$74K earning Angel Reese warns WNBA demanding better pay: “We sitting out”

Chicago Sky superstar Angel Reese wants her peers in the WNBA to earn a lot more when the new CBA starts in 2026.

$74K earning Angel Reese warns WNBA demanding better pay: “We sitting out”

Angel Reese wants next WNBA CBA to properly compensate players

WNBA players earn a small fraction of the millions NBA players receive. It has always been a problem, but it came to everyone’s attention once Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese came into the league. The salary is microscopically low to justify the massive improvement in fan following they helped bring in.

Some would argue that the salaries were in line with how the league was before Clark and Reese arrived. At that time, the league was in constant decline and every year fewer and fewer fans watched games. But since these two rookies broke the plane, the tide has turned.

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Last season, the two rivals combined to draw in millions of viewers. They also led the league in merchandise sales as well as the league saw a new legion of fans coming in to watch the games. Clark and Reese have also brought back the excitement in their respective cities of work.

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This has helped the league grow faster than any other brand in the country. This growth comes at around the same time the league and its players are negotiating their next CBA. Due to start with the 2026 season, players are asking for a major increase in pay, which Angel Reese echoed on her podcast.

If y’all don’t give us what we want, we’re sitting out,

Angel Reese said

She said this when guest DiJonai Carrington confirmed that there is a possibility that 2026 rookies will earn more than Reese. The Chicago Sky will pay their superstar a mere $82K that season. Reese is threatening to sit out as she believes the players deserve a lot more.

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark success could help push CBA negotiations

Angel Reese has clarified that her WNBA salary does not pay her bills. She earns millions from her endorsement deals as she has grown her brand to become a household name. But she knows not everyone earns like her.

Clark is another exception who earned $11 million in 2024. But almost all of it came from endorsements, which means, her WNBA salary does not deservedly compensate her. She has asked the league to pay opponents a bonus if they help garner ticket sales. That shows she too wants to help her peers earn more.

If Angel Reese does get into the meetings along with Caitlin Clark, the two young superstars could help their peers earn a lot better. They know not everyone is as skilled or marketable to earn like they do. But that does not mean the league should pay less for their services as basketball players.

The WNBA and their teams will continue negotiating until a common ground is met. Since there is almost a year before the new CBA comes into effect, these young stars can get into the meetings to help everyone get a significant raise.