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Angel Reese reveals WNBA salary isn't enough to cover her rent


Angel Reese reveals WNBA salary isn't enough to cover her rent

WNBA star Angel Reese has made a shocking confession about her salary.

The professional basketball player took to her Instagram Live on Tuesday (October 15) after attending the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City. During the livestream, the 22-year-old Chicago Sky forward revealed that she “couldn't even live” on her annual basketball salary alone.

“I just hope you know that the WNBA doesn’t pay my bills at all,” Reese said, according to a clip reposted by Plugged Soundz. “I don’t even think it can pay any of my bills. Literally, I'm trying to think about my rent for where I live (in Chicago). I’ll do the math real quick.”

After the Louisiana State University graduate calculated her expenses and realized her rent was $8,000 a month, Reese exclaimed, “I'm living beyond my means!”

“I couldn’t even get a sandwich if I wanted to,” she added. “I couldn’t eat anything. I couldn’t live.”

Angel Reese signed a four-year WNBA contract with the Chicago Sky worth $324,383
Angel Reese signed a four-year WNBA contract with the Chicago Sky worth $324,383 (Getty Images)

In 2024, Reese signed a four-year contract with Chicago Sky worth $324,383. According to Spotrac, an online sports finance system, Reese is expected to earn an annual salary of $73,439 for the 2024 WNBA season.

However, similar to her fellow WNBA star Caitlin Clark, Reese could earn over $1 million through brand deals and endorsements. Last year, she signed a multi-year deal with Reebok that saw the basketball star create her personal product collection called Angel's Picks.

In addition to the sportswear brand, Reese has signed endorsement deals with brands such as Beats by Dre, Tampax, Airbnb, Amazon, Playstation, Bose, Raising Cane's, Sonic and Mielle Organics, worth an estimated total of $1.8 million, per Spotrac.

Reese isn't the only WNBA star sparking outrage over her rookie salary. After Clark was selected by the Indiana Fever with the first pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, 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 expected to earn an annual salary of $97,582 through the end of her four-year contract.

It didn't take long for fans to point out that players in the WNBA earn far less than their male counterparts in the NBA. “The greatest player in college basketball history just got an entry-level salary as a project manager,” one fan wrote on X/Twitter in response to Clark’s four-year deal.

“This is bogus, they have made more headlines than any other player currently playing,” another person said. “Pay women in sports what they deserve.”

Even US President Joe Biden, amid outrage over Clark's first-year salary, called for female athletes to be “paid what they deserve.” “Women in sport continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all,” he began his post on X. “But right now we see that women are not getting their fair share, even when they are the best.

“It’s time we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and make sure women get what they deserve,” Biden added.

The WNBA currently earns an estimated $60 million annually from selling its media rights and licensing deals with Amazon, CBS and ION. Front Office Sports Reports. In comparison, the average NBA team is worth about $3.85 billion – with the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers each worth more than $6 billion Forbes.

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