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Story by Cassandra Cousineau Photos by Hugh Byrne
Two-time WNBA MVP A’Ja Wilson flashed a disarming smile as she was shuttled from video camera to video camera inside Vu Studios, where the league’s defending champs are filming their intro video for their games on the Strip.
It’s also Media Day, a day of cordial media interviews Monday before the Aces get down to the business of defending their championship when their season starts in Seattle on Saturday.
Basketball is a game. But at the professional level, there is much money at stake in a league now valued at $1 billion. Besides looking to repeat as WNBA champs, the Aces are also a critcal part of the WNBA’s movement to elevate the entire brand.
It’s not hard to understand why expectations are so high. The Aces’ roster includes two league MVPs and six gold-medal winning Olympians. In addition to last season’s returning players, newcomers Candace Parker and Alysha Clark each have collected multiple WNBA championships.
The WNBA is more profitable than ever, raising more than $75 million going into last season.
That amount is the most in women’s sports history. Even though nowhere near where it should be, as a result of the 2020 collective-bargaining agreement, player salaries have also increased. For the 2023 season, the minimum is $62,285 and the maximum is $234,936.
In large part due to streaming agreements, the WNBA is being watched by more fans globally than it ever has been. The next step is to turn those eyeballs into more equity for the players.
With just one preseason game in, a win over the contender New York Liberty, the defending league champions understand the mission: Win back-to-back WNBA championships.
Aces head coach Becky Hammon is clear on the blueprint to increase player earnings, especially for her players.
“Winning takes care of everything,” Hammon said. “Like I tell them, the best investment they can have into their other ventures is to win on the basketball court. When you win everyone gets more, but the winning has to come first.”
Last year, Wilson was the first female athlete to sign with Ruffles potato chips . Her teammates, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray, have endorsement deals that include Adidas and Under Armor, respectively. Meanwhile, Parker, the team’s high-profile addition, has brand partners with big-name brands like Adidas, Capital One, CarMax and Gatorade,
“People are finally starting to take that chance and understand that there’s huge value in women’s sports,” Wilson, told LVSportsBiz.
“When you treat the product well, you perform well and when you perform well people wanna pay to see you play. In Las Vegas, we have the perfect platform,” she said. “Teams get to see what we’re doing with building a new facility, an owner who invests in us, and they get to follow that lead. Ultimately, it’s going to take all of us to continue to push this league forward.”
A “Just win, baby” feel permeates the Aces organization.
“It’s great to have multiple streams of income, but when it comes to my playing time, I’m locking in. I’m so hungry for more championships,” Wilson said.
The Aces kick off their 2023 season on the road in Seattle on Saturday. The game is on ABC. Tip-off is set for 12Noon PT.