In an exclusive interview with People Magazie, Shaquille O"Neal just addressed a major aspect of closing the WNBA"s wage gap i.e. fan support.
WNBA players earn significantly less than NBA players despite their skills.
In wake of the WNBA-related discussion, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are currently the reigning names. These are two exceptional young ladies are single-handedly generating excitement in women"s basketball.
Now, O"Neal isn"t directly advocating for higher salaries. Instead, he urges fans to actively support the WNBA by watching games, attending games in person and buying merchandise (jerseys etc.)
The logic?
Increased fan support translates to higher revenue for the WNBA. With more money coming in, the league can potentially afford to negotiate better TV deals and increase player salaries.
“Now it"s just up to the people to support," O"Neal said. “Now that you know about Caitlin, you know about Angel, make sure you go out and buy the jerseys, make sure you watch the game, make sure you show up at the games."
The Los Angeles Lakers legend added:
“Because of her and Angel Reese and the young lady from Stanford [Cameron Brink] and [USC star] JuJu Watkins, the women"s game has overtaken the men"s game, especially in college," O"Neal continues. “I can"t name any exciting male NCAA player, but I can name almost all the top girls — and this is my first time ever waking up wanting to see the girls more than wanting to see the men."
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese both had successful nights in the 2024 WNBA Draft held on April 15.
As expected, Clark was the no. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever.
Here are the other top picks from that draft:
2. Los Angeles Sparks: Cameron Brink, Forward (Stanford)
3. Chicago Sky: Kamilla Cardoso, Center (South Carolina)
4. Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle): Rickea Jackson, Forward (Tennessee)
5. Dallas Wings (from Chicago): Jacy Sheldon, Guard (Ohio State)
6. Washington Mystics: Aaliyah Edwards, Forward (UConn)
While not the top pick, Reese was still selected in the first round at no. 7 by the Chicago Sky.
