Gap between Caitlin Clark's WNBA salary and her male counterparts draws outrage

[Anonymous]

College basketball superstar Caitlin Clark is set to soar to new heights in the WNBA — but her rookie contract will see her pocket a fraction of the millions her male counterparts have made on the court.

The University of Iowa legend, who has already made history as the NCAA Division I basketball’s overall top scorer, sealed a contract with the Indiana Fever after she was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft Monday.

The contract will see Clark earn $338,056 over the course of four years, according to the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement…

… For comparison, San Antonio Spurs rookie star Victor Wembanyama — the No. 1 pick in last year’s NBA draft — secured a $55 million four-year contract that saw him pocket $12.1 million in his first season, according to athlete contract tracker Spotrac.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/gap-caitlin-clarks-wnba-salary-male-counterparts-draws-outrage-rcna148024

So what should happen? The men do have double the number of games but the per game price is not close.

[Anonymous]

She probably made more in college on her NIL deals - she did multiple big time commercials.

[Anonymous]

Please see USWNT

[Anonymous]

I think you need to look at viewership and game attendance and compare the two. Salaries for any players is dependent on income brought in, with a few standouts making (significantly) more.

Viewership and attendance to the WNBA is far less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to look at viewership and game attendance and compare the two. Salaries for any players is dependent on income brought in, with a few standouts making (significantly) more.

Viewership and attendance to the WNBA is far less.

This is how capitalism works. If people dont invest in WNBA games, WNBA merch, and everything else WNBA, salaries will reflect that. America just doesn’t value the WNBA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please see USWNT

That's a national team. The WNBA is a business.

[Anonymous]

You would make more losing first round at the us open

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to look at viewership and game attendance and compare the two. Salaries for any players is dependent on income brought in, with a few standouts making (significantly) more.

Viewership and attendance to the WNBA is far less.

This.

When the WNBA is bringing in as many viewers and attendance is as good as the NBA and the merch is flying off the shelves, salaries will increase.

If anyone can help increase viewership in the the WNBA, it would be Caitlin Clark.

[Anonymous]

She made more than that in the 4 minutes she was on SNL.

[Anonymous]

Lol @ no one watches womens sports so its ok to pay them worse

Caitlin Clarks most recent games have had more viewership than any basketball game in the last 5 years - including every single game in the NBA during that time.

There is literally no excuse to pay her less. She will be rolling in it with her sponsorships though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol @ no one watches womens sports so its ok to pay them worse

Caitlin Clarks most recent games have had more viewership than any basketball game in the last 5 years - including every single game in the NBA during that time.

There is literally no excuse to pay her less. She will be rolling in it with her sponsorships though.

Sure there is. The WNBA earns a teeny tiny fraction of what the NBA does. Hopefully Clark and the other star players can change that so all the women get better salaries. In the meantime, marketing will bring the top players loads of cash, while the rank and file struggle along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is literally no excuse to pay her less. She will be rolling in it with her sponsorships though.

The excuse is that this is the amount of a rookie contract in the WNBA.

My dad was an accounting major at Lehigh who maybe got Bs so I found this funny

[Anonymous]

Isn't the salary linked to ticket sales/merchandice and overall viewership?

Unless the WNBA can draw in viewers, the demand for women's bball just isn't there (you can debate the reasons, but the facts still remain).

[Anonymous]

Fact is thar no one watches wnba games. There isn’t add revenue to pay players.

[Anonymous]