including the playoffs and training camp). The WNBA offseason is seven months long, that is more than enough time for the players to go and compete overseas and get enough rest for the next WNBA season. The NBA offseason is only three months long and only leaves time for the players to rest and prepare for the next campaign. Also WNBA players compete overseas to earn more money not necessarily because they love the game enough to play it year round. NBA players make enough money so they don’t need to go overseas unless it is to play for their home country in international play.
“At least WNBA players love the game enough to play it year round, while other players skip the last three years of college ball to make millions.”
How does a player skipping three years of college ball to make millions relate to WNBA players loving the game enough to play it year round. That doesn’t make any sense the nba season is longer than the college basketball season so going to the nba early if anything allows you to play the game even more often than in college and has nothing to do with how much a person loves the game. It might have to do with their love of money but not the game.
Is women’s basketball as exciting as men’s basketball?
No.
Do women deserve to have a league of their own?
Yes.
Are we showing the WNBA enough respect?
Not at all.
The WNBA expands how far the game of basketball can go, and when people compare two completely different genders to one another for the same sport, that’s just closed minded. On top of that, what type of man wants to brag about beating women at basketball. People are challenging WNBA players to play other guys, and they’re making faulty comparisons. Women are women; they’re not going to play like we do except for the select few. Once again, an unfair comparison.
If we’re going to make disparaging comments about women’s hoops, how about we point out the legitimate factors as opposed to the ones that don’t apply? I think WNBA basketball isn’t watched well because of how different it is compared to women’s basketball, but for God’s sake, that’s not their fault, and yet all of you bash them as if they play half heartedly.
Do we remember Ron Artest? Do we remember the egos that go around the league? The speculation that the NBA may be rigged? How often do you see a fight, ego, or anything in the WNBA? Not that often. In the WNBA’s offseason, women play overseas, giving up time for much needed rest in order to play basketball. Do the NBA players do that? None that I know of, and even so, not a whole lot. At least WNBA players love the game enough to play it year round, while other players skip the last three years of college ball to make millions. Do they not deserve some respect at the very least?
This isn’t about how much they’re paid. The comments on this page have conveyed that they don’t deserve any respect, but a lot of factors show that they’re the real damn basketball players. And apparently, the comments prove there are no real basketball fans, because they would show some damn respect to people who love playing the game.
The WNBA is a symbol of hope for all the girls who work their ass off at this sport and dont rely on jumping over people to dunk a ball. The women of the WNBA are at a disadvantage because people in this country dont understand the game of basketball at its purist form and would rather see some douche bag thug jump real high and run real fast. The skill level of the women in the WNBA is good enough to play with anybody. The people who bash the WNBA and female ball players in general dont understand the game and are fools to not recognize great basketball.
If a mc donalds makes a
2 million a year and another only makes 1 and 1/2 million a year does that mean that one manager is so much better than the other.should one manager make 200 times the pay.If one basketball player is male and the other is female should there be such a difference in pay.I agree the wnba should not make million dollar salaries.but they deserve to be paid respectfully at least hundreds of thousands of dollars.When the wnba can start supporting itself then salaries can grow.lets not be sexest.
Well I believe in about 10 years, the WNBA will be making probably twice as more as they make now. I believe watching the WNBA is more exciting, because in the NBA, besides playoff times, it’s relaxed and like “whatever” In the WNBA all 13 teams play with all they have every game. I believe it isn’t right what the girls are doing, and only making so little. I mean I would still play in the WNBA for $100,000 a year, because hey, i’m getting paid to play basketball. But watch, i’m only 14 and my dream is to play in the WNBA, it’s going to change. Trust me.
Jim obviously is senile. 70 years…Whatever. Archley just because your neice can dunk doesn’t mean she can play. This league loses money when the avg salary is 50K and you want to pay them 250K. That’s a phenominal business decision. Why don’t you pony up the cash. You obviously have an MBA from Harvard.Ps. The talent pool is so shallow you can’t fill out rosters today.Women basketball talent sucking is not just limited to the US. If fact our girls suck less than the global average. That’s kind of a backhanded compliment to the WNBA.
Jackson and Chris are spot on.
I want to do a reality show that people will watch. I challange the WNBA All Stars(oxymoron/no pun intended)to a best of seven reality show. People would watch. Ratings would be great because all of the dumb asses that think they are “good” players would want to see them humble guys like me and all of the people that want to see me,(average joe) embarrass the league would tune in. Unfortunitely it would be a sweep in favor of me and my rec league buds. Ps I’m over 40 and I will get my best friends that are also over 40 and that will make it even more viewable. This is kinda like BJ King vs Bobby Riggs/Old Guy but we aren’t collecting social security. I want to hear from David Stern. We can play winner take all for 1 million dollars. Sponsors will line up. Why won’t the girls take me up on this. I keep hearing all the whining about how they don’t get respect or paid well. This is your opportunity girls. Your pay blows accept the challenge.
I’ve been to many, many NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, MLS, college football, college men’s basketball, college women’s basketball games and other events over the years while working in sports media. Lemme just say that, any untrained eye shouldn’t find it hard to see why the NBA, MLB, NFL, NCAA football and men’s basketball, and women’s figure skating have become cult-level popular, and why the MLS and WNBA has become less-than-marginalized in the sports world. It has nothing to do with gender, everything to do with entertainment value of the product.
this is so ridiculous! if the women in the wnba want to get paid more they need to put more more people in the seats! it has nothing to do with gender only skill. no wnba player could play in the nba. because they dont have as much skill they dont get paid as much. i work hard as i can to be a chef which is my career but i understand why i dont get paid as much as wolf gang puck, its because i dont have the same skill level. it doesnt matter how hard you work at something, if youre not good enough youre not good enough. its reality
My niece is 17, 6′2″ 180lbs the girl can dunk!!! we call her the flying witch!
