Angel Reese has fulfilled her dream of becoming a professional basketball player in the WNBA this year. Following an impressive rookie year as a forward for the Chicago Sky, the “Chi-Town Barbie” reflected on one of the issues troubling her outside of the sport: the massive gap between male and female professional basketball players.
According to Sportrac, Reese, the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, was paid $73, 439 this season. In comparison, her counterpart in the NBA, Portland Trail Blazers’ Donovan Clingan, is set to be paid $6.8 million in his rookie season.
On an Instagram live video, Angel Reese spoke up about her WNBA salary, which she revealed isn’t even enough to cover her living expenses in Chicago.
“I just hope you all know, the WNBA don’t pay my bills at all,” Reese said. “I don’t even think that pays one of my bills, literally.”
The 22-year-old admitted that she’s living beyond her means. “My rent is more than that, it’s $8,000,” she revealed.
Angel Reese Reveals That She Pays $8,000 For Rent & The WNBA can’t pay her bills 🤨💸 pic.twitter.com/0uHTvla1e5
— Raphousetv (RHTV) (@raphousetv2) October 16, 2024
Dating back to her LSU days, Reese has been able to add to her income thanks to her strong social media presence. Owing to her status, she was able to secure a number of NIL opportunities.
Angel Reese appears at Victoria’s Secret fashion show
Angel Reese is enjoying some downtime before going back to competitive play. She will be a member of the initial roster of Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s “Unrivaled” league in the new year.
While waiting for the league’s opening, however, the Chicago Sky rookie is appearing at several notable public events, the most recent one being the Victoria’s Secret fashion show in Brooklyn on Tuesday. She wore a stunning red crochet dress by Jamaican brand Diotima, known for its handmade creations.
Reese coupled the dress with a pair of sandals from Gianvito Rossi and jewelry from David Yurman.
@VictoriasSecret #VSFashionShow pic.twitter.com/OaRb7ig3Vi
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) October 16, 2024
The WNBA All-Star was seen sitting beside former Sky teammate Kysre Gondrezick and her date, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown. She also posed for photos with Team USA gymnast Suni Lee, rapper Cardi B, and influencer Jordyn Woods, who’s dating New York Knicks’ latest acquisition Karl-Anthony Towns.
Reese would change her attire for the after party at the Crane Club in Chelsea, wearing a black mini dress paired with a black leather trench coat.
Angel Reese’s rookie season ended prematurely after suffering an injury to her left wrist in the Sky’s 92-78 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in September. She has since undergone surgery, and is looking to be in full health for the Unrivaled league in January next year.
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