Being one of the hottest young stars in one of the world’s fastest growing sports leagues apparently isn’t enough to pay the bills.
Angel Reese, a WNBA rookie of the year finalist, revealed that her salary from the Chicago Sky isn’t enough to cover rent for her apartment in the Windy City.
Chicago is one of America’s most expensive cities to live in and Reese revealed in an Instagram Live that her rookie-year salary of US$73,439 was far less than what she is paying to live there.
Reese says her rent is $8,000 per month, which would add up to $96,000 per year.
“Hating pays my bills, baby. I just hope you know the WNBA don’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think that pays one of my bills,” Reese said on Instagram. “Literally, I’m trying to think of my rent for where I stay at. I’m gonna do the math real quick. I don’t even know my salary.”
“Yo, I’m living beyond my means! No, my rent is more than that. It’s $8,000. I’m living beyond my means.”
Reese is paying more than four times the average for a one-bedroom apartment in Chicago, with the median price being $1,847, per Apartments.com.
Of course, Reese has a flair for the extravagant and shows off her chic lifestyle and off-court activities on her social media feeds.
Her sponsorship deals also no doubt help her make ends meet. The 22-year-old has several brand partnerships including with Reese’s Pieces, Topps, Beats by Dre, Reebok and Goldman Sachs – which likely are lucrative deals considering her status in the sport.
She also has launched her own podcast, Unapologetically Angel, as another income stream.
Reese isn’t in line for a big raise from the Sky in her sophomore season either, with her salary rising by just $1,470 to $74,909.
Before her rookie season, Reese spoke about how her deals off the court make her salary “a bonus” when it comes to income.
“That cheque that I do get here is a bonus,” Reese told ESPN at the start of the WNBA season. “Being able to play for what, four to five months, and get $75,000 on top of the other endorsements that I’m doing, I think it’s a plus for me.”
The LSU product, who suffered a season-ending wrist injury in early September, also revealed plans to compete in Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 women’s league that will debut in January with salaries for the eight-week season expected to be around $250,000.
“Being able to be in Miami from January to March, not having to go overseas,” Reese told reporters in August. “Nobody wants to go overseas. A lot of us never want to, have to go overseas, but some people do have to go overseas unfortunately, so being able to make six figures within three months, being able to be housed in Miami, just being able to get better … I’m excited for it.”