Sports Sponsorship New Twist: LVCVA Govt Tourism Agency Doles Out $100,000 To Each Las Vegas Aces Player ‘To Keep Repping Las Vegas’
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
Not only does the public LVCVA tourism agency pay money to promote Las Vegas by handing out sponsorships to sports events, the government agency is now paying $100,000 to sponsor each Las Vegas Aces player in the form of a sponsorship. That’s $1.2 million for the 12 players on the roster of the two-time defending WNBA champs.
In a social media video, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s top official is seen telling the Las Vegas Aces team that each player will be receiving $100,000 each. The average salary for a WNBA player is $116,580 with the best players earning about $242,000 each to play the WNBA’s 40-game regular season.
“We want to recognize you individually,” LVCVA head Steve Hill told the Aces players in their locker room. “We think it’s a great offer for us. We hope you think it’s a great offer for you.”
The players were quite happy.
In effect, the players are like ambassadors for the Las Vegas market. The LVCVA hands out sports money like a geyser. The LVCVA board just approved $5 million for WrestleMania 41 and $1.2 million for the NBA Summer League, plus backing the hundred-million-dollar stadium subsidies for the Raiders and the A’s.
“We want you to just play. We want you to keep repping Las Vegas,” Hill told the Aces players. If you do a three-peat, that’ll be icing on the cake.”
The $100,000 is certainly a nice windfall for Aces rookies Kate Martin and Dyaisha Fair, who are probably making closer to about $70,000 during their first seasons with the WNBA champs.