Then again, when you compare her with a boy her size and age it’s a diff game.I am not saying fair or unfair I am surprised to find out how low the girls make playing WNBA.I think they should make at least quarter mil $250,000 minimum.and I still dont believe the WNBA is not profitable someone needs to digg their accounting.
The main problem, I think the NBA work harder to find high performing players all over the world.If the WNBA does the same they will come up with a better intertaining game.
Because when it come to basketball you cant just go to college campus like the girls gone wild promoters do.I am a promoter myself.I dont see the hype and the exceptional or unique talent from any of their draft unlike the NBA Lebron’s draft ,Kobe’s draft.
This is my personal opinion,their is enough player in the world to fill 13 teams and come up with shows at least better than NCAA final
The problem is that the best wnba player would be smoked by the worst NBA player. Plain and simple. When people watch sports they want to see the best. And why should the WNBA pay these women $250,000? For what? Their playing a game!! Not to mention, the WNBA is not only not profitable, without the NBA subsidizing it, they would lose a lot of money every year. As a business, the WNBA is a complete and utter flop that only exists because the NBA feels bad for it.
As a male athlete; participating @ watching boys games for 70 years, I prefer teamwork. I no longer watch NBA. As talented as they are, I’m tired of the “plot”! If I want to see a wrestling match or hockey game I’ go to one. I’ll take WNBA any time and other women sports games. Teamwork over showmanship.PS I don’t watch major league base ball..antics @ ego spoil a great game.
So many of these posts blame bad marketing and promotion as the reason nobody cares for this league. Frankly you could tattoo the league logo to the inside of everyones eyelids so they would see it in their sleep and it still would not matter. More ads won’t sway anyone.
If mcdonalds came out with a McTurd sandwich and
Promoted it with a huge campaign it wouldn’t sell because it is a bad tasting product. The wnba is the basketball equivalent of the McTurd sandwich.
I feel that wnba players should at least make six figure salaries.No i do not feel they should make as much as nba players until the wnba can support those salaries.I feel they need to do more to promote the wnba.There are people who still do not know there is a wnba.I hope the wnba will survive. KLR
No WNBA player can beat a low paid NBAer. The speed,strength,size, and agility does not transend genders. You need to bench that nonsense now. They couldn’t beat a D league player either. An average high school team would rip the WNBA allstars. Women can work as hard as they want they are still below average in skill compared to men. If I’m hurtin feelings so be it. Truth hurts. Not discriminating just stating fact.
and also, some men could be easily beat by good players in the wmba. this is discrimination and it is unbelievable. who said that women have rights as well as men these days because it is false.
this is some funny stuff. women thinking other women can play basketball. there is a reason that they play during the summer, its so that they don’t have to compete for the market share of college men’s basketball and the NBA. WNBA is the most boring thing on television and when I see it on ESPN or elsewhere, I promptly turn it to something entertaining or go and watch the grass grow because even that isn’t as boring of the dedicated, hardworking, great female athletes of the WNBA. And if the WNBA players were good enough to beat the poorer NBA players, they would be on the rosters instead of them and since they are not, one must assume that they can’t because they aren’t and the overwelhming evedince to the contrary. My high school’s boys team could put up a hundred against any team in that joke of a league.
Christina… I don’t know how this can be put to you in any other way. The WNBA makes no money and it is not a publicity problem. I work in advertising. The WNBA and the NBA know how many people watch the WNBA and how many go to games. They know exactly what people do this as well. Promoting the game (who would pay this? The NBA) is expensive and would result in no difference. You cannot force this league down peoples throats. I have a lot of respect for women’s basketball players, i played b-ball throughout college, but the sport is hemorrhaging money and couldn’t even stay afloat if it were not for the $12m subsidy from the NBA. The NBA has ticket sales, merchandise and sponsorships. There’s a reason why a Lebron jersey sells and a Lisa Leslie jersey does not. There’s no money in the WNBA. There never will be. When the talent level is that different, why watch the WNBA opposed to the NBA. And don’t tell me that the women’s teams could just play with the mens teams. The NBA is on a whole other level of physicality. The women plays would be completely out matched. Don’t misunderstand me, I have great respect for women and completely agree with equal pay for equal work in the workplace, but basketball is a sport based on talent, and the women are not as talented as the men.
this is quite ridiculous. women work just as hard as men in basketball and i just so happen to be a women’s basketball player and i am appalled and hurt. this is the stupidist thing ever.
some of the wnba players are real and that can beat some of the low paid nba players so dont talk cause i bet some of u dont even play bball u have 2 give them there props though cause they made it 2 the wnba which is a hard thing 2 do cause of the fact that they r losing money they have worked hard all there life to get treated different by other people? i dont think so……..
Ktate,
Disrespectful? No I’m a realist. I just do not happen to be from the politically correct world you live in. They can earn respect when the quality of play gets better than what I see at the local Y or from kids in my neighborhood on my drive. I’m calling it the way I see it and from the looks at the tv ratings, attendance and overall interest in this train wreck called the WNBA, I am not alone. There are NO women that could “hang” with the NBA players Einstein. If they could they would be on an NBA roster. There are no rules prohibiting a woman from playing in the NBA. Do you honestly think a girl would play for the pittance she gets in the womens league if she were talented enough to make an NBA squad. Ann Meyers got a tryout with the Pacers in the 70’s. They kept her around long enough to put some asses in seats from the longneckers during preseason and then she was cut. It was a marketing ploy to sell tickets during the sluggish,nonrevenue generating preseason. She was not good enough and neither is Candace,Diana or any other hack in that league.
