By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-24 23:11:05 | Updated at 2024-10-25 01:25:29
2 hours ago
Shaquille O'Neal has devised a controversial plan on how to get WNBA players paid more, as the NBA Hall of Famer told Angel Reese that the league's rims should be lowered.
O'Neal and Reese were discussing on her 'Unapologetically Angel' podcast how NBA players make far more than their female counterparts, with rookie sensation Caitlin Clark making a base salary of just $76,535 this season.
And after Reese said that the WNBA doesn't pay its players enough, O'Neal revealed to his fellow LSU alum his vision for helping to level the gender pay gap in basketball.
'I have a solution for that, nobody's gonna like my solution,' he began, before suggesting that the WNBA rims should be lowered slightly so that more women can dunk.
'A lotta people gonna comment, they gon hate this, but... that's the only thing missing [in the women's game],' he continued.
Angel Reese was extremely disapproving of Shaquille O'Neal's idea to lower WNBA rims
Reese, who can dunk, was extremely disapproving of the idea, as she shook her head and said 'I hate when men say that.'
The Chicago Sky center didn't feel that more dunking in the women's game would get WNBA players paid more, as she added, 'People always disrespect women regardless. There's always not gonna give us the same value as a man.'
O'Neal also mentioned Clark in his explanation, as he said, 'It's about seeing stuff you ain't supposed to see... Why you think people love Caitlin Clark? Besides her skills?'
'She can shoot threes from logo,' Reese said.
'We never seen that before. That's my point,' O'Neal said.
Nonetheless, O'Neal claimed that WNBA action resembled a 'high school game' unless certain players were involved and added, 'Our game is different because we do all the stuff. Alley-oops...'
He also said, 'A pretty girl dunking on the rim, I would watch that all day,' which did get a chuckle out of Reese, who is signed under him at Reebok.
Reese recently revealed her WNBA salary does not come close to paying her rent in Chicago
Clark rakes in millions from her endorsement deals but made just over $76k from the WNBA
Reese, though, did not agree with O'Neal's idea, which he said he drew from the nets being slightly lower for women in beach volleyball.
While Reese brings in money from deals with Reebok, Reese's and Beats By Dre, her base salary was similarly low to Clark's by professional sports standards.
Reese raked in just $74,909 for her rookie season after being selected No. 7 overall by the Sky.
She's set to make even more from her participation in the newly-launched Unrivaled 3-on-3 league, which announced previously that each player would make a minimum six-figure salary.
The league, which kicks off in Miami in January, recently landed a TV deal with TNT Sports.
