One fan of Sophie Cunningham wants her new supporters to show their admiration for her by supporting her financially.
Cunningham has quickly become one of the most polarising figures in the WNBA, with her drawing extreme reactions from both her fans and her critics.
Advertisement
But with her newfound support amid her stances against trans athletes in the WNBA, Cunningham has earned herself a new audience.
Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images
Fan tells Sophie Cunningham supporters to buy her merchandise
Taking to X, one fan of Sophie Cunningham urged her new supporters to purchase her merchandise to try and help her get more adequately compensated.
He suggested that Cunningham, while holding true to her beliefs, has tapped into a conservative audience to also help support herself financially.
“One thing about the Sophie Cunningham saga. Players in the WNBA ‘don’t get paid enough!’ They don’t get paid much, all things considered.
Advertisement
“At one point it was $65k, which these days ain’t much in most places. But they also get paid for merch. Cunningham has cleverly staked out a position where people with money (conservatives) like her.
“So, they buy her merch. I think she’s honest in her positions. But it’s also feeding her bank account. (See also: Sydney Sweeney.) If you support what Cunningham’s doing, go look for her merch.”
The salient point about WNBA players not making as much money despite being professional athletes is one that doesn’t get discussed enough.
Under the terms of the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, WNBA players are entitled to somewhere between 7-10% of the league’s revenue as part of their compensation.
Advertisement
Compare this to the NBA, where the players are entitled to nearly half of the league’s revenue and generated income, and you see the disparity between the two leagues.
The WNBPA have tried to negotiate a more adequate compensation agreement with the league but hasn’t managed to get anywhere close to what the NBPA managed to agree on.
For a player like Cunningham, who makes $665k a year under her current contract, her financial compensation is better than that of a large portion of the WNBA.
But compare her salary to that of an NBA player on a minimum contract, and she makes a little over half of what they do in a single year.
Advertisement
Read more:
