Dave Portnoy slams ‘morons’ in WNBA pay debate – Sports News
Barstool founder Dave Portnoy has doubled down after calling out followers who disagree that WNBA gamers should not be paid more, calling critics “morons” after a $325 million deal was agreed to accumulate the Connecticut Sun.
Portnoy has proven his help for WNBA gamers campaigning for greater salaries and even referred to as out the league for the inconsistency in prize money awarded. Portnoy himself has acquired a blended response for his views, however feels as if he is had the final snigger.
On Saturday, a group led by Boston Celtics minority proprietor Steve Pagliuca made a report deal to buy the Sun for $325 million, with plans to relocate the staff in 2027. The deal is pending WNBA approval, however Portnoy believes that the dimensions of the price justifies his argument.
“All the morons who said the WNBA players don’t deserve more money look like absolute morons. 325 million for the franchise! Vegas was 50 million like 5 seconds ago,” Portnoy wrote on X.
The WNBA has skilled exponential growth in earlier years, and franchise valuations have highlighted the development. On June 30, the WNBA introduced that the league would broaden to 18 groups after awarding Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia franchises.
The three new groups have an NBA possession group that paid $250 million to affix the WNBA. However, in 2023, the buy-in price was simply $50 million, and was exercised by the Golden State Valkyries and the Toronto Tempo.
While income is surging, resulting in the WNBA agreeing on a new $2.2 billion media rights deal, gamers are nonetheless locked into a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) agreed in 2020. WNBA video games averaged 205,000 viewers back then, however that determine has since climbed to 1.2 million.
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) has opted out of the present CBA, forcing the deal to stop on the finish of the 2025 season. Players are campaigning for greater salaries, with WNBA union first vice president Kelsey Plum main the charge.
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During her latest look on the ‘All the Smoke‘ podcast with Matt Barnes, the Los Angeles Sparks participant mentioned: “A lot of times, the misinformation comes in where we’re asking to be paid what the men are being paid.
“That’s not true. We’re asking simply the identical proportion of income or a comparable proportion of income. And proper now, that is not the case. And so that is what we’re combating for.”
The WNBA generated $200 million in revenue last season, but the average annual salary is estimated at $147,745. In the NBA, players receive approximately 50 percent of the revenue generated, but that figure is closer to 10 percent in the WNBA.
WNBA gamers are in settlement over the wage calls for, however league commissioner Cathy Engelbert has but to announce a proposed deal. It’s anticipated that negotiations will happen after this season.
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