The pay gap between the NBA & WNBA is a mighty big difference. The minimum salary in the NBA is $838,464. Meanwhile the Maximum contract in the WNBA is $110,000. This means the highest paid player in the WNBA on a maximum contract does not touch what an NBA player makes on a minimum contract.

Many people might think this is unfair, and multiple WNBA players have come out and expressed their dissatisfaction with the pay gap including superstars Britney Griner and Skylar Diggins.

Unfortunately the WNBA simply just does not make a profit. Just last year the WNBA lost $12 million. On average they lose $10 million a year.

In comparison, the NBA made $7.4 billion last year. WNBA players cannot just ask to get paid the same amount as NBA players while they are constantly losing money every year.

The NBA already does a lot for the WNBA. They provide direct financial support, free publicity and the luxury that many WNBA franchises are owned by the city’s NBA owner. As a matter of fact, the WNBA’s big television contract was a byproduct of CBS Sports reworking its agreement with the NBA.

The WNBA is simply not entertaining enough. There just isn’t a market for the WNBA in the United States of America. In Russia, Britney Grinder made very close to a million just by playing in one season.

Former NBA Star Tracy McGrady offered an idea to WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart which was to lower the rims to 9 feet instead of the NBA’s 10 Feet. Stewart immediately shot down the idea and felt it was disrespectful for him to even mention that idea. WNBA players feel disrespected when you mention ideas to make their league more entertaining.

Softball players have shorter base paths than baseball, girls volleyball have shorter nets than boys volleyball players but neither softball players or women’s volleyball players feel disrespected by this.

WNBA players already have lighter balls and a shorter three point line which hasn’t changed much because the WNBA best three point shooting team shoots 37.6% while the NBA has four teams that shoot a higher percentage than that on tougher conditions, such as a bigger ball.

Lower rims might actually be good for the WNBA as more exciting plays would happen, but it does not seem that WNBA players are interested in that.

If women would like to get paid, they should play basketball in a place where there is a market for it. Overseas players make a lot more money than WNBA so obviously there are markets for it, just not in the United States.