Aliyah Boston Says NIL Deals Could Lead To WNBA Increasing Salaries

Aliyah Boston — the top pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft — believes NIL deals for college hoops stars like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark could change the league … and by that, she means bigger paychecks for the players!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the former South Carolina forward/center recently in New York City … just as the “NIL deals vs. WNBA salaries” conversation started to trend over Reese’s reported income from brand deals

According to On3, the LSU star’s projected earnings grew to $876k after her Final Four performance … which is more than any WNBA player’s 2023 salary, including Diana Taurasi, who’ll make $234,936 this year.

This revelation was met with a lot of criticism, considering pros like Taurasi and A’ja Wilson make less than college student-athletes. But, Boston — who will play for the Indiana Fever this upcoming season — believes it could actually force the league to increase their salaries.

“Everything that’s happening is to grow the game,” the 21-year-old said. “I just think no matter how it goes, I just think it’s all just to grow the game.”

The 2022 Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year also believes it’s a personal decision whether a college athlete wants to stay in school or not … saying they must do “what’s best for them.”