wnba viewership statistics wnba viewership statistics

The share the percentage of households with. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. Later in the season, the league also delivered its most-watched regular-season game since 2012, with ABC averaging 755,000 viewers for a matchup between the Seattle Storm and Chicago Sky on Aug. 15. And the new-age distributed sports network and brand, Overtime, reported that in 2021, OT WBB, their TikTok handle focused on womens basketball was in the top 25 of all sports media accounts on TikTok. The league also reached several milestones including new sponsors, merchandise, distribution, and technology. Zoomph data shows the WNBA has a fan base that is nearly two times more female than average, which could mean more purchasing power than more male-centered sports, a strong sign for advertising. "Level of interest in WNBA in the United States as of May 2022, by gender." It was the most watched Finals series since 2017. The rest, as they say, is history. As for the WNBA post-season, it was the most viewed since 2014. So today, well take break down the leagues growth. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. You may opt-out by. As a media company, I would align with the WNBAs fan culture on social, Scott said. [Online]. Use Ask Statista Research Service. However, the average viewership for the finals increased 15 per cent to 440,000. It has taken decades to overcome such backward thinking, and the womens games have been playing catch-up ever since. Under the CBA, base salaries increase to $130,000 and the leagues elite players can earn upward of $500,000. If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. Add in the leagues partnership with CBS Sports Network as well as Facebook and Twitter, and nearly every game was televised for a national audience in 2020. The WNBA averaged 413,000 viewers in that year. Statista. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. While the NBA had higher viewership numbers last summer, 68% of our fans watched the NBA versus 82% of them watching a regular-season WNBA game. And Game 2 of that series averaged 1.2 million viewers on ABC. Every WNBA Player. According to Deadline.com, the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics double-overtime game averaged 1.96 million viewers, topping out at an audience size of 2.87 million late in the game. 1 June 2021 Sam Carp News SHARE THIS ARTICLE. 5) followed Sabrina on the list of top five most popular jerseys. These decreases are what sitcoms experience before cancellation. 3), the Phoenix Mercury (No. Access to this and all other statistics on 80,000 topics from, Show sources information Nobody wants to acknowledge that some sports translate better than others for both men and women, for whatever reason. The workplace benefits historically marginalized groups enjoy from unionization are well-documented. Well, either way, its a tough sell for a league that cant turn a profit and survives on handouts from the NBA. And the 2021 WNBA Finals winners, the Chicago Sky, sold more merchandise on Fanatics since their WNBA title win over just two days than any other prior WNBA champ has sold in the first 30 days following a title victory. ", Morning Consult, Level of interest in WNBA in the United States as of May 2022, by gender Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1108312/women-national-basketball-association-interest-gender/ (last visited March 05, 2023), Level of interest in WNBA in the United States as of May 2022, by gender [Graph], Morning Consult, May 26, 2022. The 2022 Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) regular season games were watched by an average of 379 thousand viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. You cant ask for anything better than to have a 15 percent increase (for the Finals) when the NBA Finals is down 49 percent, John Lewis of Paulsen Sports Media Watch said last October. May 26, 2022. The four-game Sky-Mercury WNBA Finals averaged 548,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, marking the largest audience for the event since the five-game Lynx-Sparks series in 2017 (559K). Sky forward Candace Parker finished the game with 16 points and team-high 13 rebounds. The league added it's also the most-viewed WNBA season since 2008. [12] Level of interest in WNBA in the United States as of May 2022, by gender [Graph]. For the first time in league history, the WNBA used in-game wearables by KINEXON and optical tracking technology by Hawk-Eye to generate 3D immersive highlights, which were used in real time during Prime Videos broadcast of the inaugural WNBA Commissioners Cup Championship Game. That parts crazy to me. The WNBA