NBA / WNBA

For starters, they're not public employees, so why would my opinion matter on what a private company pays its employees? And I see 116,000 for the WNBA average. And 7.7 million for the average NBA salary.

So last year's NBA revenue was over 8 and a half billion dollars. While the WNBA generated 60 million.

So the women are getting 1.5% of the salary for generating .7% of the revenue. So it sounds like they're overpaid to begin with.

 

Granted the superstars are blowing out the averages. Median is just under 3 million for the men and 71,000 for the women.

 

The NBA subsidizes the WNBA. I met Katie Douglas of the Fever once. She was sweet.

 

But it's not equal work. They are two different leagues.

Might as well ask why the minor leagues aren't paid the same. Or why the start up band can't charge the same price for concert tickets as the Rolling Stones.

Drawing the crowd, and having them spend money in tickets, clothing, concessions...that's the business.

You can hire celebrity chef Alton Brown to cook your dinner. His going rate is less than 50,000. Does that mean you're willing to pay your wife that amount every time she cooks you a meal? Equal pay for equal work, right?

 

I think they are all going to take some salary cuts due to their recent nonsense.

 

It will all depend on ownership. Its a gray area as to whether NBA owns WNBA. Is there enough separation? If not, its "equal work."

 

I would bet that if a woman existed who could compete on the male level, the NBA would welcome her with a multi million dollar salary. But that's a big if. The Brit military did a study a few years back, and only the top 3% of their female troops met or exceeded the median male physical fitness score.

On a related topic, I did get a chuckle from the USA Women's Soccer team getting smacked down in court this year over their salary complaints.

 

Uep, but how much longer will common sense prevail? Common sense is becoming less and less common.