{"id":455425,"date":"2026-02-08T00:45:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T00:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/455425\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T00:45:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T00:45:12","slug":"candace-parker-recalls-receiving-a-12-check-from-wnba-i-wish-i-wouldve-had-a-camera-phone-to-take-a-picture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/455425\/","title":{"rendered":"Candace Parker recalls receiving a $12 check from WNBA: “I wish I would’ve had a camera phone to take a picture”"},"content":{"rendered":"

The WNBA<\/a> attendance numbers and television ratings continue to improve, corporate sponsorships expand, and players are finally seeing long-overdue financial progress across a myriad of areas, including higher salaries, better charter flights and accommodations, and overall league investment in their brands.<\/p>\n

Stars are now marketed globally, and in recent years, rookies have entered the league already having name recognition from the broader sports world. The progress has made it easier to forget just how different the league looked not long ago.<\/p>\n

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In the 2000s, even players performing at the highest level faced financial insecurity, leading some to play overseas<\/a> just to be fairly compensated. Everyone struggled, including one of the league\u2019s best players ever, Candace Parker.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the Post Moves podcast, Parker<\/a> shared stories that illustrate how undervalued her pay was during the late 2000s, even though she was already one of the league\u2019s most recognizable stars.<\/p>\n

Parker’s $12.34 WNBA check<\/p>\n

Parker was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008 and was already a household name from being a national star at Tennessee. Like fellow No. 1 picks Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, one would expect Parker to have been fairly compensated \u2014 especially considering she was drafted by a Los Angeles team, a market already more popular than some of her peers.<\/p>\n

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However, reality was far different.<\/p>\n

Parker reportedly signed a $44,000 rookie contract \u2014 pennies compared with NBA rookies, where even the 30th pick in the 2008 draft earned $797,600<\/a> in their first year. Add taxes on top of that, and fans could see just how big a monetary gap there really is between the two leagues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first check I got, though, I’m not going to lie, when I got to the WNBA, I was like, who the hell is FICA? Because FICA taking way too much money,\u201d Parker said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Federal Insurance Contributions Act, or FICA, is responsible for deducting money from each paycheck to increase credits for Social Security benefits \u2014 a standard practice that still caught Parker off guard.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t do her finances any favors later in her rookie season, when she became involved in a notorious on-court brawl<\/a> during a game against the Detroit Shock at the Palace of Auburn Hills \u2014 the very same venue where the \u201cMalice at the Palace\u201d had taken place.<\/p>\n

Eleven players, including Parker, were suspended and fined for the brawl. Though no records reveal how much the fines were, she hinted at how hefty and costly the fine and her one-game suspension were.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen we got in that fight in Detroit and I was suspended for the Connecticut game the next day, I wish I would have had a camera phone to take a picture. I still had a Blackberry at that time, but my check was $12.34,\u201d recalled Parker.<\/p>\n

Parker had better years ahead in the league, winning multiple MVPs and three championships before retiring in 2024 as one of the highest earners in the league\u2019s history. She reportedly earned $1,062,500 from her last eight seasons in the league.<\/p>\n

Related: “She’s switching teams once again” – Candace Parker addresses her ‘Ready to risk it all’ stare at LeBron James<\/a><\/p>\n

The fight continues<\/p>\n

Despite the recent growth, players are still fighting to be paid more today. While the minimum salary has now increased to $66,000 and the maximum contract a player could receive is almost $250,000, there is still a wide gap between what players deserve and what the WNBA is paying them.<\/p>\n

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In 2024, the WNBA saw a revenue increase of over 200 percent from 2022. A large part comes from the increasing popularity players like Clark, A\u2019Ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum have brought to the league. Yet the league has not really adjusted salaries to the increase in revenue.<\/p>\n

The league and the players are set to negotiate a new CBA, but recent weeks have not been promising, with the threat of a lockout looming larger by the day. While the WNBA has grown larger today than it was in Parker\u2019s days, it\u2019s still evident that the players, whose talent and sacrifices have built the league into what it is today, continue to fight for compensation that truly reflects their value.<\/p>\n

Related: Diana Taurasi says she never got paid like Kobe Bryant: “I should’ve get paid for being the best basketball player in the world”<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Basketball Network<\/a> on Feb 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA<\/a> section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n