text: do wnba players earn less or the same as nba players? or does it vary with each player, and does basketball itself pay good money? 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.   here's some wnba player salary and contract info from 2004:  june, 2004: the minimum wnba salary for players with 0-3 years of experience is $30,600 and for players with 4 or more years of experience it's $43,700. the maximum wnba salary is $87,000. 2004 wnba rookies make somewhere between $41,000 and $34,000. players on the team that wins the wnba championship each get a bonus of $10,000. players on the runner-up team each get $5,000.  wnba salary cap  june, 2004: the 2004 wnba team salary cap is $647,000. for 2005, it'll be $673,000. for 2006 it'll be $700,000. if the wnba collective bargaining agreement is extended, then for 2007 the wnba salary cap will be $728,000.  june, 2004: the wnba minimum team salary cap is 90% of the salary cap.