Sports
Caitlin Clark’s new WNBA salary has gone viral, and even President Biden is taking note.
Clark, selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever Monday in the 2024 WNBA Draft, is expected to earn $76,535 for her first year and $338,056 over the next four seasons, according to Spotrac.
WNBA salaries have been a topic for years — often forcing players to go overseas to play during the WNBA offseason — but Clark’s rise sparked new interest – and new opinions – in the sport.
“Women in sport continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all. » Biden wrote about “But right now we’re seeing that even if you’re the best, women aren’t getting their fair share.
“It’s time we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women get the pay they deserve. »
Clark was taken No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever on Monday night after leading Iowa to back-to-back national championship games.
For comparison, Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs’ No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, will make $55.1 million over four years.
Hawkeyes lose to South Carolina in national championship game was seen by 18.7 million people and peaked at 24 million – the most-watched hoops broadcast of any kind since the 2019 men’s championship game between Texas Tech and Virginia.
However, Clark’s popularity in the NCAA will not impact her rookie salary given the current financial realities of the WNBA.
The WNBA currently makes $60 million per season of their ESPN, CBS, ION and Amazon TV contracts, per Front Office Sports.
The NBA earns $2.7 billion a year from its television contracts with Turner and ESPN.
Additionally, NBA players receive 50% of revenue from broadcast rights and ticket sales, per the agreement with the union.
WNBA players receive only 50 percent of the league’s excess money once it hits a certain revenue goal.
Here’s everything you need to know about Caitlin Clark and her surprising WNBA salary
Caitlin Clark, college basketball’s all-time leading scorer and new face of the organization, left without surprise No. 1 in the WNBA Draft to Indiana fever.
She hasn’t even played a game yet, but Clark has already become one of the biggest names in the WNBA.
His first-round pick helped drive a 304% increase in viewership for this week’s WNBA Draft. But the conversation surrounding Clark certainly didn’t stop after she signed a 4-year contract with the Indiana Fever.
Clark will earn $338,056 over four years, according to the league’s collective agreementwith Indiana fever.
In comparison, 2023 NBA Draft No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama landed a $55 million deal.
Television personality Hoda Kotb appeared visibly upset about the wage gap on the “Today” show Tuesday.
“For someone who is the face of women’s basketball today, it seemed a little ridiculous,” Kotb said.
Kotb called it “disturbing” and spoke about it several times throughout the morning.
Former ESPN reporter and current Atlantic contributor Jemele Hill was unhappy with the discourse around WNBA salaries and published a long X post on the subject.
“I’m already annoyed by this conversation because for years, WNBA players have been fighting for more money. And when they spoke out, so many of you would tell them to shut up or remind them how worthless they were. The NBA has benefited from over 50 years of investment, media coverage, and more. After 27 years, the WNBA will no longer be the current NBA. So stop comparing them,” Hill wrote on social media.
“Using this information against WNBA players is another form of misogyny. These women have dreamed their entire lives of performing professionally in front of American audiences,” Hill continued. “Instead of clowning around and reminding them of what they are not, buy merchandise, go to the games and watch the games on TV.
Cathy Engelbert, WNBA commissioner recently told CNBC the hope is to “double our entitlements” when they expire in 2025.
“Women’s sporting rights rights have been undervalued for too long, so we have this huge opportunity at a time when the media landscape is changing enormously,” Engelbert said.
Even before Clark’s arrival, the WNBA saw its ratings increase with an average of 505,000 viewers per game last season – its highest in 21 years, according to Fox News.
Monday night’s WNBA draft, which also included Stanford’s Cameron Brink and LSU’s Angel Reese, broke previous audience records with 2.46 million viewers on ESPN.
Follow The Post’s coverage of first-round WNBA selection Caitlin Clark.
Clark will make her WNBA debut on May 14 against the Connecticut Sun and 36 of the Fever’s 40 games will be broadcast on national television.
Hoda Kotb from “Today” Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson and former ESPN columnist Jemele Hill were among the other famous names who weighed in on Clark’s WNBA contract.
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