Angel Reese is one of the most talked about athletes at the collegiate level after winning the NCAA championship. She has been the victim of criticism after her celebration at the closing stages of the game in the finals. She taunted Iowa Hawkeyes star, Caitlin Clark, with the “You Can’t See Me” gesture. Despite losing in the finals, Clark has defended Reese in her interview with ESPN.
Reese opened up about her future of joining the WNBA, which is the premier basketball league for women’s basketball. She is just a 20-year-old and still has time to become eligible for the WNBA draft. However, she has spoken about her future on the I AM ATHLETE podcast. “I’m not in a rush,” said Reese. “I’m chilling right now. I am in no rush to go to the league. The money I’m making is more than some of the people that are in the league that might be top players,” Reese continued.
Angel Reese says she’s making more money than some of the top WNBA players 👀 pic.twitter.com/LDkpeK4ZMn
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 6, 2023
The NCAA champion has the most NIL deals in the history of NIL. She has signed NIL deals with 17 brands of which some are Raising Cane’s, McDonald’s, Amazon, Bose, Xfinity, Outback Steakhouse, Wingstop, and more. According to on3.com, she is ranked 3rd in college women’s basketball NIL ranking. Only Haley Cavinder and Hanna Cavinder are ahead of Reese with values of $930,000, and $924,000, respectively.
Is Angel Reese earning more than the highest-paid player in the WNBA?
It is shocking to see Reese speak about her pay in comparison to that of the WNBA players. Nonetheless, Reese is not wrong, what she is earning from her NIL deals surpasses the highest-paid athlete in the WNBA. Recently, her NIL value jumped from $485,000 to $876,000 after winning the NCAA title. That is almost half a million jump to her current valuation, which is double what the highest-paid WNBA player earns.
Jackie Young, who plays for the Las Vegas Aces, and recently won the WNBA title is set to make $252,000 this season. The average salary for an athlete playing in the WNBA is $102,000 a season. There is a stark contrast in earnings between the WNBA players and Reese who is 2 years shy of becoming eligible for the WNBA Draft. NIL deals are showing the effects of making young players stay in college for longer than they initially would’ve planned.