I have tried to watch a game. I can’t because it blows to the Nth degree. I think it’s sad that you do not know enough about the game to know that the quality of play is like junior high. It sucks. I could care less about dunks. Thats not the point. They are considered professional because they get payed. If I started a league and limited the players to 12 year old boys and payed them they would also be considered professionals. Does that mean that the product would be worth paying to see. Obviously not. That’s how I feel about the WNBA.
Please do not tell me how hard they hustle. You can hustle as much as you want but if you still can’t put the ball into the hoop with regularity and play the game with minimal physical mistakes I’m not buying it. That dunk debauckle at the All-Star game sets the WNBA back years.They clear the lane and the girl can’t even finish a tall layup. You can spend your money on this crap. I won’t. I hustle hard when I play, why can’t I play professionally. Because I’m not good enough to be in the NBA. However, I have played ball since I was a kid in Indy and do posess solid fundamental skills.No, the WNBA is not fundamentally sound.That is a myth repeated over and over to make excuses why they can’t dunk.Again who cares if they can’t dunk.Cut out the missed layups,turnovers,and 2 hand push shots. Frankly they play like girls. Liberals are masters at the propaganda tactic of repeating the same lie over and over until it is accepted as fact.Ever heard of Joe Goebbels? I played in High School, could have played in college but I turned down the scholarship to accept a baseball scholarship so I have some game. When the WNBA tells me to “Expect Great” I yawn. I still expect low grade mediocre.
You also need to look into anger management, because I sence that you have real issues with men. You see a percieved glass ceiling that holds back women. It not there. You are right about one thing. I don’t respect the WNBA.
Let me ask you, if a restaurant opened in your neighborhood by an aspiring cook who’s food was not palatable,would you pay to eat there? Hey he’s trying. He works hard. He hustles. He’s a professional chef but his food sucks. You won’t dine there and neither will any one else. I think you get my point.
For you to say WNBA is horrible is really disrespectful. There is some girls out there that could honestly hang with the NBA players and I’m sure if they got the chance they would take it. It’s sad that you really think that WNBA basketball is bad, have you ever watched a game? Women and Men are different, built different and play different. They hustle ten times more than men do. In a NBA came all you see is turnover, jog, dunk, what the hell, people just don’t respect women and you’re a prime example of it. Women actually work their ass off to get to where they are at and what they have become, most men just get it easy. WHY? Because they are men and they are able to walk through anything and get away with most.
Enough of the nonsense. The WNBA is horrible basketball. They stink out loud. Equal pay for equal effort only applies if you are in the same league. If a WNBA player suited up for the Pacers she would be paid the same salary. No one cares about the WNBA because it is bad basketball. All you idiots need to ask yourselves, If you could invest in the WNBA would you? The answer is no because it loses money and no one cares. Advertisers don’t advertise because no one watches. No one watches because it is like watching middle school retards play.If you want to see equal salaries invest in the league. I’m not compelled to watch a league that isn’t as good as what I see on my own driveway. You idiots that say it is fundamental have never touched a ball in your life. Stop the insanity.
i know how to make the WNBA profitable. have the cheerleaders from the NBA play a game of horse during the half time of an NBA game!
What? You wanna pay the players what NBA players make? The NBA makes money, and that’s why their players are paid so much. WNBA players get paid so little because there is no interest in watching women play basketball. Frankly, they suck.
The NBA is a business…the WNBA is a business…what normally happens when a business doesnt make money? They fold…why hasnt the WNBA folded when they have never turned a profit in any season in its existence? Because the NBA gives them FREE money…If we put both womens and mens basketball games on at the same prime time spot…the majority of men on the court can dunk and the women cant…basketball is arguably one of the most overall athletically demanding sports in the world…and the bottom line is that from birth women, in general, were not physiologically created to perform exceptionally in athletics…
Yes these women train hard and yes the salaries should be higher if we support it and not talk down on it we could help they deserve more than a 43,000 a year start I am a Drafter and makes that so all I am saying it’s just like men BB entertaining the women have better attitudes than most men go see a game then make a comment they love what they do so we should respect that. I wish someone would stand up for them and get the exposure they deserve at least 70,000.00 start so someone needs to figure how they can advertise more and make the game more exciting. Atlanta is my team I support it fully.
The WNBA is a joke. It was the NBA’s way for them to attract more female fans and a 12 million dollar investment in getting all the female fans is cheap. The WNBA is the only sport where you can be big and un-athletic and still be dominate. It is unwatchable and unmarketable.
Just give WNBA more money from the NBA. Instead of $12 million, make it $120 million. It’s not going to affect the NBA teams too much and it’ll probably raise the WNBA standards. Maybe.
WNBA is lucky that the NBA is still sponsoring them since there not making any revenue out of them.
i hope WNBA players never pat themselves on the back for there performances when they could go to any 24 hour fitness and get left in the dust playing with men…why would i watch it when i should be coaching it..or hell go the jawana man route and play..get my cut of the 51000…just sad
go to a WNBA game and see how kid-friendly it is for one. these athletes are great role models, unlike most of their thug male counterparts. Also listen to the interviews, they are actually articulate and have real degrees from the colleges they’ve attended. And by giving away tickets,and making it affordable to families, the WNBA is doing a service to the community.