capped off its historic 25thregular season by delivering its most-watched season since 2008 for its television partners ABC, CBS, ESPN and ESPN2 viewershipwas up 51% over the 2020 season. Just two weeks later and five games in, WNBA ratings climbed even higher to 74% year over year growth. Yet that unfortunately was the same night the Clippers lost Game 7 to the underdog Denver Nuggets on ESPN, which earned 5.2 million viewers, a very strong number for the NBA pre-conference finals, Lewis said. Additionally, the WNBA saw an increase in the opening weekend and postseason viewership last season while it alongside the NBA return to play, the NWSL Challenge Cup, and the NHL return to play. ), explains: Im tired of people thinking that (we) players are asking for the same type of money as NBA players we are asking for the same percentage of revenue shared within our CBA. most-watched NCAA Tournament game in 10 years, WNBA Viewership & Ratings Growing In 2021, Fans prefer to attend Seattle Storm games on, During the WNBAs first season, the Phoenix Mercury had the highest a, In 2008 the Detroit Shock were the WNBA Champions. The 2021 WNBA Finals on ESPN networks and ABC - Chicago Sky victory over the Phoenix Mercury - averaged 548,000 viewers across four games, a 23 percent increase from 2020 (447,000 average viewers in three games) and a 42 percent surge from 2019 (386,000 average viewers in five games). 5) followed. It was the first WNBA game post All-Star Game and Olympic break airing in the afternoon on ABC. More people. Monday's Game 2 of the ALCS drew 1.88 million . Profit from the additional features of your individual account. Well explore average WNBA attendance, and share attendance results by team. Season. Kelsey Plum, a star player in the WNBA (ever heard of her? Please do not hesitate to contact me. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, the Los Angeles Sparks reported just 18,319 attendees in 2021. And thats a 7% improvement. Im not going to rest till I fix that. said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Liston 7 pts 2 reb 2 ast (gets back up minutes at 2/3 behind the starters and Wright 10-15 min) Hooper 7 pts 3 reb (backs up Powell, Hodges, TJJ, and GloJo at 3 and 4 for 15-20 minutes a night) Marshall 5 pts 3 reb 1 ast 1 stl (gets 10-15 minutes off bench behind Carson and Cappie at the 2 spot) Sims barely edges out Ogwumike for rookie of the . Women's basketball has notched yet another viewership milestone this time at the pro level. Official Release "Level of Interest in Wnba in The United States as of May 2022, by Gender. Strong Regular Season Growth She listed a few more stats that she said she loved, including a record 83.1 points per game and a 30% increase in cross-platform action for social media posts. I would imagine a majority of people who watch the WNBA are people who watch the NBA, so its going to be a very difficult thing to build an audience when, even if you like (both leagues) equally, youre stepping on a Game 7 and thats going to take precedence, Lewis added. Visit ESPN to view the Las Vegas Aces team stats for the 2022 season. In the leagues previous 25 seasons, a total of just nine regular-season triple-doubles had been recorded with no more than one in a given season. As part of the agreement, the league established a new platform, WNBA Changemakers, to attract corporate investment in the league. The WNBA also welcomed Google as its newest WNBA Changemaker, joining AT&T, Deloitte and Nike. So while television ratings were down 16 percent in the regular season, the league was pleased to simply be on more screens and in more minds during a blitz of sports in the late summer. The 2014 WNBA finals averaged 659,000 viewers across the ESPN channels, up 91% from the 2013 finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the Atlanta Dream which averaged 345,000. During 2021 opening weekend, Sky-Mystics WNBA regular season game averaged a 0.39 rating and 611,000 viewers on ABC, and a rematch of that Storm-Aces final later that day averaged a 0.39 and 598,000 on ABC both securing a place in the top three records of the leagues largest regular season audience in nine years, at that time. All Rights Reserved. The league also set new marks for engagements across social media, digital and merchandise, as well as experienced subscription growth for WNBA League Pass. The NBA has 30 teams, the WNBA 12. 92-59 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals to win the Championship at Feld Entertainment Center on October 06, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida. Need Photos? At a time when sports continue to shed live viewers, the WNBAs numbers this year shows they still have not hit their ceiling. The NBA and WNBA have little in common, other than they play the same sport. 