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The men of the NBA are among the highest paid employees on the planet, making an average of almost $4 million each for the 2004-05 season, according to the Players Union. The women of the WNBA, on the other hand, earned on average between $46,000 (says the union) and $60,000 for the season (says the league). It certainly seems unfair that WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson can make a maximum of $87,000 per year (according to the latest collective bargaining agreement), while perennial NBA disappointment Shawn Bradley is guaranteed a minimum
of $1,100,000. But consider the following: average NBA attendance is about 17,000 per game, while the WNBA brings in 10,000. The average NBA ticket price is over $45, the WNBA just $15. Then of course, there's the TV money. And in last year's contract dispute that delayed the start of the woman's season, the league claimed it had never turned a profit. While many WNBA players said they were disappointed with the final agreement, they did gain some new benefits, including the right of free agency and a less restrictive list of products they can endorse. Still, with NBA yearly salaries ranging as high as a whopping $28 million for Kevin Garnett in 2003,
some may feel compelled to sign a petition urging the WNBA to cough up a little more dough for the ladies.
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