Ok, how much were ABA or NBA payed when it first started? Now compare how much WNBA players payed. The WNBA is still new and would make more if televised more. Mens sports are still getting more air time then the women and I think that stinks. WNBA players will make the mega salaries someday but first they have to get more air time! Ladies, keep on playing and show the boys what it means to play with heart and for the mighty dollar.
The wnba is not getting any more air time because they’re boring to watch. The reason that the wnba makes soo little money is not because they dont get air time or promtion, it’s because they’re not that entertaining. If people liked them, then word would have spread by now and they wouldve earned more and more air time. The fact is that when people watch a wnba game they just say “ehh”. The wnba should be grateful for what they make. If they were a real business out on its own, then they wouldve been out of business by now.
Christina, the owners of ABC, NBC, and CBS all try to make the best decisions in order to increase the profits for their company and increase their viewership. They all know that the WNBA doesn’t have nearly as many fans as the NBA. They all know that a lack of demand for WNBA games is the reason why their games aren’t broadcast as much. This is why NBA Finals games are broadcast nationally, this is why the Superbowl is broadcasted nationally.
Why should they lose millions of dollars broadcasting a little-watched basketball games just to please the relatively few WNBA fans? Did you ever wonder why a team such as the Los Angeles Sparks doesn’t get nearly as many tickets sold as the Los Angeles Lakers? After all, they are based in the same city, in the same arena. So why aren’t more people attending WNBA games when they clearly have that ability to buy WNBA tickets?
Christina, what you don’t seem to understand is that “working” in the late 20th-early 21st century isn’t the same as “working” in the early 20th century. You actually think that going to work in the past was something DESIRED? You think it was comfortable and fine to be working in ship docks, construction, fishing, forestry, mining, factories and the like?
Only in the late 20th century did the end of the Industrial Revolution bring out a change in the workplace- and THEN the Women’s Liberation movement began. Nowadays many people work in comfortable offices with air conditioning……but it wasn’t always like that.
You ask a woman who lived in 1901 and I guarantee you that she wouldn’t like to go and work outside the home. After all, who would? Who would want to leave the home and work in squalid conditions?
But you can ask a woman living in 2009 and definitely most of them do work outside the home, and this is because the workplace TRANSFORMED in the past century….and you know it!
You are indoctrinated by feminist BS, believing that women and men are natural enemies when you don’t seem to understand that BOTH the man and the woman worked TOGETHER to sustain society. It was a PARTNERSHIP, and you are too thick to understand this. The Man worked outside the home to provide for his wife and kids, and the wife worked to maintain a comfortable lifestyle for her husband and kids.
An old saying is: “The man makes the living, the woman makes the life worth living”
And you are giving us this crap about “equal pay for equal work.” Do you actually believe that here, in America, that employers pay a man MORE than a woman simply because he is a man? Are you really that naive? We live in a Capitalist Society; our wages are determined by how much we contribute, not by our gender. SUPPLY AND DEMAND. If a man was paid more than a woman for doing the same job, then why doesn’t every Business in America fire the men and hire women, which is a cheaper alternative? Did this possibility ever come across you or are you totally illiterate in the science of economics?
You speak about injustices carried against women. And I agree, those were injustices. But what about the injustices carried out against men for centuries? The men who were drafted to fight and die in Vietnam; the men who had to carry 50 pounds worth of equipment to the battlefield and likely come home with no arms or legs; the men who worked under inhumane conditions to build the bridges, roads, railways, and many of the buildings we see today. Take a time to look at the men who built the Empire State Building and look at the conditions they had to work under. Look at the conditions the miners deep underground have to work under. As far as I see it, oppression has been more severe in terms of what it has done to men than anyone else. You’re so blind and sexist that you want to divide men and women to promote your feminist BS.
And if you had the common sense to understand the concept of Supply-and-Demand, then you would know that the reason why WNBA games are rarely broadcast on ABC or CBS is simply because not enough people watch the WNBA. It’s the same reason why High-School Basketball games are rarely broadcast on National Television. It’s the same reason why random TV shows aren’t nationally broadcasted.
No one is stopping anyone from buying WNBA tickets, so why is it that they don’t have as much success as the NBA? I believe in equal treatment, and NO GENDER should be given privilege on something simply because of their gender. I’m just pointing out the fact that the WNBA isn’t as successful financially as the NBA, so that is why their salaries are lower.
Sorry, but in my book; men and women should be treated equally. Apparently you don’t have the same beliefs
Perfect explanation.
What is wrong with you Robin? You actually believe that the solution to this pay-disparity gap is to RAISE the prices of WNBA tickets? The WNBA is struggling to get people to buy tickets as it is, even though the ticket prices are so low. The NBA NEVER has this problem, as sold-out NBA games are extremely common.
Women like Robin always like to pin the blame of everything that happens on men. No matter what happens; if a woman gets a parking ticket, if she loses her wedding ring, if she fails Chemistry class, if she never got accepted into the University she likes, then somehow it is the man’s fault.
I recall an incident when Tyra Banks (a famous supermodel) visited a Women’s Prison for 1 weekend, and she said that the reason why a majority of these female inmates are in prison in the first place, is because of their husbands or fathers! Imagine the nerve of her!
