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While the growth of women’s basketball over the past few years has been seen as a massive positive, the conversation around sub-par WNBA salaries compared to not only other professional sports but other women’s professional leagues like Unrivaled has been heightened because of the sport’s boom in popularity.
Another compelling aspect of this conversation is that because of the NCAA’s change in NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) guidelines, the top women in college basketball are making multitudes more money than WNBA players (in terms of a WNBA player’s base salary).
Basketball legend Cheryl Miller didn’t mince words about this during her appearance on a March 13 episode of the ALL THE SMOKE podcast.
“It’s a God bless that that rule is there. Yes, it needs to stay there until the W[NBA] finally financially can…,” Miller said when asked how she feels about the rule that requires women’s college basketball players to play four NCAA seasons (or be at least 22 years old during their draft year) before becoming WNBA Draft eligible.
“Now that’s when you’d really see me step out and slap somebody. Now what are you talking about? What are you thinking?” Miller continued. “You’re hurting your brand early to go [to the WNBA]. Wait, wait, wait. [The NCAA] is your foundation, this is where your money is for right now.
“It’s kind of backwards where, for [the NBA], the regular season was where you made your money. But the playoffs is where you made your fame,” she added.
In other words, Miller clearly wants college basketball’s stars to capitalize on their financial opportunity before leaving for the WNBA — at least, before the WNBA’s next CBA deal is finalized.
