College basketball has seen a major uptick in recent years in terms of popularity and influence on the sports industry. There is a newfound interest in college basketball games as spectators avidly watch the next generation of basketball prodigies hone their skills on college courts. Furthermore, stars such as Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have generated headlines before even stepping foot in the WNBA.

Due to their significant NIL deals, these women athletes could even earn more than a professional basketball player in the league. However, despite the money failure in the WNBA, Kelsey Plum recently encouraged Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark?s million-dollar deals.

Kelsey Plum is left in awe of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark

The women’s college basketball national championship from last season broke records for viewership with around 10 million viewers tuning in to watch LSU battle Iowa, setting a record-breaking milestone as the most-watched women’s college basketball game in history. The enthusiasm surrounding two excellent athletes, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, is partly to thank for the jump in viewership, standing at an astounding 103% rise from the previous season.

Following the national championship game between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, both basketball talents experienced an immense surge in fame. This opportunity helped them rake in millions of dollars through Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals. Since winning the national championship, Reese has risen quickly. The player secured partnerships with over 30 significant companies such as Amazon, Airbnb, Sports Illustrated, McDonald’s Mercedes-Benz – the list goes on. As of now, she has an NIL valuation of $1.6 million.

On the other hand, Caitlin Clark has an NIL valuation of $752K. For a better understanding, Kelsey Plum, one of the key players of the WNBA champions, Las Vegas earns $141,083 annually through her salary, over five times less than what Clark makes through her NIL deals. So, what does Kelsey Plum think of this?

“I watch a lot of college basketball. I mean those two are tremendous,” referring to Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese on a recent episode of the podcast, All The Smoke.

She continued,?“I think that it’s so cool to see them take off after that too… Like to capitalize on that, to me, the NIL… like that to me was really cool to see. And you know people wonder like, ‘Is that good for the W(NBA)…?’? I think it’s great. I think it pushes that envelope further and further. You got people talking that didn’t even watch basketball before, you know that tuned in, so I think all that is great.” [sic]

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While Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark earn a significant income being the face of collegiate basketball, will they be able to do the same as they head into the WNBA?

The WNBA faces significant financial challenges

The WNBA’s financial prospects are still a heated topic in 2023. Although exceptional female athletes have emerged since the league’s founding in 1996 by former NBA commissioner David Stern, it has been difficult for it to garner much traction. Therefore, the million-dollar question is: Is the WNBA making money?

The unfortunate answer is – Not quite. In 2018, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver publicly acknowledged that the WNBA has not yet seen financial success. In fact, it has been losing roughly $10 million annually, with an enormous deficit of $12 million in 2017. However, there is hope on the horizon.

The league’s viewership is gradually increasing, and a recent investment of $75 million has given it a valuation of about $1 billion. Furthermore, the WNBA does generate some revenue despite not being profitable. It generated $60 million in revenue in 2019. However, as part of their collective bargaining agreement, the players received a sizable portion of that – around $12.3 million.

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The NBA, in contrast, competes in a whole different league. It generated revenue of about $7 billion in 2019. The reason is that the NBA boasts more than twice as many teams and hosts significantly more games annually. While NBA superstar Stephen Curry is nonchalantly swishing three-pointers on his way to $48.1 million, the highest-paid WNBA player in the previous season took only $228,000.

However, there is some good news. The women of the WNBA are becoming more popular by the minute. Regular-season viewership increased by a staggering 200% in 2019. With just over 29 million viewers for the most-watched game, it’s clear that we’re headed in the right direction. So, while the league has its financial challenges, players like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark bring more views to women’s basketball. This, in turn, brings in more money, raising the possibility that it could eventually catch up to those losses and generate a profit.

What are your thoughts on NCAA stars Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark’s popularity? Do you agree with Kelsey plum that it will help the WNBA too? Share your views in the comments!