Over the past several years, there has been repeated emphasis on the wage disparity between the NBA and the WNBA., with the women’s league having far lower salaries. Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces, the highest-paid player currently, earns just $252,000 a year. By contrast, Stephen Curry, at the top of the NBA salary scale, is close to $52 million. The comparison simply does not exist, and by many the issue has been derubricated to gender difference. In reality in sports it is all commensurate with the appeal those athletes have and the sponsors they can attract to themselves. For this reason Michael Porter Jr., a Denver Nuggets player earning $33.3 million this season, said he thinks it is fair that there is a difference in salaries between the NBA and WNBA.
“The girls are very talented, but the same we can say about some famous table tennis players. The best ping-pong players are also as talented as the best basketball players. But that doesn’t mean they should be paid the same. Everything is relative to what people want to watch. I understand that women want the same treatment as male basketball players, but it’s a different sport. They don’t fill arenas, their TV contracts are not as lucrative as men’s. As much as I am an advocate for women and respect their path, it is not possible for them to be paid the same as the NBA. I do agree, though, that we have to find a way for them to earn more, because they are talented.” Porter Jr explained to The Pivot Podcast.
The Nuggets player’s words are bound to cause discussion. A’ja Wilson, one of the best WNBA athletes as well as a two-ring and two MVP title winner, commented on X: “I have to see the whole interview before I go crazy. Because I can’t believe she said we’re the equivalent of ping-pong players.”.
I need to see the whole interview before I spazz 😂😂 cause ain’t no way he said we the equivalent to ping pong playerssss https://t.co/tzyDNXVoHX
– A’ja Wilson (@_ajawilson22) February 3, 2024
Milan, Italy. A graduate in Labor Management and Communication for Organizations from Catholic University, I founded BasketUniverso in 2011. Yes, I root for Orlando Magic and do my best not to hide it.
