Outrage is sparked by Caitlin Clark’s WNBA rookie salary.

The Indiana Fever selected Caitlin Clark, the record-breaking NCAA basketball star, with the first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. But the controversy around the pay gap in women’s basketball has been triggered by her first-year contract in the professional league.

A contract worth $338,056 over four years is anticipated to be signed by the 22-year-old athlete with the Fever, according to Spotrac, a website that follows sports contracts. This summer, she will make $76,535 in her debut season. By the time her four-year contract expires, she should be making $97,582 a year.

“In a professional sports league, the statistically greatest college basketball player in history is earning a salary in the five figures. ludicrous, another person remarked.

However, some others noted that Clark’s numerous sponsorship deals probably bring in considerably more money than her WNBA pay. In addition to herhips  sponsorswith State Farm, Gatorade, Buick, H&R Block, and Bose, Clark signed a significant contract with footwear company Nike in October 2022. According to her NIL value, Clark is expected to earn over $3 million annually only from brand partnerships.

“This is just awful. One fan remarked, “I know she is going to make a bag off endorsements but Caitlin Clark’s WNBA contract is straight up disrespectful.” Another added, “She’ll probably make 50x this in endorsements.”

 

Outraged by Clark’s first-year wage, US President Joe Biden even demanded that female athletes be “paid what they deserve.” “Sportswomen are always pushing the envelope and inspiring the rest of us,” he wrote at the start of his X, the former Twitter platform. But as of right now, it’s evident that women do not receive a fair wage, regardless of their excellence.

“We need to make sure that women receive the compensation they deserve and offer our daughters the same opportunities as our sons,” Biden continued.

As a point guard for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, Clark has received recognition as one of the best players in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. She is recognized for having contributed to the growth of NCAA women’s basketball audience and currently owns the all-time scoring and assist records for both men and women. The men’s D1 championship audience was surpassed by millions of people by this year’s final championship game between South Carolina and Iowa, which drew the most audience of any college basketball event since 2019.

The WNBA presently receives an estimated $60 million a year from the sale of its media rights and licensing agreements with Front Office Sports, Amazon, CBS, and ION.

reports. By contrast, the average NBA club is valued at over $3.85 billion; according to Forbes, the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors are all valued at over $6 billion. Sports Business Journal reported in February that the NBA is set to sign a media rights contract this summer that could be worth anywhere from $60 billion to $72 billion. The league’s previous TV agreement, with Disney and Turner in 2014, was valued at a total of $24 billion.

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