Candace Parker Exposes WNBA’s Misogyny and Hypocrisy Over $70K Salaries

WNBA great Candace Parker has seen up close how the league is not willing to allow a major salary hike to its players.

Candace Parker Exposes WNBA’s Misogyny and Hypocrisy Over $70K Salaries

WNBA legend Candace Parker (Image via FirstSportz)

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Candace Parker retired last season after spending 16 years in the WNBA. She has seen the league change from a time when players had no amenities to now, where the women are demanding more.

As per the 2016 CBA, players would receive in-season housing, their pay was increased, and other steps were taken to give them opportunities to earn more money during the offseason.

In 2024, the league relented and started chartered flights when fears arose that superstar Caitlin Clark would be hounded in commercial terminals.

However, the Indiana Fever star’s paltry $70K annual salary became a sticking point, especially when compared to the revenue she was bringing to the WNBA.

Now the league and its players are locking horns over a new CBA where the demand is to move salaries into the million-dollar range. On that note, Candace Parker had this to say when she was a guest on the All the Smoke podcast.

For so long, I think it’s been like, ‘wait, wait.’ As women, it’s like in this country, it’s always, ‘wait, wait.’ So if you’re telling me you can’t pay players over $1 million, but you’re giving coaches. I’ve never heard of a league where the coach is paid more than the best player.

Candace Parker revealed

The 3-time champion questioned if it was right on the WNBA’s part to allow franchise owners to pay coaches so much more than players, as it is the latter who are putting the work in on the floor.

Candace Parker details how WNBA’s hypocrisy hurts its players off the court

While talking about the pay disparity between players and coaches, Candace Parker highlighted how owners do not have a problem paying the latter.

It’s not only impacting the on the court salary, it’s public. So people understand what you’re playing in the WNBA for. So these companies are then coming to you (with) less than male counterparts.

Candace Parker said

This was the 39-year-old explaining how the low WNBA salaries impact its players. She has a point, as Caitlin Clark became the highest-paid WNBA player in terms of a signature sneaker deal.

Even though her signature shoe is months away, Clark’s custom Kobe PEs have become one of the most popular shoes, along with the likes of Nike superstars LeBron James and Ja Morant‘s signature shoes.

However, they are earning hundreds of millions of dollars, whereas the Indiana Fever star earns less than $4 million a year. Parker believes this discrepancy has come about as corporations believe that the WNBA’s women are fine with less.

Candace Parker believes social media and NIL have proved WNBA women deserve more

As the next CBA continues to be negotiated, the WNBA is trying its best to manage the overall expenses that owners incur, as they allow max salaries to move beyond $1 million.

NIL deals paid Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese millions in college
NIL deals paid Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese millions in college (Image via 247 Sports/X)

Even though players and their union have repeatedly stated that it is not enough, the league seems to be rigid in how much they believe the women are worth.

I’m just grateful for social media, because I think numbers don’t lie. There’s transparency. You see with NIL how much somebody is worth coming out of school.

Candace Parker said

The 7-time All-Star believes that social media has proven that some WNBA players have more followers than men in the NBA. Even then, they are paid less by both their employer as well as brands.

Then there is NIL, which has proven that women’s college prospects earn significantly more than what WNBA players do. That should indicate how much the pro league has to catch up. She hopes those indications help the WNBA’s players get what they deserve.

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