6 seeded Dallas Wings and former Rookie of the Year Allisha Gray travel to Connecticut and 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones to take on the third seeded Sun on ESPNU and NBA TV at 8 p.m. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images), television ratings were down 16 percent in the regular season, organize political and social movements among fans and viewers. Chart. The Christmas Day lineup netted a 10% increase in viewership, with the Dallas Mavericks and Lakers contest averaging 7.01 million viewers. In, SportsPro. That means they have an opportunity to keep growing, and are popular online where those fans who do not tune in live. 2 seeded Chicago Sky and the reigning Finals MVP Kahleah Copper begin their defense of the WNBA title at home against the seventh seeded New York Liberty and All-Stars Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Howard on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. This year, ESPNs 2021 WNBA schedule featured 24 regular season games, as well as the WNBA Playoffs and Finals, the WNBA All-Star Game, and the annual WNBA Draft. The NBAs annual revenues are $7.92 billion, the WNBAs $60 million which would not even cover the combined salaries of NBA players Kevin Love and Damian Lillard. St. Louis was out shot by a total of 25-23 and went 2-3 on the power play in the win. ET, followed by the eighth seeded Phoenix Mercury and the teams leading rebounder Brianna Turner taking on the No. The championship game (Oct. 17, ESPN) registered 417,000 viewers and peaked with 623,000 viewers, up 32 percent from 2019s Game 4 between the Connecticut Sun and the Washington Mystics. The WNBAs Covid-disrupted 2020 regular season averaged 205,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, a drop of 16 per cent on the previous year. The 2021 NBA Playoffs overall (inclusive of Finals) averaged 4.25 million viewers across ABC, ESPN and TNT, up 35% vs. the 2020 postseason. Statista. Saturdays inaugural fixture on the streaming service saw the Atlanta Dream secure a thrilling 90-87 win over the New York Liberty in overtime. Visit ESPN to view 2022 WNBA stat leaders. The WNBA is being searched more on Google in the past 5 years than the prior 15, indicating increased awareness. You need a Statista Account for unlimited access. AT&T WNBA 2022 All-Star Game became the most viewed All-Star Game in 6 years, averaging 734,000 viewers, up 53 percent over last years event. The playoffs were the most-watched since 2014. I want to get that to 100 million. NBA commissioner Adam Silver reports that the WNBA has lost an average of $10 million every year it has existed, which the NBA subsidizes out of the goodness of its politically correct heart. Today's top WNBA players can earn upwards of $500,000, courtesy of last year's landmark collective bargaining agreement, which guaranteed new maternity benefits and better travel conditions. The NBA opened the 2020-21 season to a strong start after enjoying the most-watched opening week since 2012, with combined viewership up 67% compared to last year. As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. The WNBAs problem is simple: It doesnt generate the interest or the revenue to support a pay structure anywhere close to what the mens game can offer. The WNBA noted its viewership is up 51% when compared to the 2020 regular season. (But) there will be more opportunities for that coming up next season.. And I think thats definitely achievable. she continued. Digital: A record was set for the traffic the WNBA site saw online. The NBA's sponsorship revenue is about 100x the WNBA's; the NBA's cable viewership is 88x the WNBA's; and the . We've been waiting for this kind of recognition for so many years. 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A multi-year deal with Amazon Prime Video made the WNBA the first womens professional sports league to be streamed on Prime Video, with Amazon receiving exclusive streaming rights to 16 WNBA games each season. All 17. In 2021, there have been 24 telecasts, compared to 37 broadcasts in 2020 and 16 in 2019. The campaign generated 9 million impressions on the leagues owned social media accounts alone, according to data provided to me by the social media data firm Zoomph. Be an ally, be inclusive and be consistent when reporting or putting quality content out there about the WNBA. