A'ja? Really?

[midline]

Does she not understand how the world of business works, or have a certain segment of the population bought into the socialist type agenda that she thinks she should make as much as an NBA player simply because she puts in the same effort? Doesn't work that way. It is all about what sells and produces the cash.

 

[shiverz]

She never said she should make as much as an NBA player. A random site looking for click bait picked up her tweet and twisted her comments. I read what she tweeted and she never once said anything about getting equal pay.

 

[coolcock2001]

It may not work that way but one thing that does work that way is using your platform to advance what you believe in -- she knows she won't get WNBA players LeBron money but just by making a statement or tweeting or whatever she can start a conversation, which may lead to results in the direction she wants to see things head. I agree with you it's ludicrous to expect NBA and WNBA to be equal but it's easy for me to understand what she's going for

 

[Jon Snow]

I don't think she's arguing for $36M a year contracts. Yes, she openly said she wished there .WNBA paid more, but I took it as she thinks the players should get a larger percentage of revenues, as their percentage is smaller than most pro leagues.

 

[Carolina4]

I’d imagine the WNBA loses money and only exists because the NBA supports it. I can’t imagine there is enough interest in the sport to support itself.

 

[coolcock2001]

I’d imagine the WNBA loses money and only exists because the NBA supports it. I can’t imagine there is enough interest in the sport to support itself.

We are selling out the arena here; maybe things are changing. "ESPNW" has a pretty decent following: http://www.espn.com/espnw/

 

[USCBatgirl21]

I don't think she's arguing for $36M a year contracts. Yes, she openly said she wished there .WNBA paid more, but I took it as she thinks the players should get a larger percentage of revenues, as their percentage is smaller than most pro leagues.

Similar to the arguments made by the Women's National Soccer Team a couple years back. Worked for them.

 

[midline]

Above poster is correct. If the NBA doesn't fund the WNBA (for their own PC purposes), and force ESPN to show the games as part of the NBA package, the league folds quickly. It isn't a money maker. I'm sure A'ja works hard at her craft. Many folks all across this country do. I'm sure there are many D2 coaches that work just as hard as Dawn Staley does at USC. But just because of the stage they play on, they only make a small fraction of what she does. That's just the way it is.

 

[acmnni1]

She's off her rocker

 

[VirgilCaine]

I don't think she's arguing for $36M a year contracts. Yes, she openly said she wished there .WNBA paid more, but I took it as she thinks the players should get a larger percentage of revenues, as their percentage is smaller than most pro leagues.

This makes sense as a rational expectation

 

[sclawman77]

Clearly not enough demand. She deserves top dollar in the WNBA though.

 

[VirgilCaine]

BTW there is no “wage gap” between men and women in the USA, I know this because I heard Milo Yiannopoulos say this on several occasions

 

[lawcalcock]

She's off her rocker

don't speak that way about the GOAT!!! The media altered her remarks for political effects.. A'ja correctly proffered the WNBA players deserve a higher % of revenues... She understands the league has to build its market share and earn more TV money

 

[VirgilCaine]

don't speak that way about the GOAT!!! The media altered her remarks for political effects.. A'ja correctly proffered the WNBA players deserve a higher % of revenues... She understands the league has to build its market share and earn more TV money

Thank you

 

[Jon Snow]

The real problem with WNBA salaries is, as several posters have stated, a large part of the league isn't profitable. A New York Times article from 2016 claims that half of the league loses money, and the only reason they can be sustained at all is the revenue sharing and sponsors provided by the NBA.

I know many of the top women's players play overseas during the WNBA off-season. I've read that many earn 2- to 4 times as much by playing overseas. One explanation I've heard is the owners of these teams don't mind losing money to chase titles.

 

[acmnni1]

don't speak that way about the GOAT!!! The media altered her remarks for political effects.. A'ja correctly proffered the WNBA players deserve a higher % of revenues... She understands the league has to build its market share and earn more TV money

Are you people serious? Is the WNBA even on TV, and if so was who would watch beside parents and relatives? This whole topic is laughable. We have a WNBA topic on an SEC board? Something is wrong. Football is right around the corner. Focus people!

 

[Horseshoe 04]

The Swimming pools in vegas are pretty nice

 

[lawcalcock]

Are you people serious? Is the WNBA even on TV, and if so was who would watch beside parents and relatives? This whole topic is laughable. We have a WNBA topic on an SEC board? Something is wrong. Football is right around the corner. Focus people!

You are a complete imbecile!!! If you think this pretentious nonsense impresses,I assure you it does not!!! I watch quite a few WNBA games on ESPN and NBA networks

 

[coolcock2001]

The good news for A'ja herself is whatever the top salary in WBB is, she will be making it. She looks poised to become the best player in the game

 

[acmnni1]

You are a complete imbecile!!! If you think this pretentious nonsense impresses,I assure you it does not!!! I watch quite a few WNBA games on ESPN and NBA networks

Sorry you have your panties in a wad, and I can assure you that I was not trying to impress anyone on a message board. Just expressing my thoughts. I didn't know it was on TV and couldn't care less. You'll never catch me watching it.

 

[TheReelEss]

Economics is a language few people speak. If she meant there's an income gap between NBA and WNBA, well there's a huge popularity gap.

 

[Half_Cocked]

Clay Travis was discussing this earlier today.

Last year:
WNBA revenue $25M
NBA revenue $7.4B

There are a total of 12 teams that basically brought in $2M each in revenue last year. There is no room for additional percentages to be handed out. The truth is, if the NBA pulled sponsorship the WNBA would close its doors.

