Caitlin Clark and the Massive Wage Disparity Between Men and Women in Professional Sports
On April 15, 2024, the Indiana Fever drafted Caitlin Clark first overall in the annual WNBA draft (Merchant and Pickman). However, Clark will only be paid $76,535 annually through her four-year rookie contract with the Fever. On the other hand, Victor Wembanyama, the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, made $12.16 million for his first season, around 80 times more than Clark (Merchant). The difference is outrageous, considering Clark’s historic collegiate career, scoring the most points in NCAA Basketball History, breaking Pete Maravich’s previous record. Clark can potentially skyrocket the WNBA and help the league break revenue and viewership records. Therefore, more action is needed to help women improve their wages in Professional Sports.
Surprisingly, Clark earned more money in college through NIL deals with companies such as Gatorade, State Farm, and Nike. Her NIL worth was $910,000, only 30th among all college athletes, with her male counterparts, such as Bronny James garnering millions of dollars (Pekmic). Critics have also pointed out that the WNBA’s significantly lower estimated revenue of $200 million compared to the NBA’s $10 billion contributes to the low salary (Pekmic). The WNBA has a shorter season than the NBA, causing the league to have less time to earn revenue. The WNBA is also a young league, only 28 years old, juxtaposed to the NBA’s age of 78 years. Accordingly, they have had less time to build a loyal fanbase and experience as a professional sports league.
However, the WNBA is improving since its unique viewership is at its highest since 2008, with over 36 million viewers, and attendance is up 16% from 2022. As a result, the WNBA hopes to agree on a new media rights deal that would increase the league’s revenue. The NCAA also finalized a $920 contract with ESPN for 40 NCAA championships, making the women’s basketball tournament worth $65 million, three times its previous value.
Intriguingly, WNBA players pointed out that they know they will not be paid like Lebron but wish to share the same percentage of revenue with their corresponding leagues. Kelsey Plum, two-time Las Vegas Aces WNBA champion, states that the NBA has a 50–50 revenue split between its players. At the same time, the WNBA does not because the CBA declares that will not happen until the “Cumulative League Revenue” exceeds the “Cumulative Revenue Target”, which has not occurred yet (Maniece). For example, WNBA players do not receive earnings for their jersey sales. Unfortunately, the WNBA players cannot opt out of their CBA agreement until 2025.
Ultimately, WNBA players find alternatives to improve their salary, such as endorsements and playing overseas. However, players should be able to live off of their annual salary instead of using other options. With women’s sports becoming more popular, there is hope that fairer earnings are possible. Luckily, there are an endless number of talented women’s sports players who bring excitement and flair. Fairness in women’s wages has been long overdue, and more action needs to be taken, ranging from spreading awareness to even supporting your local team.