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. The Washington Capitals are averaging 3.02 goals per game, 2.97 goals against per game, 20.9% on the power play, and 82.4% on the penalty kill. The latter doesnt produce the same revenues or interest as the mens game (quick, name five of the best LPGA players). Back in 2020, the WNBA and the Womens National Basketball Players Association signed a landmark collective bargaining agreement. WNBA games haven't averaged 8,000 fans per game since 2009, and the 2017 figure was down 28.9 percent from the league's all-time high attendance in 1998, which was the WNBA's second season. Atlanta Dream Team Store; . It might not be fair, but it is reality. The league is nearly irrelevant to the average sports fan. Early signs indicate the WNBA Draft Class of 2021 might have an excellent chance to parlay solid NCAA ratings not only into WNBA viewers but also lucrative sponsorships. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? And the entire Finals series averaged 548,000 viewers, making it also the most watched since 2017. If you buy something from a link on our site, Queen Ballers Club may earn a commission. Numbers were significantly impacted by the pandemic this year, as many teams only allowed severely limited attendance until after the Olympic break. New York Liberty (No. Season Type Per Mode. Earlier this month, the Women's College World Series three-game championship series between Oklahoma and Florida State averaged 1.84 million viewers on ESPN up 15% from 2019. It seems preposterous now, but only 50 years ago womens high school sports largely did not exist. You cant ask for anything better than to have a 15% increase (for the Finals) when the NBA Finals is down 49%, John Lewis of Paulsen Sports Media Watch said. Morning Consult. The Pac-12 and SEC commissioners will be bringing NIL issues to lawmakers, High school girls golf: 3A region recaps, Richfield, Morgan, Union and Judge Memorial claim region titles, High school boys soccer: 3A/2A second round recap from Wednesdays games, It reportedly wont be long until the Mountain West Conference eliminates divisions, Change may be on the way for the transfer portal and college football recruiting. The WNBAs Covid-disrupted 2020 regular season averaged 205,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. Connecticut's Diana Taurasi, left, is presented with a Phoenix Mercury jersey by WNBA President Val [+] Ackerman, right, after the Mercury chose her as the No. The regular season takes place in summer from May to August and the play-offs in. Other highlights from the season include: The WNBA Playoffs 2021 presented by Google tipped off on Thursday, Sept. 23, with two first-round, single-elimination games on ESPN2. Currently, you are using a shared account. 1 seeded Las Vegas Aces and WNBA All-Stars Aja Wilson and Kelsey Plum on ESPN at 10 p.m. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. The league headed into the 26th season by announcing its $75 million capital raise to fuel investment in the long-term transformation of the league. 1 overall pick Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream became the first rookie to win a Conference Player of the Week honor since Tamika Catchings in 2002. You cant ask for anything better than to have a 15 percent increase (for the Finals) when the NBA Finals is down 49 percent.. This season included 11 windows on broadcast television (ABC + CBS), the league's most in a season since at least two decades (NBC carried 10 in 2001 and 2002). U.S. Bank joined the leagues growing lineup of WNBA Changemakers, which include AT&T, Deloitte, Nike, and Google. Statistics; Cookie statement . Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. WNBA's ESPN viewership up 74% after five games of 2021 season Women's basketball league averaging 357,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. Team Stats. In terms of how team attendance was trending prior to the pandemic, the Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, and Los Angeles Sparks had regular season attendance averages that were trending up over the previous three years (2017, 2018, 2019). The introduction of the NWO brought a drastic shift in television viewership, fueling WCW to an unpredictable 83-week smackdown in the battle for ratings supremacy while breathing new life into . Candace Parker #3 of the Chicago Sky celebrates with her teammates after winning Game Four of the 2021 WNBA Finals against the Phoenix Mercury on October 17, 2021 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Most Super Bowl wins by NFL team 1967-2023, Average ticket price in the NFL by team 2021, FIFA World Ranking: top male soccer teams 2022, Athletic footwear global market share by company 2015, Health & Fitness Clubs - Statistics & Facts, Sporting goods industry in the U.S. - statistics & facts, Research expert covering sports and video gaming, Profit from additional features with an Employee Account. Lets first take a look at the last two WNBA Drafts. The 2023 World Baseball Classic, the first since 2017, will get underway on Tuesday, March 7. The sixth-seeded Chicago Sky defeated the seventh-seeded Dallas Wings, 81-64, and the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury edged the eighth-seeded New York Liberty, 83-82, to advance to the second round of the playoffs. