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WNBA star Angel Reese has made a shocking confession about her salary.
The professional womenâs basketball player took to her Instagram Live on Tuesday (October 15) after attending the Victoriaâs Secret Fashion Show in New York City. During the livestream, the 22-year-old Chicago Sky forward revealed she âwouldnât even be able to liveâ on her annual basketball salary alone.
âI just hope you know the WNBA donât pay my bills at all,â Reese said, according to a clip reposted by Plugged Soundz. âI donât even think that pays one of my bills. Literally, Iâm trying to think of my rent for where I stay at [in Chicago]. Iâm gonna do the math real quick.â
After the Louisiana State University alum calculated her spending, noting that her rent is $8,000 per month, Reese exclaimed: âIâm living beyond my means!â
âI wouldnât even be able to get a sandwich if I wanted to,â she added. âI wouldnât be able to eat. I wouldnât be able to live.â
In 2024, Reese signed a four-year contract with the Chicago Sky worth $324,383. According to Spotrac, an online sports financial system, Reese is expected to earn an annual salary of $73,439 for the 2024 WNBA season.
However, much like fellow WNBA star Caitlin Clark, Reese could earn over $1m from brand deals and endorsements. Last year, she ââsigned a multi-year deal with Reebok, which saw the basketball star create her personal collection of products called âAngelâs Picks.â
In addition to the athletic apparel brand, Reese has signed endorsement deals with brands like Beats by Dre, Tampax, Airbnb, Amazon, Playstation, Bose, Raising Caneâs, Sonic, and Mielle Organics worth an estimated total of $1.8m, per Spotrac.
Reese isnât the only WNBA star to spark outrage over her rookie salary. After Clark was selected first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever, the 22-year-old athlete signed a contract worth $338,056 over four years. She earned $76,535 in her rookie season this year, and is projected to earn an annual salary of $97,582 by the end of her four-year contract.
It didnât take long for fans to point out that players in the WNBA earn far less than their male counterparts in the NBA. âGreatest player in college basketball history just got an entry level project manager salary,â one fan wrote on X/Twitter in response to Clarkâs four-year contract.
âThis is bogus, they have made more headlines than any man that is currently playing,â another person said. âPay women what they deserve in sports.â
Even US President Joe Biden called for female athletes to be âpaid what they deserveâ amid outrage over Clarkâs first-year salary. âWomen in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all,â he began his post on X. âBut right now weâre seeing that even if youâre the best, women are not paid their fair share.
âItâs time that we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women are paid what they deserve,â Biden added.
The WNBA currently makes an estimated $60m annually from selling its media rights and licensing deals with Amazon, CBS, and ION, Front Office Sports reports. Thatâs compared to the average NBA team, which is worth approximately $3.85bn â with the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, and the Los Angeles Lakers each worth more than $6bn, according to Forbes.