If a limited amount of people attend WNBA games, it’s somehow the men’s fault? If the WNBA is struggling to make money, it’s the men’s fault? If you want to solve this “problem” then why don’t you gather up all your friends and convince them to buy WNBA tickets? If your male colleagues prefer to watch Men’s Basketball games, then are you going to force them to watch Women’s Basketball games?
Who do you think you are?
Noi it’s the fact that we were told we couldn’t get an education we had to stay home cook, clean and raise children. Then when we were finally allowed to go to school we had to go to school for womens work such as to be a teacher, nurse or secretary. Finally they allow women into other fields of interest such as science, engineering, being an airline pilot etc. Women wer not allowed to vote for their own damn president until 1920. Men had the right long before us. When you read about the 5 businesses that owned America Non of them were men. Women bring it up because men are the one who created it and continue to think that it is ok to consider us second class citizens such as not allowing us to recieve equal pay for equal work or by encouraging us to go back to our womens work. The reason the issue of men and women get brought up is because of someone who is ignorant such as your self to think that such injustices never did or still don’t occur to this very day. Wake up, women will continue to speak out so brace yourself!!
Do Men own NBA, ABC and CBS? are the majority of advertisers men? You think they don’t back them up because they are just women? Apparently you live under a rock to think that change for the WNBA isn’t possible!! Do you really think America doesn’t care about womens sports? Men and women both love womens sports and would watch it if it was on the same networks as the NBA. Women players and their games are just as exciting to watch and could develop the fan base and strong following that NBA players have if they are just given a fair chance. These women could also play seasons that are just as long and games that are just as long if they were given a chance.
men created the disparities between the genders and the men in power can change the disparities. This isn’t an attack on all men just the ones in power who can make the change happen. Unless you are one of the men who promote unequally treatment of women then you shouldn’t be so offended.
I actully find it interesting that people would equate the NBA salaries to those of WNBA. When the league was formed a collective bargaining agreement was reached between the players union and the league. At the end a new one will be drawn again. Given the disparity one league should not be supporting the other. There is no legal obligation to keep putting money into a business that is not picking up. The NBA sustains itself and makes money such that they are able to pay the athletes as much as they do. Race is never an issue. The WNBA league should really find a way of cultivating interest which will result in attracting more attendees to the games…. This defn results in more dollars.
The WBA players are definitely underpaid! The NBA players are definitely overpaid! I am a woman who attends WNBA and womens NCAA basketball games, and most women I know do the same. There are many men who do not attend or watch WNBA and womens NCAA games, and they should. My husband attends WNBA and womens NCAA basketball games with me, and he enjoys it as much as I do. At my job, the men followed the mens NCAA March Madness but not the women, and I was irritated. I do not watch the NBA, and I agree with Peter that there are not enough gentleman NBA players. I do not appreciate the sexist comments by certain men who wrote opinions on this topic. Sexist men created the pay disparity in the first place.
WNBA players should get equal pay for doing the same job! It is very diffiuclt to be at the top of your profession. At the minimum, the pay disparity should be much closer between men and women professional players. The WNBA tickets could be raised, and I would still attend their games. The WNBA women probably have no control over how many games they play a year, but they would likely play more games a year if it meant they would get paid more money. Women professional players should get higher salaries!
NotBornYesterday, were you born yesterday or something? If the WNBA players are paid similar salary to NBA players, where is all this money supposed to come from?
It’s a Business. The WNBA doesn’t make any money, so that’s why there’s lower salaries. And here you are playing the race card, and claiming that if the WNBA were majority White Female we would be supporting it. Excuse me, but the NBA itself is majority black-male but I still support it, and I’m a Black male myself. So stop the stupid racist games and grow up
NotBornYesterday says:
June 10, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Why all the hostility (White) guys?
I think each WNBA player shoudl get $1,000,000 per game!
_______________________________________
Every member of the Armed Forces deserves $1,000,000 a month for their service overseas….wouldn’t you agree that going to war is tougher then playing basketball?
Of course a Soldier will never make that because the Government just doesn’t have the money to pay it. Just like the WNBA doesn’t have the money to pay it’s players.
White guys?? I guess when you know you are wrong you have to start with racist comments to make your self feel better….
You honestly think these women should get a million dollars? Is that a joke? Their playing a game! And poorly at that. Id say teachers, police, military, etc deserve it more than someone who plays a game for an couple hours once or twice a week.
Why all the hostility (White) guys? I bet if the WNBA were majority White female, you would be defending it. Yet you same “Men” here are so passionate about how the NBA players “Deserve” their salaries, and you are gushing over how many points they score.
Lot of cuckolds here, that’s for sure.
I think each WNBA player shoudl get $1,000,000 per game!
Reasons why the WNBA players aren’t paid like NBA players:
no supply (exciting payers). no demand (ticket sales).= no $$$
I’m a female, love ball and all but it’s not about fair, it’s about the business.
Nothing personal
Lets get this straight, playing basketball is not a job. Construction, thats a job, desk clerk thats a job. These players are not getting paid to play basketball they get paid because people like to watch them play. They are paid based on how many people want to watch them. Therefore woman and men get paid the same, its a function of attendance.
They all make too much money. My wife is the real hero…she’s a middle-school teacher!
It’s hilarious that people are even discussing this. Watching women’s basketball is painfully boring, thats why hardly anyone does. But I will offer some solutions to solve this pay disparity.
1. Cap the number of people who can watch NBA games to a certain amount. The first “x” amount of people can watch the game. Then we should force the overflow NBA watchers into watching a WNBA game on a different channel. Do this to people until they start enjoying women’s basketball.
