Bad math?
Sports is a business. The only reason anyone pays athletes is that they get some return on their investment. The bigger the return, the larger the payday for the participants. That's how business works.
Pool doesn't provide much return. Compared to other major sports leagues, neither does the WNBA, Though admittedly, the league has finally climbed into the black, at least for the time being.
That's not a strawman, it's simple fact.
It's worth noting that the purses in golf grew exponentially when Tiger Woods arrived on the scene. His enormous popularity drove viewership and advertising revenues which directly impacted prize money. The WNBA is in a similar situation right now. It'll be interesting to see if they take advantage of it or screw it up.
Pool? Not so much.
