Source: G Fiume / Getty
Angel Reese is not only one of the most talented newcomers in the WNBA but also one of the most outspoken.
Between her Unapologetically Angel podcast and her media appearances, she hasn’t been shy about the hate she’s experienced at the hands of Caitlin Clark fans and, unfortunately, being sexualized online.
Now, she’s getting into the insanely low WNBA salaries, which for a rookie begin at $76,535, but she even admits that she might have a champagne taste on a beer budget.
During a recent Instagram Live, she revealed her financial shortcomings and how internet haters help her earn more cash because her WNBA checks from the Chicago Sky aren’t making a dent.
“Hating pays them bills, baby,” she said. “I just hope you know the WNBA don’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think that pays one of my bills. Literally, I’m trying to think of my rent for where I stay at. Let me do the math real quick. I don’t even know my salary.”
A friend off camera confirms that her salary is $74,000 as Reese begins to calculate just how much cash her lifestyle costs monthly.
“I’m living beyond my means!” she exclaims into the camera, admitting that her rent is $8,000 a month. “I don’t even know my salary for the WNBA. Does that even pay my car note?”
The $76,535 WNBA salary pales in comparison to the NBA’s, which logs in at just about $1.1 million for rookies, but both leagues serve as a platform for many players to make more in endorsements—Reese included.
Reese has made most of her money thanks to working with brands like Reese’s, Good American, Amazon, Playstation, McDonald’s, and Wingstop. That’s not even counting the NIL money she made while at LSU and being named the face of Reebok Women’s Basketball, where she’ll also have significant input in creating her own signature sneaker and merchandise.
The WNBA’s current collective bargaining agreement says that by 2027, the rookie salary will be $70,103. Couple that with viewership skyrocketing and the WNBA signing a historic $200 million media rights deal, expect that amount to increase.
See how social media is reacting to Reese blowing money fast below.