2. Make all sponsors sponsor as many women as men. With the reduced audience for the NBA (result of rule 1) and the subsequent increase in audience for the WNBA, the players will be sponsored for the same amount.
3. We all agree that its not fair that NBA players get more $$ than WNBA players, but why only look at this pay disparity. Lets look at the pay disparity between members in their respective leagues. I’m sure Kobe Bryant gets paid much more than Sasha Vujacic. A large reason for this is that Kobe scores more points and he dunks more than Sasha does. For this reason, we should limit the amount of points any individual player can score (4) until all his team mates reach that total. As an example, Kobe can score 4 points but then must wait for Sasha to also score 4 before Kobe can score 4 more points.
I’m sure we all agree that rules 1, 2, and 3 would provide a much better viewing experience for all basketball fans. More rules will undoubtedly be added in the future when these 3 rules don’t have their intended effect (similar things happen with all crappy socialist ideas).
@ John Doe (aka Mr. Capitalism): I dunno. I live in Los Angeles and don’t find Sparks games boring at all. In fact, they seem more like old-fashioned, non-ego-driven basketball games. That, and last time the Sparks were WNBA champs, their fans didn’t riot.
WNBA and Women’s basketball in general are painful to watch. Playing basketball is not a necessity and the salary is based on market demand. It’s the same reason female prostitutes are paid more than male ones.
with more gay males coming out the demand for male prostitutes just might go up
Flowserve Timberlake says:
April 10, 2009 at 6:56 am
They are the best players in the world. their male counterparts are not. doesn’t anybody know about the Olympics.When is the last time the men have won?
I guess you don’t know much about the Olympic Games or team USA. Team USA is one of the most successful teams in international competition, winning medals in all sixteen Olympic tournaments it has entered, coming away with thirteen golds.
Men Basketball Medals
Gold-13 (1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1976, 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008)
Silver-1 (1972 refused, never awarded)
Bronze-2 (1988, 2004)
To Flowserve Timberlake: I’m not 100% sure what your argument is, being as the USA men WON at the most recent Olympics…
Sigh. Peter, Peter, Peter. Don’t you get it? The WNBA doesn’t make money (it’s losing money), it’s basically surviving through the charity of NBA franchises in tune of $12 million a year. If you paid the WNBA players what the NBA players make, the league would have folded the first year. Advertisers do not spend top dollar on the WNBA because nobody is watching. Simple math.
Nick,
If Peter or Future Lawyer got there way then why doesn’t the mayor of Barstow, CA POP. 24,000 get paid the same as the Mayor of Los Angeles Pop 4 million?
Yes, Peter Stone and Future Lawyer, you cannot dictate what salaries people receive, we don’t live in a Communist country. Peter, if you’re an Engineer, and you make 150 000 dollars in a year, and another engineer made just 70 000 dollars in a year, is it FAIR to reduce your salary so that all the Engineers in America have the exact same salary? NO, so how is it fair to reduce the salaries of NBA players just because WNBA players make less?
WNBA players don’t entertain quite as many people (hence the lower number of tickets sold) and don’t sell as much merchandise, their advertisement campaigns aren’t very good either (When was the last time you seen a WNBA commercial in the month of March?)
Why are you so illogical? You go off on a tangent about basketball being called “netball” and “a game only for women.” As if I care! Last time I checked basketball is one of America’s most popular sports and a multi-billion dollar industry.
Here’s an interesting tidbit: few countries outside of the US give basketball the status it has here. In most other OECD countries, basketball is called netball…and it’s a game only for women. And if we’re going to get on the un-American kick (amongst the greatest of logical fallacies) I’ll point this out. Sports are manly, but one of our most popular sports is a game reserved most everywhere else for women…yet the manliest of all sports is widely unknown to the American sporting public, despite an American team winning the gold medal the last two times it was in the Olympics, both times besting far more experienced French teams.
I agree…let’s stop talking about it and do something about it. I have long felt the need for U.S. legislation to step in and fight for higher pay for the WNBA players. Obama is a basketball fan all in favor of equal rights, American dream, change and all of that, so there should be no threat of a veto, am I right? Lebron makes $14 million this year, it will take Lisa Leslie at a salary of $100,000 140 years to make what Lebron will make these 12 months…this desparity has got to end now, if profits are the issue, then guess what, merge the two leagues and call it a day! I’d pay to watch because I’m a basketball fan, gender doesn’t matter. The day is coming soon, their will be laws on this issue very soon! Keep speaking your mind and writing these posts!
My point exactly Nick.
Peter Stone don’t be ridiculous. It’s like the CEO of Wendy’s complaining “How come we don’t bring in as much money as McDonald’s, we make burgers and shakes too!”
It’s a dumb argument. Last I checked, we live in America, and America is a capitalist country. Wages are affected by supply-and-demand, its the foundation of our entire economy.
The NBA players make more because their performances bring in more attention, and sell more tickets. It’s a BUSINESS. Obviously the Business Owners of the LA Lakers are going to pay Kobe Bryant more than a regular player, he’s the damn best player in the world.
