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Why Jonquel & WNBA Ladies get LESS PAY than Klay & NBA Guys; its forcing ladies into risks abroad

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By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

 

#USA, June 25, 2022 – Being a player in the NBA is probably one of the most lucrative jobs that one can imagine.  Though better players get better salaries those salaries range between 900 thousand dollars for the lowest-paid players to up to 45 million for the highest-paid players but it is the NBA that ultimately decides how high salaries can go.

The total amount of money any team can spend on their players’ combined salaries is set by the NBA.  The teams then decide what to pay their lowest and highest-ranked players.  For the 22-23 season the cap is $122 million.

For example in the 2021-2022 Champions the Golden State Warrior’s lowest salary will go to Shaun Livingston, a guaranteed $1,333,332.  Their highest salary will go to Stephen Curry, a guaranteed $45,780,966.  This is in addition to sponsorship deals that can rake in millions of dollars for in-demand players.

In the WNBA 2021-2022 season, Brittney Griner earned a base maximum salary (without sponsorships) of $221,450.  That is the highest salary in the WNBA.  One of the best players in the league, Griner is paid four times lower than an NBA rookie.

This is true for women across the board, including the Bahamas’ Jonquel Jones.  Jones is one of the highest-paid players in the WNBA and is regarded as one of the most prolific.  Her salary is 208,000 per year.

Recently Griner was arrested in Russia for a small quantity of marijuana; she was there because she outsourced herself to the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg to have a chance at earning more money.

Grand Bahama’s Jonquel plays for the same team and says she can’t turn her back on the international leagues because the salary is just not comparable.  Two months ago she expressed the stress of traveling through Russia on Twitter.

“Just landed in Turkey and all I want to do is cry.  That situation was way more stressful than I realized.  Thank you God for always watching over and protecting me.”

Despite playing in China and Korea she said she never felt unsafe until the war describing it as “unprecedented.”

Despite the stress and danger, she told ESPN she was just going to have to deal with it.

“While the [WNBA] is making the right and necessary strides to pay us more and ensure that if we don’t want to go overseas, we don’t have to, I just feel like in my situation, the money is not comparable. I have to think about the financial status of my family and everybody else, and also the opportunities that I’m leaving if I don’t go.”

Remembering Griner Jones said “I’ve been looking at these pictures that I have on my phone, the last set of pictures I took with her we were going to Valencia or wherever. We were all just joking and laughing around and stuff, and it’s just crazy how fast things can change.” While she has hope things will change she says it probably won’t be in her playing years. For context, Jones and Curry are both power forwards.

In 63 appearances in 2020-21. Stephen Curry averaged 32.0 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.5 rebounds.  In 17 appearances in the same year, Jones has averaged 15.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.  The men’s league plays over 1000 matches per year.  The women play under 300 WNBA and NBA players are comparable in talent so why is the pay so low?

Viewership plays a major role. More people watch the men’s games than women’s games, millions more which means a lot more money for the NBA. But this is not the only reason.

“The president of the WNBA thinks that one of the reasons men are paid more than women is that 50 percent of the NBA’s revenue is shared between the league and the players; however, there is about an 80-20 split for the WNBA. This means that the players only receive about 20% of the WNBA’s total revenue” says one academic paper done on the wage disparities in 2020. The study also referenced the 1,230 games men play each season compared to the women’s 204.

The WNBA has quality players with star value just like the NBA. The issue of lower revenues can be solved in great part, by better publicity, more games on the roster and lower age ranges for players.

Drumming up excitement, seeking out sponsorship deals, greater publicity, and all-star face-offs between the NBA and WNBA are all genuine possibilities that could prove instrumental indrawing tv viewership and courtside attention.

Until then stars like Griner and Jones will continue to relentlessly outsource themselves and play all year round for a piece of the pie their male counterparts take home in a single season.

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Royal Navy Chaplain Leads Communion at Grand Turk Prison During HMS Medway Deployment

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, July 14, 2025 – In a rare and touching moment during the Royal Navy’s latest deployment to the Turks and Caicos Islands, Father Matteo Zambon, chaplain aboard HMS Medway, led a communion service at His Majesty’s Prison in Grand Turk. The intimate spiritual gathering brought reflection and encouragement to inmates and staff, and was described by observers as “deeply moving.”

The service was a standout feature of HMS Medway’s multifaceted visit, showcasing the Royal Navy’s humanitarian and pastoral outreach, not just its operational capacity. While the ship is widely recognized for its disaster readiness and security work in the region, the prison service offered a profound, personal dimension to the deployment.