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. For example, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unionized female employees earn 29% more than non-unionized female employees and unionized black employees earn 27% more than non-unionized black employees. Here's the "Sunday Night Football" viewership so far this season: Week 1: Bears-Rams, 17.64 million Week 2: Chiefs-Ravens, 19.81 million Week 3: Packers-49ers, 19.69 million Week 4:. The WNBA Semifinals and the WNBA Finals 2021 presented by YouTube TV are a best-of-five series. Of the eight original teams, only the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, and the New York Liberty have lasted. Terrell Buckley, a 14-year NFL veteran and Super Bowl champion, knows a thing or two about work ethic and during an XFL game on Sunday, he blasted his team for their performance. US broadcaster ESPN has revealed that viewership of the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) has been up significantly during the early weeks of the 2021 regular season. Register in seconds and access exclusive features. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury mostly held steady. WNBA Stats and History Statistics, scores, and history for the Women's National Basketball Association. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). Interest in womens basketball is on the rise. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. Meanwhile, Sabrina Ionesculed the league in jersey sales. An NBA basketball is two ounces heavier and an inch larger in circumference than a WNBA basketball. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft Saturday, April 17, 2004, in Secaucus, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun). Few basketball fans were tuned in to see Peddys shot. Serena Williams and Brittney Griner were each honored at the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, when Williams won the Jackie Robinson Sports Award and . LPGA golfers face the same challenge. Theres a big gap between PGA Tour and LPGA Tour prize money. Business Solutions including all features. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. And though the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics did not [] Strauss adds the league's local viewership, too, has sharply declined. Much has happened since the NBA Board approved the concept of the WNBA. Bill Laimbeer, a four-time NBA All-Star, was known as one of the Detroit Pistons' "Bad Boys" when they won NBA championships in 1989 . A multi-year deal with Amazon Prime Video made the WNBA the first womens professional sports league to be streamed on Prime Video. "Average Tv Viewers of The Wnba Regular Season from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s). It hasnt helped that womens sports came late to the game. Said Lewis: We all know the WNBAs numbers still dont compare, but when youre talking about a period of time when every sport is still having trouble in the ratings and you can say not only that your numbers were up but that they were up double digits, thats a pretty decent story for them.. Furthermore, as part of the WNBA raising capital, they had outside advisors come with an analysis showing that their viewership is on par with the NHL, NASCAR, and MLS. WHAT a @WNBA season State of League . Ultimately, its a missed opportunity for the WNBA. ESPN also. Because of ESPNs commitment to the league and brands increasing desire to get involved with the leagues star players, online engagement with the WNBA continued to grow. The WNBA has also made room for males who share their vision. Show publisher information On the surface, it appears that the women have little argument there is no comparison between NBA and WNBA revenues but first lets understand what WNBA players want. Viewership is up 89% from the 2020 MLB playoffs and there is a 3% spike from the playoffs in 2019. The BarDown podcast will investigate, uncover and explore long-form stories at the intersection of sports . Average TV viewers of the WNBA regular season from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. Her Oregon teammates Satou Sabally (second overall to Dallas Wings) and Ruthy Hebard (eighth overall to Chicago Sky) also went in the first round. Game 2 was the most watched Game 2 since 2003, peaking with 1 million viewers. A paid subscription is required for full access. TheSeattle Stormled the league in team merchandise sold. In essence Black males are the main supporters of the WNBA, yet Layshia Clarendon decided to focus her anger towards them. That game averaged 755,000 viewers on ABC. July's All-Star Game averaged 734,000 viewers, a 53% increase.. 