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Angel Reese of the WNBA’s Sky
Chicago Sky star rookie Angel Reese cclaimed in a viral video, which has been viewed 1.6 million times as of this writing, that her WNBA contract is not enough to pay her bills.
It could not even pay her “$8,000 rent.”
“The WNBA doesn’t pay my bills at all,” Reese said in an Instagram live, which has been making the rounds on X on Wednesday, October 16.
Reese signed a four-year, 324,383 rookie contract with the Sky as the seventh overall pick. She made $73,439 in her first year in the WNBA. Her salary annually increases and will reach $93,636 in the fourth year, which is a team option.
By the time her contract is up, the WNBA salaries are expected to be much higher by then due to their new media deal.
In July, the WNBA announced they have reached an 11-year multi-media deal with Disney, Amazon Prime Video and new rights holder NBCUniversal, which is close to $3 billion, according to ESPN.
The arrival of this year’s super rookies, led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, has lifted the overall value of the WNBA.
Clark’s contract is only slightly better than Reese’s. The No. 1 overall pick signed a four-year, $338,056 deal with the Indiana Fever.
The meager salary in the WNBA has forced their players to play overseas during the offseason while the league’s stars, such as Clark and Reese, earn more with their endorsement deals.
Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Rivalry
The rivalry between the two WNBA rookies was born last year when Reese, who starred for LSU Tigers, walked around the court celebrating her team’s victory over Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes by pointing at her finger and mimicking Clark’s “You can’t see me” celebration.
The Clark-Reese rivalry has captivated the women’s basketball. It became a compelling storyline for the WNBA when Clark went to Fever as the No. 1 pick while Reese was selected No. 7 by the Sky.
The WNBA attracted record crowds and TV ratings this season with Clark and Reese living up to the hype.
Clark and Reese both broke several WNBA records in their first year in the league.
Clark-Reese Rivalry Reminds Magic Johnson of Old Times
The marketing effect of their rivalry was often compared to the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry in the 80s that saved the NBA’s rapidly declining attendance and TV ratings.
While Clark and Reese downplayed the comparison, no less than Johnson noticed the striking similarity.
“When I think about Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s impact on the game, they remind me a lot of Larry Bird and me. Our first meeting, Indiana State vs. Michigan State, in the NCAA Championship set the all-time viewership record for men’s basketball,” Johnson wrote on X on June 24. “Caitlin and Angel’s 2023 NCAA Championship matchup and their 2024 Elite Eight games were the highest viewership records at the time.
“Larry and I heightened the NBA’s overall popularity. The Lakers and Celtics sold out arenas throughout the league and increased television viewership exponentially. The higher viewership numbers led to the NBA signing significantly larger TV contracts which then led to higher salaries for the players.
“Caitlin and Angel are now doing the same thing, selling out arenas and increasing the viewership. They have taken women’s basketball by storm and with expiring TV deals on the horizon, the WNBA is now in a position to negotiate higher TV contracts and increase salaries for all of the talented players.”
Alder Almo is a basketball journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 15 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo
