Damian Lillard on WNBA players: 'They deserve respect. They deserve to make a lot more money'
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard believes the WNBA deserves a lot more recognition. After watching the Las Vegas Aces take on the Connecticut Sun on Saturday, Lillard spoke out in support of WNBA players.
What did Damian Lillard say about WNBA players?
Lillard said WNBA players, “Deserve a lot more respect. They deserve to make a lot more money than they do.”
.@dame_lillard on the @WNBA: “They deserve a lot more respect. They deserve to make a lot more money than they do. I think it’s time people start recognizing that they are professional athletes and they should be treated like it and their league should be elevated…” pic.twitter.com/QHgst1dSjI
— Her Hoop Stats (@herhoopstats) July 8, 2018
Lillard also said he wanted people to start acknowledging and treating WNBA players like professional athletes.
Damian Lillard wasn’t the only player to support the WNBA
Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan expressed similar sentiments.
.@DeMar_DeRozan: “Women’s game in general is awesome. I think they deserve way more recognition than what they’re getting and tonight’s game is a great example of that. The excitement, how hard they play…” @WNBA #wnba #WatchMeWork pic.twitter.com/rtkxCtkKGO
— Her Hoop Stats (@herhoopstats) July 8, 2018
How much money do WNBA players make?
WNBA players make about 20 percent of the minimum NBA salary, according to Paulana Lamonier of Forbes. WNBA salaries are capped around $115,000. That’s the most a player can make in the league. The minimum salary for NBA players is $582,180. As Lamonier points out, NBA refs make $150,000, which is more than the highest contract that can be given to WNBA players.
How can you pay WNBA players more?
Some have responded to Lillard’s comments saying the WNBA doesn’t bring in as much revenue as the NBA. The amount of revenue each league generates does not matter in this instance. It’s more about what percentage of that money is given to players.
NBA players receive 50 percent of their league’s revenue. WNBA players receive less than 25 percent of their league’s revenue.
What are WNBA players doing to change how much they are paid?
They are speaking out about the issue and preparing for a fight soon. The players can opt out of their current collective-bargaining agreement following the 2019 season.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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