 

[coolcock2001]

Give A'ja some credit. She's not ignorant of the points made in this topic...she's just putting her statement out there, watching people run with it, and hoping it helps things move in her direction. There was an ol' ball coach here once that was the master of this move and he was quite beloved by this board (once)

 

[jimnasium]

Of course they want mo' money they're women....lol

 

[kio57]

Similar to the arguments made by the Women's National Soccer Team a couple years back. Worked for them.

But that team has FAR more success that the USMNST and with that I suspect far more following.

 

[gamecocks247]

"154M ........... must. be. nice. We over here looking for a (million) but Lord, let me get back in my lane,"

I guess this was her quote? I'm guessing she didn't take many business courses while at USC. If she just would have left out the, "let me get back in my lane" liberal propaganda, it wouldn't sound so obtuse. They are lucky to make the money that they do here in the U.S., like many have stated already there would be no WNBA if they NBA didn't prop them up. The WNBA is not profitable as is but their players want more money. Where is the "that's not how any of this works" gif when you need it? Still one of my favorite to wear a gamecock jersey.

 

[atl-cock]

It may not work that way but one thing that does work that way is using your platform to advance what you believe in -- she knows she won't get WNBA players LeBron money but just by making a statement or tweeting or whatever she can start a conversation, which may lead to results in the direction she wants to see things head. I agree with you it's ludicrous to expect NBA and WNBA to be equal but it's easy for me to understand what she's going for

A reasonable, measured approach. Just don't take a knee at the national anthem.

 

[atl-cock]

Are you people serious? Is the WNBA even on TV, and if so was who would watch beside parents and relatives? This whole topic is laughable. We have a WNBA topic on an SEC board? Something is wrong. Football is right around the corner. Focus people!

When does fall baseball practice start?

 

[uscg1984]

I don't think she's arguing for $36M a year contracts. Yes, she openly said she wished there .WNBA paid more, but I took it as she thinks the players should get a larger percentage of revenues, as their percentage is smaller than most pro leagues.

Actually, I don't think revenue is the key measure. I think the key measure would be profit. There are certain fixed costs, such as transportation and arena leases, for the WNBA that I'd expect are quite expensive. The league would have to make a lot of revenue just to cover overhead. From what I've heard (but not verified), the league is barely doing that, if at all.

 

[acmnni1]

When does fall baseball practice start?

This! Much more compelling

 

[lazenge44]

 

[atl-cock]

This! Much more compelling

Than football.

 

[Carolina4]

View embedded media

Honestly she pretty much settles the argument. If Clay Travis doesn’t know how to pronounce the name of the the #1 pick in the draft, that shows how insignificant the sport is. No disrespect to Wilson by that comment, but he’s a sports journalist. If she weren’t a Gamecock we’d all think this was ridiculous.

 

[cockhornleghorn]

"154M ........... must. be. nice. We over here looking for a (million) but Lord, let me get back in my lane,"

I guess this was her quote? I'm guessing she didn't take many business courses while at USC. If she just would have left out the, "let me get back in my lane" liberal propaganda, it wouldn't sound so obtuse. They are lucky to make the money that they do here in the U.S., like many have stated already there would be no WNBA if they NBA didn't prop them up. The WNBA is not profitable as is but their players want more money. Where is the "that's not how any of this works" gif when you need it? Still one of my favorite to wear a gamecock jersey.

Of course, we wouldn't want to upset the conservative worship of money and run roughshod over everyone and everything possible to be able to make an extra buck. The environment? To hell with it! Veterans? To hell with them. Poor, elderly, infirm? Who cares, we're just trying to get rich.

 

[GarnetGhost]

Honestly she pretty much settles the argument. If Clay Travis doesn’t know how to pronounce the name of the the #1 pick in the draft, that shows how insignificant the sport is. No disrespect to Wilson by that comment, but he’s a sports journalist. If she weren’t a Gamecock we’d all think this was ridiculous.

Or perhaps it shows Clay Travis shouldn't talk about something he obviously doesn't know anything about. What is insignificant to one is not to another. Personally I find it outrageous the amount of money paid to sport stars, movie stars snd other celebrities while we barely pay adequate salaries to the military, police officers, firefighters and others who defend and protect us.

 

[Horseshoe 04]

Except for maybe Thornwell I would buy an Aja jersey before any other NBA player.

 

[coxman]

Of course, we wouldn't want to upset the conservative worship of money and run roughshod over everyone and everything possible to be able to make an extra buck. The environment? To hell with it! Veterans? To hell with them. Poor, elderly, infirm? Who cares, we're just trying to get rich.

Profit, to hell with it. Who needs profit? After all everyone knows we're in business to lose money and give it away!

 

[Carolina4]

Or perhaps it shows Clay Travis shouldn't talk about something he obviously doesn't know anything about. What is insignificant to one is not to another. Personally I find it outrageous the amount of money paid to sport stars, movie stars snd other celebrities while we barely pay adequate salaries to the military, police officers, firefighters and others who defend and protect us.

They wouldn’t be getting paid that much if there weren’t a demand for it. The issue isn’t that someone is paying them that much and instead that folks shouldn’t pay as much attention to sports stars / celebrities.

Clay Travis not knowing how to pronounce her name has nothing to do with whether he can speak on the issue or not. You could insert anyone’s name in there. This issue isn’t Wilson...it’s what Wilson said. But if it were the #1 pick in the NBA draft I bet he’d know how to pronounce their name.

 

[Carolina4]

Except for maybe Thornwell I would buy an Aja jersey before any other NBA player.

Is this because her WNBA career or because she’s a Gamecock?

 

[Horseshoe 04]

Is this because her WNBA career or because she’s a Gamecock?

Both