Angel Reese Says the $50K She Won in Unrivaled Was a 'NEED' Because of Her Low WNBA Salary

03/18/2025 04:56 PM

The Chicago Sky star made $73,439 during her record-setting rookie WNBA season

Angel Reese appeared to take several shots at her WNBA salary on social media Monday night as she celebrated winning the inaugural Unrivaled championship and the $50,000 bonus that comes along with finishing first in the new three-on-three women's basketball league.

The Rose basketball club – led by the 22-year-old Reese and fellow WNBA stars Chelsea Gray, Lexie Hull, Brittney Sykes, Azura Stevens, and Kahleah Copper — defeated the Vinyl 62-54 on Monday night to win the league's first-ever championship game. Each player on the winning team receives a $50,000 bonus, per the league's rules.

"50K NEED DATTTTT," Reese wrote on X while making a flurry of posts Monday night celebrating the championship win.

In another post, Reese responded to a fan asking for money, telling the fan she needs to keep all the cash she can get at this point in her career.

"I'm sorry to break it to you but i'm on a rookie contract & that 50k was a little more than half of my contract so I have to keep that to myself…. Sorry," Reese posted. "Give me a few years and i gotchu. be well."

Related: Angel Reese Pays Off Her Mother's Mortgage as Surprise Birthday Gift and Tells Her She Can Retire

It's not the first time the WNBA's Defensive Player of the Year has publicly criticized the league's salaries, which are especially lackluster when compared to the NBA's salaries.

Last October, Reese joked that she was "living beyond my means" because she pays $8,000 in rent each month in downtown Chicago. Meanwhile, according to Sportrac, Reese's rookie WNBA contract only paid her $73,439 during her record-breaking rookie season. (Professional athletes like Reese can however earn extra money through off-the-court deals, such as appearing in commercials or other corporate endorsements.)

"I just hope y'all know, the WNBA don't pay my bills at all," Reese wrote on social media at the time. "I don't even think it pays one of my bills, literally."

According to Sportrac, Reese's rookie WNBA contract is for $324,383 over four years, meaning the 2024 No. 7 overall draft pick is projected to make an average of $81,096 in her first four seasons in the league. Reese is set to renegotiate her contract in 2028, while the WNBA's players are currently negotiating with the league for higher salaries as part of its new collective bargaining agreement.

Related: Angel Reese Says Estimate That Her Net Worth Totals $2 Million Is 'Way Off'

ESPN reports that WNBA players can earn up to $241,984 per year under their current agreement with the league, while men in the NBA may soon be able to earn upwards of $100 million per season, according to the New York Times.

The discrepancy in salaries between men and women in sports has become a higher-priority issue across the board in recent years, in large part due to the popularity of young WNBA stars like Reese and Caitlin Clark, who have drawn record ratings to both collegiate and professional women's sports.

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Recently on Reese's "Unapologetically Angel" podcast, the Chicago Sky star forward said that if WNBA players aren't more appropriately compensated for the viewership and financial gain they're bringing to the league, then its players will be "sitting out" until they reach a deal.

The WNBA players opted out of their CBA days after the 2024 season ended. The previous agreement runs through next season, meaning the 2025 WNBA season will go on as expected, though a delayed agreement between the league and its players could threaten the 2026 season.