Are you a Socialist? Better yet, are you a Communist? If you are, then move to North Korea or Cuba, because it is completely UN-AMERICAN to try and dictate the salaries employers wish to pay their employees (unless discrimination is involved, not including minimum wage)
The NBA makes more money, therefore has higher salaries. The WNBA doesn’t even make a profit, they have to borrow millions of dollars from the NBA, and you actually believe they deserve equal pay? Give me a break
Are you a male chauvinist? If so then crawl back under the rock you came out from under. This is America and if we won’t to spend our time blogging about change then GOD BLESS US!! It isn’t just a whine about burgers and shakes it is a legitimate question that points out the disparities that us women are trying hard to correct. If both NBA and WNBA were women then there would be no argument, complaints or whines. It’s not and it shows the discrepancies between the genders. Why aren’t the WNBA advertised for the same way? Why aren’t they marketed the same way? Why aren’t they aired on major networks the same way? Is it because there isn’t an interest in womens sports or is it because the top official men aren’t willing to take a chance to risk change? and until we demand a change this change we seek will never happen.
this is a reply to what “ME” said:
ME says:
April 11, 2009 at 6:00 am
Obama needs to shut down the NBA until they give the same pay to the WNBA. Obama will redistribute the wealth so all are equal.
ME you are an idiot. Obama is a terrible president and he probably would do something like that because he is also an idiot and more concerned about crap like this and not what we need to do to get out of this recession.
wnbafannj says:
April 16, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Why is the pay unequal has this issue been in the us court system? When will the women player get equal pay for equal work
It’s not equal work, I pointed that out. Do you want the WNBA to stay in business? If you do then you know that the WNBA doesn’t turn a profit so how or why would they pay them more? Where do you suppose they get this extra money from?
Through marketing and advertising the WNBA games as aggressively as they do NBA games. It wouldn’t hurt if more networks such as the male dominated ABC, NBC or CBS gave the WNBA air time during their seasons. Where are the commercials that let us know when they will be playing next, in what city and against who?
Why is the pay unequal has this issue been in the us court system? When will the women player get equal pay for equal work must this be a court issue or will the pay be equal in the future without a court case? Please comment? I am confused and very angry about the unequal pay system for professional women sports (basketball).
Its a business, plain and simple. Mcdonalds makes more money than Joes Chicken shack, but that doesnt mean Mcdonalds should be forced to give Joe some of it money simply because its more succesful. The NBA pays for the WNBA. If those players cant put fans in the seats then its not anyones fault but their own. No court would ever decide to make one business give another business money simply because one was more succesful, that sounds like communism.
I attend the ncca women games and watch the women sports on tv the women are not given equal televison time slots and their not advertise properly or mercandised marketed properly. I support women players and they give birth to all the male players. Lets stop the unequal pay and support all athelethes male or female their terrific in their sports and deserve fan support and proper pay.
Shame on the wnba for paying kia vaughn 40,000 I was shocked I think i salary should be 400,000 just like the number 8th pick in the 2009 nba draft men pick will be paid. Stop the bad pay for women athelitcs now.
I believe women should be paid equally to nba players they do not set the game schedules it not their fault they play 34 game to the men’s 82. Pay them fair they play better. Their game should be played before the men’s game in every city and town in the usa.
Obama needs to shut down the NBA until they give the same pay to the WNBA. Obama will redistribute the wealth so all are equal.
Wow that’s the stupidest thing i have ever heard. Maybe they should just sell the WNBA to Donald Trump so he can turn it into the Miss Bulky Contest. The NBA reaps in billions from around the world. Kobe’s jersey sells to millions in China while a Lisa Leslie jersey(i doubt they make them) would find its way on to a person who wasn’t needed something to wear.
IF WOMEN supported WOMEN’S sports the way men support THEIR sports, there would be no PROBLEM!!!
This topic comes up every so often, and I don’t get it. Why should women support women’s sports?
Women have as much right to decide how they want to spend their money/time as men. If a woman enjoys watching the NBA (or MLB or NFL or the local symphony or the newest movie) more than the WNBA, she has every right to spend her money/time to support the NBA instead.
If a woman was obligated to spend her money on what she perceives to be a less entertaining product, that’s a step backwards for womankind.
Women’s basketball is not a sport, it’s merely an excuse for them to spend time out of the kitchen.
Ok Mr. Duke Ellington,
Women’s basketball IS a sport. How is it not?!?! It’s not a woman’s job to be in the kitchen. She doesn’t get paid to be in the kitchen. Why don’t you man up and do something in the kitchen for once in your life????
It’s very simple, the league average for attendance at a WNBA game is 8,000 fans and the average cost of a ticket is $15. Compare that to around 17,000 per game and $45 a ticket in the NBA.
The WNBA plays 34 40 minute games a season. $15 (avg ticket) X 8000 (avg attendance) = $120,000. $120k X 34 = $4,080,000. 17 home games, 17 away means each team gets $2,040,000 from ticket sales.
Lets compare the NBA. They play 82 48 minute games. $45 (avg ticket) X 17,000 (avg attendance) = $765,000. $765k X 82 = $62,730,000. 41 home games, 41 away means each team brings in $31,365,000 from ticket sales.
That’s tickets sales alone, throw in NBA merchandise and the NBA is a profitable business, the WNBA isn’t.
So to say WNBA players do the same job and should get equal pay isn’t right. They less then half as many games and play less minutes. Should a WNBA player get $10 mil a year for playing 34 games compared to an 82 game NBA season?
This is probaly only true because of the lack of demand for the WNBA. Again I believe the problem lies within the prejudices of male network owners who don’t believe that airing a WNBA game will bring in the viewers. If the WNBA were to be promoted for and aired as much as the NBA then this would create a demand. The womens team would have to answer by playing longer games and longer seasons. If society can create the market for WNBA the same way in which it has created a market for the NBA then the WNBA could become just as profitable if not more.
Christine, Christine.
one more time. it’s very simple. The WNBA, no matter how much hype, air time, promotion, or even forcing the game down viewers throats does NOT draw any significant ratings. IT NEVER WILL!!!
