WNBA salaries are not great. That is known. But as women's basketball continues to rise, it's clear that the NIL money and endorsement deals are providing a ton of financial freedom to the league's newcomers.
The most recent example of this is the Chicago Sky's Angel Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, just became a part-owner of the DC Power Football Club, the team announced on Tuesday, May 21.
DC Power FC is the nation's capital's USL Super League representative, the women's professional soccer league that's set to kick-off its inaugural season in August.
“I want to help grow women’s sports and elevate female athletes across the board,” Reese said in a statement. “We’re taking over, and I’m honored to be able to support Power FC and invest in women’s soccer in the DMV community.”
According to a report by Sportico, Reese, who was and born and raised in Maryland, had been in discussions with the team to become an owner since she was a college player at LSU.
The same report stated that Reese has a 5% ownership stake in the team, which she paid for in cash, though it's unclear what the sum is exactly.
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Reese's WNBA rookie contract is four years, $324,383 which amounts to just over $81,000 per year according to Spotrac. On3 said that she was valued over $1 million per year during her time in the NCAA.
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However, it's clear that even after the NCAA, Reese is still enjoying endorsement deals and opportunities. Aside from appearing at the MET Gala earlier this month, Reese also promised that she would gift her new Sky teammates with headphones from Beats By Dre.
That sponsorship has carried over from the NCAA to the WNBA as she had originally gifted her LSU teammates and even the LSU Men's Basketball team with Beats headphones earlier this year.
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