Angel Reese‘s salary projections for her first WNBA season aren’t sufficient for a star of her caliber.
Reese is currently projected by ESPN to be the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, getting selected by the Chicago Sky.
According to the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, the draft’s No. 1 overall pick (which is expected to be Caitlin Clark) will earn a 2024 rookie salary of $76,535. The No. 10 pick in the draft earns about a $70,000 base salary.
Therefore, Reese will have a 2024 WNBA salary of somewhere between $70,000 and $76,000.
For comparison, HoopsRumors.com reported that the minimum NBA salary for 2023-24 is $1.1 million.
The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement decrees that a “player’s salary may increase or decrease in relation to the previous season’s salary by no more than three percent.”
This means that if Reese made $72,000 as a rookie, her 2025 salary would increase to only $74,160. After that, her 2026 salary would be about $76,385.
Reese also could earn a number of performance-based bonuses. For example, she would earn $1,500 if she was to make the All-WNBA Rookie Team or All-WNBA Defensive Team. Both Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year would earn her $5,150 each.
Yet, incentives aside, that potential salary still pales in comparison to the estimated $1.8 million in NIL deals that Reese accrued at LSU, according to On3.com.
Reese wouldn’t lose that NIL money by going to the WNBA.
NIL money comes from the various brands and sponsorships Reese has. Therefore, her salary will become an additional source of income for the LSU superstar.
Angel Reese Has Endorsements With Iconic Brands Like Reebok, Beats by Dre & AirBnb
Reese’s WNBA salary wouldn’t stop her from making millions through endorsement deals.
According to On3.com, Reese currently has over 25 NIL deals with brands. These include sponsorships with globally known brands like AirBnb, Amazon, Beats by Dre, Raising Cane’s, Reebok and many more.
NIL deals are still flowing in for the 2024 SEC Player of the Year. On April 10, On3 announced on X that Reese had inked an exclusive deal with Panini America, which is the world leader in officially licensed collectibles.
Ahead of Monday night’s WNBA draft, LSU’s Angel Reese has inked an exclusive partnership with Panini America.
The SEC Player of the Year is projected to go No. 8 to the Chicago Sky.
Details via @PeteNakos_: t.co/vUi1f4OIyj
When Reese signed her NIL deal with Reebok in October 2023, Shaquille O’Neal — who is president of Reebok Basketball — said of the deal, “For my first appointment in this role, it had to be the GOAT. There is no one making a bigger impact on the game right now than Angel Reese.”
Because her current deals aren’t going anywhere once she enters the WNBA, Reese has merely scratched the surface of her earning potential.
Will the Chicago Sky Select Angel Reese?
The Chicago Sky currently have both the No. 3 and No. 8 picks in the draft.
While the Sky will likely select Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso or Rickea Jackson with the No. 3 pick, Chicago Tribune’s Julia Poe believes Chicago could select the LSU icon with pick No. 8.
“Selecting Reese likely would mean parting with at least one of the team’s current frontcourt players as it would be nearly impossible task to balance minutes for two rookie bigs alongside veterans Izzy Harrison and Elizabeth Williams.” Poe wrote on April 11. “But this front office hasn’t shied away from trading beloved players to gain draft capital and refocus on the future.”
All eyes will be on the Sky on April 15.
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Angel Reese’s WNBA Salary Projections Are Staggering