Caitlin Clark was the No. 1 overall draft choice in the WNBA draft. Clark brought an interest in the WNBA like no other woman basketball player, thanks to her stellar performances as a player for the University of Iowa.
Clark has a reputation as an athlete who keeps her head down and does her job. She's not one to hog the spotlight from teammates. The WNBA has not exactly caught fire with sports fans, though, and there is nowhere near the interest in it as there is in the NBA.
There is a phony baloney issue over the pay equity for professional women's basketball versus men's basketball. It's apples and oranges. The same thing goes on in women's soccer. The free market dictates salaries. WNBA does not have the viewership that the NBA has. Women are paid less than men because they generate less revenue than men.
Caitlin Clark's salary became public after the Indiana Fever selected Clark as the top pick in the draft. Cameron Brink, the No. 2 pick went to the LA Sparks. Kamilla Cardoso went No. 3 to the Chicago Sky. People were curious about salaries and Spotrac provided the information.
The online contracts-centric website posted Clark’s rookie contract numbers. Clark will likely sign a four-year, $338,056 deal. She’ll earn $76,535 in 2024, and it will increase each year. If the team option is picked up in 2027, she’ll earn $97,582.
Some of the WNBA's highest-paid players include the Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale, Phoenix Mercury’s Kahleah Copper and Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd. They all make nearly $242,000 per year, according to Spotrac.
President Biden thought it was appropriate to weigh in on this subject. Or, at least, we are supposed to believe he was aware of what was going on. A staffer fired off a post on X that voiced dismay that women are not paid as much as men in professional basketball. Let's be honest, Biden doesn't post on X. His account is run by staff.
Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 16, 2024
But right now we're seeing that even if you're the best, women are not paid their fair share.
It’s time that we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women are paid what they deserve.
Socialists like to talk about "fair share" when it comes to financial matters. Democrats like to make women perpetual victims. In this case, it does not wash.
NFL quarterback Russell Wilson called for women to be paid more, too. Replies on social media came quickly.
On Caitlyn Clark and pay “fairness” compared to the NBA.
— Will Cain (@willcain) April 17, 2024
NBA Revenue: $10B
WNBA Revenue: $100m
WNBA Profitability: Not one year in the black. Never turned a profit.
NBA Profitability: Enough to subsidize the WNBA into existence.
Simple economics. Tell Biden and Russell Wilson.
As we all know, Biden doesn't do well with economics. Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti explained that the issue was how revenue was being shared.
"The biggest stumbling block with the growth of WNBA player compensation is the way that revenue is being shared," he wrote on X. "Per the 2020 CBA, the league must hit a certain budgeted revenue threshold annually before any revenue sharing kicks in.
"While overall revenue is increasing, player's ability to capitalize is still very limited. Change is imminent."
WNBA viewership is slowly rising. Caitlin is credited with bringing more viewers to tune in to watch games. This will bode well for the 2024 season.
The 2023 WNBA season was the most watched regular season in 21 years, averaging 505,000 viewers among ESPN, ABC and CBS, the league said in September. WNBA attendance was also up 16% compared to last year. The average attendance in 2023 was 6,615 fans, and the total attendance was at 1,587,488.
Do you know who isn't complaining about the salary? Caitlin Clark. She knew what she was signing up for and she's ok with it. The real money is in endorsement deals. She'll have a lot of them. The greatest women's college basketball player in history has unlimited earning potential.
Those who are causing distractions with bogus pay equity arguments are not doing the WNBA any favors. There should be celebrations that Caitlin is bringing in new fans and growing interest in the WNBA. Instead, the grousers are grousing.
Today Show host Hoda Kotb expressed her outrage over Clark’s rookie contract on Tuesday morning, and at one point, was visibly shaking.
“They’ve already sold out games. She had the highest ratings. Her teams and the Final Four had the highest ratings — higher than the World Series, higher than the NBA,” Kotb said. “So, I was like, what is she going to get paid? Because finally, you can get a real paycheck. Then I saw it and was like, this can’t be right.”
Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis took to Instagram, sharing a graphic made by the Today Show with Clark’s contract breakdown along with the caption: “This is OUTRAGEOUS!”
I have one question for Biden's staff, Hoda, and Jamie Lee - how about speaking out about men competing in women's sports? That is where their celebrity platforms can make a difference that would benefit women athletes. How about voicing support to protect women's opportunities in sports, which include scholarships to college and winning on merit, not unfair advantages brought on by chromosomes? Where is the fairness in this issue?
President Biden should sit this one out, as should his staffer responsible for his X posts. If you ask me, Joe Biden is way overpaid. If he wants to be useful, he should speak up to protect women's sports before they are completely destroyed.
