Declaring early for the draft - not just for men anymore

Someone who knows, answer me this:

How much money is waiting on Miss Parker when she gets to the WNBA? I'm sure she's an endorsers dream -- a damn fine basketball player with a great personality and a pretty face.

I'm not saying she should stay at Tennessee. There obviously isn't much left for her to do there. I'm just trying to see what kind of financial opportunities exist out there.

 

But not all the Lady Vols go to the WNBA (even if it seems that way). They all graduate, however.

 

In the WNBA? Not much. I think the highest paid player (Lisa Leslie) makes around 120Kish.

Most of the women make their money overseas, but Candace can probably rack up a high number of endorsements as well.

 

Most female athletes graduate, at least from the studies I've seen. There's no reason for women to leave before they get their degree. There's not the money out there waiting on top female college athletes that awaits the top male athletes.

Again, it's not that big of a requirement on Pat's part.

 

What SC said. I can't imagine she's dreaming of big dollars playing in the WNBA, but big dollars from Madison Avenue ...

 

I'm not sure Leslie makes as much as I thought. Here's the WNBA salary schedule. Highest amount on it's 93K

http://womensbasketballonline.com/wnba/rosters/salary.html

 

$93,000?

Holy shit.

 

For women's basketball, it's just under 90 percent, I think. Which obviously is pretty good and much better than it is on the men's side. Still, Summitt's is at 100. Considering how long she's been coaching, that's pretty impressive.

 

The league operates at a loss, not a big one (500K was the last figure I saw or about the amount the last man on an NBA bench makes), but the reason it's not bleeding money is because it keeps its costs down. It's essentially a vehicle for the NBA to improve it's image by saying "Look we do good things for women."

 

Here's a story ESPN.com had on WNBA players abroad last year. Apparently players like Diana Taurasi can make much more than their WNBA salary in Russia.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=rollinginrubles

 

I understand why the salaries are low. I just didn't think they were *that* low.

I know they're still playing a game for a living, but at $93K, you ain't living the glamorous life.

 

I remember seeing an SI article on Lauren Jackson, who said she made more money from a one-week tour of Russia than she made in the three months in the WNBA.