WNBA All-Star Cameron Brink had to learn to negotiate his worth earlier than most 22 year olds.

Brink, who became New Balance’s first basketball ambassador while still at Stanford University, entered the world of professional basketball earlier this year. with a NIL valuation greater than $200,000, according to Sports Illustrated.

The second pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft – behind only Caitlin Clark – earned $76,535 in his rookie season and will be paid $78,066 by the Los Angeles Sparks next year.

Despite a torn ACL in June that sidelined his rookie season, Brink’s momentum off the court hasn’t slowed. She has signed partnerships with leading brands like Icy Hot, Urban Decay, Skims and SoFi.

“Building my confidence in negotiations has been a journey for me, but I remind myself that my skills and hard work are valuable,” Brink told CNBC Make It in an email. “Young women need to know that it’s okay to ask for what we deserve: if we don’t speak up for ourselves, no one else will do it for us.”

Brink credits his development of negotiation skills to observing seasoned professionals. It features WNBA champion and three-time All-Star Dearica Hamby and four-time NBA champion Steph Curry among his mentors.

According to Brink, the most important step she takes in preparing for any negotiation is to research the companies she is negotiating with.

“I want to know if they are in good financial health and if they have growth opportunities. I found company websites as a starting point,” says Brink. “My increased confidence has come from learning and learning from every partnership and meeting I participate in. With each transaction, I learn what I want to change from the next one.”

DON’T MISS: The Ultimate Guide to Negotiating a Higher Salary

Conducting research may seem obvious before any negotiation, but it is a step that many neglect.

Adam Broda, an Amazon executive and career coach, has spent more than a decade in the recruiting business — and he says one of the most common and costly mistakes people make when recruiting a salary negotiation is asking for a higher salary without explaining the reason. behind their claim or presenting research to support it.

“If you just throw numbers around without providing a logical chain of how you got there, it looks like a money grab,” he said. recently said CNBC succeeds. You also run the risk of coming across as “inauthentic or selfish,” he added.

Another strategy that Brink says has helped her build her confidence and sharpen her business acumen is cultivating a network of “trusted advisors” that she can turn to for advice on how to approach the negotiations.

In a league where player salaries are still so low, sponsorships can make all the difference.

The highest-paid athletes in the WNBA earn nearly $250,000 a year, while a marquee deal can bring in between $300,000 and $500,000, said Taylor Burner, a former agent for the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA). ). Business Vogue last year.

In contrast, the highest-paid players in the NBA make more than $50 million a year – and that’s not counting endorsements.

“It’s easy to let self-doubt creep in, especially when you’re facing new challenges or trying to prove yourself early in your career,” says Brink. “But the advice I would give to other women in their 20s is the same advice I tell myself: trust that you deserve to be where you are, that you’ve worked hard to get there, and remember that you earned your place and it’s okay to own it.”

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