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WNBA star Angel Reese Expresses Frustration Over Incoming Rookies’ Higher Earning Potential
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese recently voiced her frustration over the fact that future WNBA rookies stand to earn significantly more than she and her fellow 2024 draftees. Reese, the seventh overall pick, signed a four-year contract worth $324,383, with the final year a team option. Her rookie salary is $73,439, increasing to $74,909 in her second year, and then jumping to $82,399 and $93,636 in the remaining two years.
Speaking on the “Unapologetically Angel” podcast with DiJonai Carrington, Reese expressed her disappointment, saying, “The ones [coming into the league] year after, they’re gonna get more. They’re probably gonna be making more than us.
I’m hurt.” Carrington, involved in discussions with the league as a team representative, confirmed Reese’s concerns.
The issue stems from the expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The current CBA is set to expire after the 2025 season, and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) is pushing for significant salary increases in the next agreement. This comes on the heels of a surge in the league’s popularity and a lucrative new broadcasting deal.
Reese didn’t mince words about the potential ramifications of an unsatisfactory agreement. “I need to be in the meetings because I’m hearing that if [the league] don’t give us what we want, we’re sitting out,” she stated. Carrington, a Dallas Wings player, agreed, adding, “That’s a possibility, for real.”
The WNBPA opted out of the current CBA early, aiming to capitalize on the WNBA’s growing success. WNBPA Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson emphasized the players’ desire for “proper wages, improved working conditions and meaningful benefits.”
The league generated over $200 million in revenue last season, but players only received about 9.3 percent, a stark contrast to the NBA’s 50 percent revenue sharing. With the league’s rising popularity, players are determined to secure a larger piece of the pie, even if it means a potential strike.