LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese ended speculation over her future as she declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft despite being one of the highest NIL earners in college sports.
She’ll likely maintain many sponsorship deals, and those will represent the bulk of her income given modest starting salaries in the WNBA.
According to On3 Sports, Reese had an NIL valuation of $1.8 million, which ranked her as the eighth most valuable collegiate athlete and second among women’s basketball players.
She has deals with plenty of leading brands, including Beats by Dre, Tampax, Reebok, Airbnb, Amazon, PlayStation, and Raising Cane’s that could stay with her into the pros.
Per Her Hoop Stats, the average 2023 WNBA player salary was $147,745 and the max salary was $234,936. In 2024, the supermaximum will be $241,984.
But for rookies, the salary scale is much lower: the top four draft picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft will make $76,535 in the first year of their contracts.
On Monday night, Reese’s LSU came up short in the Elite Eight against Iowa. Caitlin Clark dropped 41 points and 12 assists to lead the Hawkeyes to a 94-87 win, eliminating the defending champion Tigers to progress to the Final Four.
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Following the conclusion of her college season, Reese made her WNBA announcement through a Vogue magazine article on Wednesday. The 21-year-old told the publication: “I’ve done everything I wanted to in college.
I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten [SEC] Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American.
“My ultimate goal is to be a pro – and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I’m ready.”
Reese, who transferred to LSU from Maryland after the 2021-22 season, became an icon with the Tigers.
This week’s clash with Iowa drew more TV viewers than the average 2023 World Series and 2023 NBA Finals game, and her popularity is a big reason why – which is why she earned an eye-watering NIL sum.
Back in November during a pre-game show on TNT, former NBA player Brendan Haywood suggested Reese will lose out on money when she goes to the WNBA. He said: “You brought up NIL money.
She’s going to have to take a pay cut when she goes to the WNBA.”
TNT co-host Stephanie Ready claimed that was “serious,” while Renee Montgomery – a co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream – added: “It’s an unfortunate fact.”
Luckily for Reese, she will likely retain most of her endorsements while also taking on a professional salary. So, speculation about missing out on money might prove unfounded.
The 2024 WNBA Draft will take place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City on April 15.
