When Angel Reese signed with the Chicago Sky and was chosen seventh overall in the 2024 WNBA draft, it entered a league completely different than five years ago. The compensation landscape has modified dramatically – but let’s be honest about whether these changes are truly transformational or simply an incremental step towards what these athletes deserve.

The raw numbers tell the story of progress. 2024 WNBA season boasts the highest earnings in the history of the leagueand top players will be capable of earn as much as $241,984. Supermax pay has increased 94% since 2019, when the league’s elite players reached $121,500. Even minimum wage for newbies increased to $64,154 – greater than double the amount in 2019. But that is where it gets complicated. While The WNBA salary cap has reached $1.4 million per team in 2024, The NBA salary cap is $140 million. Yes, you read that right. And before anyone makes the “but revenue” argument, let’s acknowledge that even after accounting for differences in league revenue, WNBA players receive about 33% of the league’s revenue, while NBA players receive about 50%.

For most WNBA players, to make it work, meaning playing year-round. According to AP, about 50% of players also compete abroad during the WNBA off-season. Stars like Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson can fetch top dollar in each markets, but this double duty comes at a value – physical fatigue, time away from family and the mental strain of never really having an off-season season.

Marketing dollars tell a totally different story. League Collective labor agreement for 2020 included provisions for increased marketing opportunities, but in 2023, only a handful of players have signed deals with major brands. Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark’s NIL valuation has reached $3.1 million before she even declared for the WNBA draft – highlighting each the potential and the disparity in how women’s basketball talent is valued.

The racial dynamics are particularly striking. In the league where over 60% of gamers are black womenthe conversation around fair pay is not only about gender – it’s about racial equality in sports. When we discuss WNBA salaries, we’re talking about undervaluing the work of Black women, and it is a story that reverberates far beyond the basketball court.

The league has taken steps in the right direction. The latest CBA introduces progressive elements similar to fully paid maternity leave, improved travel accommodations and potential income sharing opportunities. These changes come after years of player activism, led by women like Angel McCoughtry and Nneka Ogwumike who weren’t afraid to demand higher.

But let’s be clear, higher than before does not imply ok. When the WNBA minimum salary is barely above median household income in the USwe’re not only talking about the gender pay gap – we’re talking about the fundamental devaluation of girls’s skilled sport.

The query is not whether WNBA players should be grateful for these raises. The query is why, in 2024, we still have to make the case for fair compensation for skilled athletes who consistently produce world-class results, drive civil conversations, and encourage the next generation of athletes.

Pay rises are the starting, not the end. As viewership increased, the 2024 WNBA Finals saw: Viewership increase by 115%. in comparison with the previous 12 months – the pace of real changes is gaining momentum. The numbers are growing, yes, but until they reflect the true value these athletes bring to the game, our work isn’t done.

Halloween is the only time a year when people can let their imagination run wild and develop into anyone they need. It’s a day once we come to life through creativity, through elaborate costumes and tributes to icons. Halloween gives everyone a probability to flee reality and connect with the spirit of fun, making the world seem just a little more magical.

And in fact Black women at all times take it to the next level. We transform the holiday right into a true art form, paying tribute to cultural icons with style, precision and a focus to detail. Whether honoring powerful queens, beloved artists, and even remixing the most memorable characters in history, Black women bring a way of magic that elevates Halloween from fun escapism to high art. Scroll below to see a few of our favorites for Halloween this year.

Ciara as Naomi Campbell

Carrie Mae Weems, a pioneering visual artist known for her deep exploration of identity, power and historical narratives, has once more pushed the boundaries of art along with her latest work, . Produced by Shore Art Advisory and hosted on the Institute of Contemporary Art, it masterfully combines live music, spoken word, and video work to tackle the nuanced dialogue around monuments, memory, and racial healing.

This project is an element of a bigger meeting organized by One of manya corporation dedicated to advancing racial equality and constructing a more inclusive South. Weems’ connection to EPU, which has long worked to dismantle divisive narratives and challenge systemic racism, sets the stage for a conversation that feels each timely and timeless. “I have been working on the concept of contentious sites for several years,” Weems explains. “The show is an opportunity to meet artists and learn about the complex narratives surrounding monuments, especially in a place like Richmond.”

The importance of Richmond because the inaugural site of this show can’t be overstated. Once the center of the Confederacy, this can be a city whose monuments have sparked nationwide debate. Weems has long been fascinated by the symbolism of monuments, often asking in his work how public spaces can reflect painful histories and still function places of healing. For , The removal of Confederate monuments in Richmond becomes each background and topic.

At its core, this system is a multimedia experience intended to initiate dialogue. Weems collaborated with local and national artists, each bringing their very own interpretive perspective. Richmond’s Destiny One Choir provided hauntingly beautiful music, and renowned musicians Nona Hendryx, Jawwaad Taylor and Craig Harris added layers of sound that enhanced the performance. Harris, an achieved jazz trombonist known for addressing issues of social injustice through his compositions, led the band in a rating that was each reflective and emotionally charged. Spoken word by Carl Hancock Rux and Esther Armah offered powerful narratives that Weems skillfully combined with video installations.

“It gives the work a fuller dimension,” says the artist concerning the multidisciplinary approach. “We can express these ideas through music, visually, through poetry, and when we put them together we create something completely different.” By combining these forms, Weems allowed viewers to experience the complexity of her art on many levels.

Jazz and spoken word offer an immersive listening experience that deepens audience engagement. “Our lives would be nothing without music,” says Weems. “Sound is the heartbeat, the first utterance, and music shapes the rhythm of our lives.” For Weems, the use of sound was not only a creative selection, but in addition a fundamental part of conveying its emotional and mental weight. “Music gives pace and movement to the work, to the word,” he adds.

One of the predominant topics is who shall be remembered and the way. Weems, all the time aware of her family history, shares a private narrative about her grandfather, Frank Williams, within the show. “What happens to a man who has been honored in some way, but no monument has been erected in his name?” – he asks. This query, asked each to ourselves and to the audience, becomes a broader inquiry into the role of monuments in shaping collective memory.

Weems took the message beyond the stage through community art. In conjunction along with her Richmond debut, she designed 4 billboards displayed throughout the town from September 23 to October 20. Billboards with photos of empty pedestals and inquisitive phrases encouraged viewers to reconsider the aim and impact of the monuments. “I don’t tell people what to think,” Weems explains. “Rather, I present a set of considerations that may be important to their thinking and values. It is an encouragement for dialogue.”

As he prepares to travel to New York and Washington, D.C. in early 2025, Weems is open to the project moving forward. He plans to collaborate with other musicians, reminiscent of pianist and composer EJ Eyre, to experiment with music while maintaining his initial focus. “I know this version works”, award-winning Creative says, “but I’m willing to take a risk and experiment with different ways of interpreting these ideas.”

Ultimately, Weems sees her role as each an artist and a provocateur. “I hope to foster dialogue, even with those who disagree with me,” he says. The importance shouldn’t be in offering answers, but in asking questions on who and the way we remember, and concerning the values ​​we decide to guard in public spaces. This unforgettable and multi-layered performance encourages us all to reconsider the contested histories that shape our present.