Alongside this spiritual engagement, HMS Medway conducted a simulated beach landing exercise in collaboration with the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment, aimed at improving disaster response coordination. The Royal Navy’s Crisis Response Troop participated in the operation, which took place on the beach adjacent to the Grand Turk cruise pier and concluded safely before ship traffic resumed.

The visit also reinforced UK support for the Overseas Territories during hurricane season. HMS Medway, permanently stationed in the Caribbean, is outfitted with emergency relief supplies, medical kits, and equipment for clearing debris and restoring access in the aftermath of natural disasters.

In Providenciales, the crew met with local officials and conducted further training and outreach activities. The deployment builds on strong ties established during previous visits, including youth mentorship programs and joint patrols with the TCI Marine Branch and Police Force.

Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam has previously praised the UK’s forward-deployed assets like HMS Medway as “critical to disaster preparedness, maritime security, and community support”. This most recent visit deepens that role, showing how hard power can be paired with soft-touch diplomacy.

As HMS Medway resumes regional patrols, its legacy in the Turks and Caicos this year will not only be measured in drills and deployments—but in the quiet connection made behind prison walls, where faith, dignity, and humanity were affirmed by a visiting chaplain in naval uniform.

In a place often associated with hardship and consequence, Father Zambon’s communion service served as a rare reminder: that even the most disciplined missions can carry a message of hope.

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Governor Targeted Again in Social Media Impersonation Scam

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, July 13, 2025 – The Governor’s Office has issued a renewed warning to the public following the discovery of multiple fake Facebook accounts impersonating Her Excellency, Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam. The fraudulent profiles, created under names such as “Dileeni Daniel Selvaratnam” and “Dileeni Selvaratnam,” have been flagged for attempting to engage residents through unsolicited messages.

In a statement released on Friday, 11 July, the Governor’s Office confirmed that at least four such accounts had been identified and formally reported to Facebook for investigation and removal. The public is urged not to interact with these profiles and to report any suspicious activity directly to the platform.

This is not the first time the Governor has been targeted. Similar impersonation attempts were reported in early 2024, when scammers used lookalike profiles to solicit money from unsuspecting individuals. The recurrence of such schemes has raised concerns about online safety and the misuse of public officials’ identities for fraudulent purposes.

“Her Excellency does not conduct official business via social media direct messaging,” the statement emphasized. “All legitimate communication is handled through official government email addresses or verified public channels.”

Residents are encouraged to follow the Governor’s verified social media pages, including the official Facebook page: Turks and Caicos Islands, Governor’s Office and Instagram: @governorturksandcaicos, for authentic updates.

Authorities are reminding the public to remain vigilant when interacting online and to treat unsolicited friend requests or private messages from high-profile individuals with skepticism.

The Governor’s Office reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and online safety and thanked the public for helping to identify and report fraudulent activity.

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Search for Missing American Tourist Intensifies in Turks and Caicos

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U.S. Officials, Family Join Local Efforts as Disappearance Enters Ninth Day

By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor and Wilkie Arthur | Eagle Legal News

 

Turks and Caicos, July 4, 2025 – The United States Department of State has confirmed it is aware of the disappearance of American citizen Brian Tarrence in Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Embassy in Nassau is actively assisting in the ongoing investigation. Tarrence’s mother is now on the island, anxiously hoping for good news as the search for her son enters its ninth day.

Tarrence, 51, of New York, vanished on June 25 while vacationing with his wife in Providenciales. The couple was staying at the Inn at Grace Bay in a privately rented villa booked via Airbnb. CCTV footage reviewed by Eagle Legal News shows Tarrence walking away from the property around 3:00 a.m., alone and without signs of immediate distress. He has not been seen since.

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is treating the case as high priority, and a search operation is underway in Grace Bay, with efforts expanding to The Bight and nearby districts. U.S. private investigator Carl DeFazio, hired by Tarrence’s family, is also on the ground and working alongside local authorities.

“We are tracking any activity—credit cards, digital devices—that could point us toward his location,” said DeFazio. “This is a coordinated effort, and we are committed to bringing Brian home.”

Sources close to the investigation say Tarrence may have been in a vulnerable state prior to his disappearance. His wife reported that he had relapsed into alcohol use and was displaying increasingly erratic behavior, including signs of paranoia and delusional speech. He reportedly believed people were outside their villa and made concerning remarks hours before he disappeared.

When his wife woke that morning, Tarrence—and his phone and wallet—were gone. The devices remain unreachable, and no transactions or confirmed sightings have been reported.

His wife continues to cooperate fully with police, while his mother, who recently arrived in TCI, has joined local and diplomatic efforts in hopes of a safe resolution.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest police station or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-8477.

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