The popularity of the WNBA continues to grow, and that was apparent on Friday night when the Chicago Sky hosted the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal was in attendance and said he wants to see player salaries start to rise along with that popularity.
During the game broadcast, O’Neal was asked about the growth of women’s basketball. The Hall of Famer said he’s glad to see women getting the respect they deserve, but he wants them to start getting paid like NBA players.
“Well, I love it, especially for women,” O’Neal said. “Listen, they’ve always played great. They’ve always played hard. I’m glad they’re getting their exposure. They definitely deserve it. Now we just gotta get them similar contracts to what some of these NBA guys are making.”
There have been calls for the WNBA to start ponying up more money for its stars, especially after the numbers for Caitlin Clark’s rookie deal were announced. Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, is getting paid $76,535 this year and is set to make $338,000 over the first four years of her professional career. According to Spotrac, the minimum salary for an NBA player with no years of service is $1.157 million in 2024.
The matchup between Clark and fellow rookie Angel Reese was a big reason why Wintrust Arena was nearly at capacity on Friday night. Clark led her Fever to victory with 31 points and 12 assists while Reese also notched a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists.