Once I dropped off my girlfriend and 2 of her friends at a WNBA game, and I couldn’t attend because I was too busy at the time. When I came home that night I asked her about the game and she told me it wasn’t entertaining to the least, and she left early.
And that speaks volumes. You can’t just FORCE-FEED the public to watch something they don’t wish to. If ABC started airing boring sports games such as Curling, do you actually think that people would start watching or would they just change the channel? I know this is a bad comparison, and I mean no disrespect to those WNBA players but let’s be real here: The Demand is lower.
This is the same reason why Football games cost so much. This is why Corporations have to pay MILLIONS just to ADVERTISE at games such as the Superbowl.
TV Corporations constantly do market-research to find out which types of shows the Public would like to see, and this is why TV Shows like American Idol and CSI are so popular. The CEO’s of TV Corporations didn’t just randomly put these shows on with the hopes of having them succeed. This is millions of dollars at stake here.
It’s a bit rich for Christina to label me a “Chauvinist” when all I’m doing is pointing out the reasons why the NBA players earn more, whilst she is playing the gender card and blaming men for this-and-that, trying to create conflict between the two genders
I would watch the NBA even if it were to air on ESPN or TNT. I like to see dunking an aggressive style of play.
sorry…Wouldn’t* WNBA* coections on the above post.
I don’t understand why more people haven’t embraced the women’s game.They are the best players in the world. their male counterparts are not. doesn’t anybody know about the Olympics.When is the last time the men have won? I think that as more quality name women’s player come out of college the ratings will go up.Many of these players are still underclassmen who can’t turn professional like their male counterparts. Good thing because their going pro early would destroy the college game.
When was the last time the men won? are you stupid the men’s olympic team won last year.. won gold. they are the best and america produces the best sport athletes
Uh, the men are not the best in the world? Apparently, you don’t realize that the Argentinian team that beat the U.S. in 2004 (and, while on this topic, the silver medal Spanish team in 2008) are, like the U.S. teams, also made up of NBA players.
Yes, our men’s league, the NBA, is the best in the world, and by a wide margin.
the wnba has only been around for 12 years, most fans would rather watch the nba, i like the women’s game, but let us be real here the tickets are cheap and there are fan give a ways and other things to bring in the fans the nba will never fold but the wnba could
But who really watches the WNBA? I mean seriously, have you ever seen a zoomed out view of a WNBA game? It’s empty. Why else do they have to give out free tickets all the time? Considering its a League that doesn’t make any money, their salaries seem very fair. I mean if my company was paying at those wages and it was losing money every year. I should be out of a job very soon, no?
This is a serious disparity. WNBA players have to train just as hard as their NBA counterparts, and they deserve the same amount of reward. If people think I mean reducing NBA salaries then I am serious. Not to mention today’s NAB personalities are so annoying. It’s rare to see a gentleman of sport anymore, instead we have braggarts, drug addicts, and criminals, and that extends to the NBA, MLB, and the NFL. (Granted, some NFL players seem to have genuine class.) The WNBA deserves not only more attention, but also more respect and definitely far better salaries.
Peter Stone,
you are a moron. This is not socialism. The WNBA makes NOTHING. As in no money. They lose actually lose money, just see the bottom line and you will see what I mean. Why the NBA still subsidizes this is beyond me. Geez, read for a change. Get your head out of the sand and understand the facts. If these women were paid the same as men, the league would fold very quickly.
its pretty sad when i could go up and down my block and make a park basketball team of men that could destroy any WNBA team…there are medioker(however u spell it) athletes at best..missed lay-ups? there sometimes wont be a basket scored in 2 or 3 minutes…just sad
The United States is a capitalist society and people should be paid by how much money they earn themselves or their company. A car washer works just as hard, if not harder than any wallstreet business person, are you saying that they both should be paid the same?
Society promotes the NBA and says nothing about the WNBA. If efforts went into promoting and giving the WNBA equal air time on more then one major network like they do for the NBA, then I do believe the WNBA would be able to bring in more money. As more people would watch, attend and purchase their merchandise they would be able to support themselves and the whole industry would not collapse on itself.
people who wash cars and work on wall street don’t perform the same jobs. It’s equal pay for equal work. This is not to say that car washers don’t work hard. But if the people on wall street don’t do their jobs then the economy would collapse. There is a lot more at stake is some one on wall street doesn’t do their job then if a car doesn’t get washed. WNBA and NBA players do the same thing play basketball and yes they should get the same amount of pay and this could happen if society ever chooses it values women sports just as much.
The thing is that no one gives a crap about WNBA basketball. I’m always annoyed when i see the NBA announcers talk about the WNBA in between time outs when i want to know more about the situation on the court. And have u watched a WNBA game. Ive had the unfortunate occurence when it was broadcasted on ABC and it was even my hometown Sparks that were playing. In just a few minutes i fell asleep and awoke later in the 3rd quarter and the score was just 45-52. Sorry but WNBA sucks and shouldn’t exist.
Equal pay for equal work? Theres a pizza place down the street from me that doesnt make as much money as the pizza hut down the street does, should pizza be forced to give that shop money because no one wants their pizza? Same thing with the NBA, why should they be forced to pay these chicks when they cant put any fans in the seats. Regardless of your socialist ideas, these women already are making great money. The average is about 50K for roughly four months of work. Now tell a teacher or a cop that they make enough money, but someone who plays a game for a living and makes more them needs a pay raise.