2),Diana Taurasi(No. According to ESPN, the audience figure represents a rise of 74 per cent on the average for the entire 2020 season and an increase of 45 per cent compared to the average viewership during the 2019 campaign. Enjoying SportsPro content? But not womens basketball college or pro (according to the NCAA, the average attendance for college basketball for the 2018-19 season was 1,625 for Division I women and 5,650 for Division I men). On TNT, in the measurement from 2011-12, NBA viewership is down 40%. Englebert reported the average viewership of games rose 68% this season, crediting that largely to a substantial increase in games on the ESPN Network as well as the league's debut on the CBS. The 2019 NBA Finals averaged a little more than 20 million viewers per game; the 2019 WNBA Finals averaged about 400,000 viewers per game. The first round then continues Thursday, Aug. 18, when the No. Well reveal WNBA viewership by year. The first round will be the best-of-three, while the semifinals and Finals will be best-of-five series. . Alex Ovechkin has led the Capitals this season with 33 goals, 24 assists, and 244 shots on goal. The champion Chicago Sky sold out both of their home games during the Finals and ticket . The highest average was the Phoenix Mercury with 5,849 and the lowest was the Los Angeles Sparks with 1,144. The 2022 WNBA Playoffs presented by Google tips off on Wednesday, Aug. 17, when the No. Early metrics still showed spikes in WNBA viewership, with Game 1 racking up an average of 555,000 viewers for the most-viewed Finals' opener in five years. This year the WNBA celebrated its 25th season and with that came exponential viewership growth across multiple categories on ESPN networks. All Rights Reserved, Pay disparity between NBA, WNBA is a numbers game, Draymond Green, one of those highly paid male players, poured a little gas on the fire, the WNBA has lost an average of $10 million every year it has existed. Teams averaged more made three-point field goals (7.7) than in any prior season propelling teams to average 82.3 points per game, the third-highest figure in league history. Felicien, who formally covered the Atlanta Dream for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has been encouraged by the increase in WNBA engagement heading into this season. However, the shrinking interest is more than a concern. Figures prior to 2022 come from earlier articles. 3 Minnesota Lynx and the No. "Average TV viewers of the WNBA regular season from 2016 to 2022 (in 1,000s)." Most-Viewed Postseason Since 2014 The 2019 NBA Finals had 27% fewer viewers this year, compared to last year (17.85M to 10.4M). Shouldnt the league be able to stand on its own before it offers such rewards? The late 90s and early 2000s had some of the highest regular season game best attendance averages to date. ET. This will also be the first time since 2015 the tournament has been played outside Indianapolis, making its inaugural appearance in Minneapolis at the Target Center, home of the four-time WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx and the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves. The 2021 WNBA Finals on ESPN networks and ABC Chicago Sky victory over the Phoenix Mercury averaged 548,000 viewers across four games, a 23 percent increase from 2020 (447,000 average viewers in three games) and a 42 percent surge from 2019 (386,000 average viewers in five games). An average of 379,000 viewers watched WNBA games on ABC, ESPN and CBS, the league said Wednesday, a 16% increase from 2021. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. The WNBA Playoffs will feature a maximum of 19 games, all available across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN App. Each of Wilson, Stewart and Bird generated more than $600,000 in social value this season, in large part because they were some of the most active athletes on the platform when it came to sharing content from other brands and personalities. Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) shoots between Minnesota Lynx forwards Damiris Dantas (12) and Napheesa Collier (24) during an WNBA playoff basketball game on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Bradenton, Fla. WNBA players have contended for some time that their pay is unfair, that they deserve something closer to what their male counterparts in the NBA are paid.