WNBA star Angel Reese has made a shocking admission about her salary.
The professional women’s 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 the WNBA doesn’t pay my bills at all,” Reese said, according to a clip reposted by Plugged Soundz. ‘I don’t even think I can pay any of my bills with that. Literally, I’m trying to think about my rent for where I’m staying [in Chicago]. I’m going to calculate it very quickly.’
After the Louisiana State University alumnus calculated her expenses and noted that 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. I couldn’t live.”
In 2024, Reese signed a four-year contract with the 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.
But like fellow WNBA star Caitlin Clark, Reese could make more than $1 million from brand deals and endorsements. Last year, she signed a multi-year deal with Reebok, with the basketball star creating her personal collection of products 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 to spark outrage over her rookie salary. After Clark was selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever, the 22-year-old athlete signed a four-year contract worth $338,056. She earned $76,535 in her rookie season this year and is expected to earn an annual salary of $97,582 at the end of her four-year contract.
It didn’t take long for fans to point out that players in the WNBA make far less than their male counterparts in the NBA. “The greatest player in college basketball history just got an entry-level project manager salary,” one fan wrote on X/Twitter in response to Clark’s four-year contract.
“This is fake, they have made more headlines than any man currently playing,” said another person. “Pay women what they earn in sports.”
Even US President Joe Biden called for female athletes to be “paid what they deserve” amid outrage over Clark’s first-year salary. “Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all,” he began his post on
“It’s time we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women get what they deserve,” Biden added.
The WNBA currently earns an estimated $60 million annually from the sale of its media rights and licensing agreements with Amazon, CBS and ION. Front office sports reports. That’s compared to the average NBA team, which is worth about $3.85 billion — with the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers each worth more than $6 billion, according to Forbes.
