The controversy over the wage gap between women and men again generates controversy in basketball in the United States. Now a news bulletin has revealed it an NBA mascot earns three times the highest paid woman in the WNBAthe women’s championship.
The conclusion arises after knowing the salary of “Rocky the Mountain Lion”, the mascot of the Denver Nuggets, the team in which Serbian Nikola Jokic plays and in which Facundo Campazzo played. Cobra 625 thousand dollars per year, making it the most prized costume in the NBA.
Instead the agreement The WNBA has maximum wages of $ 228,094almost a third of the pockets of “Rocky”.
Three women reach the summit: the legendary Diana Taurasi (of Argentine origins, she knew how to wear the image of Eva Perón on her shoes; she was three times champion with the Phoenix Mercury and two times MVP of the Finals), Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd (both of Seattle Storm, with two rings and two definition MVPs for Stewart).
Those salaries, while among the highest in the women’s league, are also in the shadow of another NBA mascot, “Harry the Hawk”. He takes the friendly Atlanta Hawks cheerleader $ 600,000 per yearaccording to the report of Sports Business Journal.
“I can learn to be a mascot,” said WNBA top scorer in 2012 and 2013 seasons Angel McCoughtry on Wednesday in a new chapter of an old controversy.
MVP Duel: US $ 228K vs. 45 million dollars
The wage gap in American basketball is best shown in the comparison between the most valuable player in the latest WNBA Finals and the most valuable player in the NBA.
Kahleah copperfrom Chicago Sky, receives $ 202,500 per year. While, Stephen Curry pocketed 45.78 million dollars last season. They both ended up with champion rings. Both stood out with the highest individual recognition of the definition series. But the salary difference persists.
The gap between the receipts of each championship is also abysmal, as evidenced by the contracts signed for the broadcasting of the matches. The NBA secured a $ 24 billion bond for nine seasons in 2014. For 2025, when the new contract is expected to come into effect, there are already negotiations that would bring the figure to 75 billion for another nine seasons.
The wage gap controversy has also filled the pages of the WNBA. Becky Hammon landed as coach of the Las Vegas Aces, in exchange for one million dollars a year.
Hammon, 45, was a basketball player in the women’s league and gained Russian citizenship after years of service in that country, which she represented in two Olympics. In addition, he came with the NBA Scrolls, where he was assistant to Gregg Popovich at the San Antonio Spurs, who marked a milestone in the major leagues in the United States (NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL).
Obtaining Russian citizenship is also symptomatic of the activity of basketball players, who alternate between US and European courts, to compensate for their low salaries in North America. Diana Taurasi participated in the Russian and Turkish championships; Breanna Stewart did it in China, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey; and Jewell Lloyd traveled to Turkey, China, South Korea and Spain.
In the midst of the controversy over Hammon’s millionaire hiring, Australian Liz Cambage (from Las Vegas Aces and experienced in the country of Oceania and China) explained why she preferred to sideline the WNBA for five years to focus on the abroad.
“I’ve been abroad for five seasons because they pay me between 5 and 8 times more than in the US. A lot of women go to China or Europe for nine months. It’s hard when you have the ‘best league in the world’, but when they don’t treat you like the best athletes in the world, “he was dumped in an interview with ESPN.
One of the players who changes rest for the European or Asian leagues is Brittney Griner. Champion and All-Star with Phoenix Mercury, her last club abroad was UMMC Ekaterinburg, of Ekaterinburg, Russia. She was arrested at Moscow airport last February after authorities found cannabis oil inside e-cigarette cartridges in her luggage.
The Griner case has exacerbated diplomatic tensions between the United States and Russia, in full invasion of Ukraine. Washington came to negotiate a prison swap in July, but weeks later the basketball player was found guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced to 9 years in prison.
With information from EFE
DB
Source: Clarin
