The recognition of the WNBA continues to develop, and that was obvious on Friday evening when the Chicago Sky hosted the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Enviornment. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal was in attendance and mentioned he desires to see participant salaries begin to rise together with that reputation.

Through the sport broadcast, O’Neal was requested concerning the progress of ladies’s basketball. The Corridor of Famer mentioned he is glad to see ladies getting the respect they deserve, however he desires them to begin getting paid like NBA gamers.

“Effectively, I adore it, particularly for ladies,” O’Neal mentioned. “Hear, they’ve at all times performed nice. They’ve at all times performed arduous. I am glad they’re getting their publicity. They undoubtedly deserve it. Now we simply gotta get them related contracts to what a few of these NBA guys are making.”

There have been requires the WNBA to begin ponying up extra money for its stars, particularly after the numbers for Caitlin Clark’s rookie deal have been introduced. Clark, the No. 1 general choose on this yr’s draft, is getting paid $76,535 this yr and is ready to make $338,000 over the primary 4 years of her skilled profession. In response to Spotrac, the minimal wage for an NBA participant with no years of service is $1.157 million in 2024.

The matchup between Clark and fellow rookie Angel Reese was an enormous purpose why Wintrust Enviornment was almost at capability on Friday evening. Clark led her Fever to victory with 31 factors and 12 assists whereas Reese additionally notched a double-double with 10 factors and 11 assists.