Watch CBS News

WNBA Star Brittney Griner Airs Grievances With League Salaries On Instagram

Ryan Mayer

Thursday, the president of the NBA's G-League, Malcolm Turner, told ESPN that the league will begin offering "Select Contracts" worth $125,000 to elite high school prospects as an alternative to college basketball beginning in the summer of 2019.

The news was well received by most as another option for high school athletes who aren't yet eligible to play basketball and earn money at the same time. WNBA star Brittney Griner was among those happy for the guys, but also took the opportunity to make her feelings known about the salaries in the WNBA.

Griner wrote on Instagram and pointed out the inequality between how the men's leagues treat their players and how the WNBA treats their athletes.

Griner certainly has a point. As Forbes reported earlier this year, WNBA salaries cap out at $110,000. That means that the players who sign a "Select Contract" with the G-League, a development league, would be making more money than the stars of the WNBA.

She's not the first star of the league to air her frustrations. Dallas Wings center Liz Cambage and teammate Skylar Diggins-Smith spoke about the wage gap earlier this season. As Griner said in her post, women can often make more money playing overseas than they do in the WNBA, leaving her and others to wonder if playing in the league during the summer is worth it.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.