NBA Refs Make More Than WNBA Players

[j66kicker]

Interesting thought....

Yes, WNBA Stars Should Be Paid More Than NBA Referees

WNBA Players (2018)
Min: $ 41,202
Max: $115,500

NBA Refs (per The Sport Economist, 2014)
Min: $150,000
Max: $550,000

NBA Refs (per National Basketball Referees Association, 2009)
Min: $ 91,000
Max: $400,000

 

[Zanzman]

I’m not surprised

 

[stamfordhusky]

Maybe subjectively the WNBA stars should be paid more - but the economics of the two leagues say they shouldn't. One other issue is that the WNBA regular season is 44 games, with a max of 56 games including playoffs. The NBA regular season is 82 games, with a max of 110. Also NBA refs have tougher travel than WNBA players.

 

[Alydar]

Super models who can barely write their names make 100 times more than Phd mathematicians.

Where is the money to pay WNBA players more going to come from? Salaries come from revenues. There are talented musicians playing for handouts on streets.

 

[j66kicker]

Maybe subjectively the WNBA stars should be paid more - but the economics of the two leagues say they shouldn't. One other issue is that the WNBA regular season is 44 games, with a max of 56 games including playoffs. The NBA regular season is 82 games, with a max of 110. Also NBA refs have tougher travel than WNBA players.

Interesting take on the # games played. The article says the inequity (between NBA players & WNBA players) is the NBA players collectively get ~50% of the league revenue, but the WNBA players only get ~20% of their league revenue. I guess until the teams can cover basic overhead the % the players get is sorta irrelevant.

 

[CL82]

Top ten NBA teams average @ 20,000 a game, an average ticket price of $70 and have 82 games a season (41 at home.) They have a nine-year, $24 billion media-rights deal.

Top WNBA teams Lynx and Sparks average about 10,000 -11,000 (with most far lower), and average ticket price of $17 with 34 games (17 at home.) They have a 6 year $72 million dollar tv deal with ESPN.

That's why WNBA salaries are so much lower than NBA.

 

[shizam]

Boils down to finding owners who don’t care about losing money. Maybe a group of loaded ex players will buy their own teams and jack up player payroll. Then run out of money.

 

[bballnut90]

Super models who can barely write their names make 100 times more than Phd mathematicians.

Where is the money to pay WNBA players more going to come from? Salaries come from revenues. There are talented musicians playing for handouts on streets.

Exactly. No, WNBA players don’t make close to what NBA players make, but they don’t bring in millions of dollars or generate close to the same amount of revenue. More over, people talk about WNBA salaries like they’re living in poverty. They aren’t.

The average player is in her 20s and makes about 70k for playing 3-4 months out of the year. In the offseason, most play overseas where they make significantly more, or they take 8-9 months off per year and have the opportunity to pursue other hobbies/careers (ex broadcasting, coaching, woodworking in EDD’s case, etc.) or they can simply relax and train for the next season. They have a pretty darn good paying job compared to 90% of the population. They make far more than most other female professional athletes and most millenials in their 20s. People need to recognize that more rather than always focusing on how low pay is compared to NBA players.

 

[BobbyJ]

That’s a lot of money to just call shooting fouls and let everybody else just manhandle and hold each other.

 

[BostonCanuck]

What I'd like to know is how much the WNBA refs make....

They've actually been noticeably better this year, to my eye. Hope that trend carries into upcoming college season, too.

 

[vtcwbuff]

It's pretty simple economics. If there was more demand for the WNBA's product there would be more profit.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Interesting thought....

Yes, WNBA Stars Should Be Paid More Than NBA Referees

WNBA Players (2018)
Min: $ 41,202
Max: $115,500

NBA Refs (per The Sport Economist, 2014)
Min: $150,000
Max: $550,000

NBA Refs (per National Basketball Referees Association, 2009)
Min: $ 91,000
Max: $400,000

This is an irresponsible post. First off, how many games does the NBA Refs work? Second... how many games are in the NBA season compared to the WNBA season? Third, does a ref make more money working the play offs?
It is so easy to point out the difference between the salaries... but if you are going to compare, you should compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges.

 

[Hope]

Super models who can barely write their names make 100 times more than Phd mathematicians.

Where is the money to pay WNBA players more going to come from? Salaries come from revenues. There are talented musicians playing for handouts on streets.

Hmmm? Let me think. Would I rather be a supermodel like Kate Moss (net worth of $86 million ) or a mathematician ? That's a head scratcher, for sure. I'll get back to you.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Irresponsible post? A tad strong! "You should compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges ..." So did you enjoy "My Big Fat Greek Wedding?" Everyone knows the differences between the value of WNBA and NBA contracts, apples to apples. How many people knew the NBA refs earn more money than the WNBA players (apples to oranges)? I'll bet very few if any. I wonder if the WNBA players knew they made less than the NBA refs? J66kicker's post was interesting.

 

[j66kicker]

This is an irresponsible post. First off, how many games does the NBA Refs work? Second... how many games are in the NBA season compared to the WNBA season? Third, does a ref make more money working the play offs?
It is so easy to point out the difference between the salaries... but if you are going to compare, you should compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges.

Irresponsible post? Hmm - OK. I linked an article and presented some figures from that article and other sources, which I referenced. I made no editorial comment except, “Interesting thought...”

So I don’t quite get your angst. Possibly you meant, “Irresponsible article“?

 

[willtalk]

People wonder why the level of officiating is not what it should be. It is because officiating is not seem as a very valuable vocation. In some respects the officials have a greater impact on the game than many players who seldom or sparingly see the floor. To be an elite official requires a combination of skills most unfortunately do not possess because people do not recognize that fact. There for the field is flooded with people who do not really possess the skills that are actually required.

The fact that a comparison was even made in respect to the WNBA players and the NBA officials speaks to the low level of skill that most people believe is necessary to be an official. Yes lets just pull some fans out of the stands and let them call fouls. Unfortunately that was the actual start of officiating. And because of that the level of Athletic talent on the floor had outrun the officials who are task with regulating them. Officiating should be a highly paid vocation with a high selectivity in applicants and then the quality would increase.

 

[shizam]

Only way players get more money is if Adam Silver hears the outcry and throws more subsidies their way. Just have ESPN take some of NBA's deal and siphon 20 more million to WNBA deal. This is getting ridiculous. DEMAND is not changing and all of a sudden revenues surge for WNBA.