Could Caitlin Clark Finally Bring Change To WNBA Salaries? PR Expert Weighs In
Even if you don't follow women's basketball, you've probably heard of Caitlin Clark. The unstoppable point guard has made a name for herself over the past few years, becoming the WNBA's first draft pick for 2024. Clark's number one slot gives her the chance to play for any team in the league. However, despite breathing new life into women's basketball by attracting greater audiences and interest, Clark's salary will be a mere $76,535, according to The Washington Post — about 0.77% of the more than $10 million her NBA counterpart will receive.
While $76k is an above-average salary in the U.S., it's much less than NBA players earn. The huge gender pay discrepancy has outraged people. Even President Joe Biden took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share his disappointment: "Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all. 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 ... ensure women are paid what they deserve."
While global gender parity is still over 100 years away, it doesn't mean we should sit back and wait. In an exclusive interview with Jennifer Berson, founder and president of Jeneration PR, the media expert told Women why 2024 is the perfect time to bring change to WNBA salaries. Granted, there's a gender pay gap in most fields, but if we can get at least one caught up, then maybe there's hope for the rest of us.
There's more awareness than ever of the gender pay gap
Although we've seen pay discrepancies based on gender before — in soccer, for example — the enormity of the salary disparity in this particular case isn't just shocking, but truly atrocious. "The focus on Caitlin Clark's incredible season and never-before-seen talent is bringing attention to the massive discrepancy between pay for men's and women's sports," Berson exclusively told Women. "There is suddenly an awareness that the absolute best WNBA player's contract is a mere fraction of the salary than an average male NBA recruit makes. Now is the ideal time for change in the pay for WNBA players, and for women in sports as a whole."
The gender pay gap speaks volumes about the lack of respect for these players and turns a blind eye to the fact that they're just as talented and hardworking as their male counterparts. That's a devastating blow for not just today's players, but for little girls with dreams of playing sports on a professional level. The pay disparity sends the message that female athletes aren't as deserving as male athletes, and that's something we can just sweep under the carpet.
"People have fallen in love with [Clark], and are outraged that her talent and skill are not matched with her salary," Berson added. "That collective sentiment is the perfect springboard for meaningful change."
Fans have the power to make change
If we look at the numbers, the revenue for the NBA in 2022 was $10 billion, while the WNBA's revenue was $60 million, according to CBC News. Some commentators use this fact to justify women's lower salaries, while others argue that women's sports haven't been given a chance to flourish. "We ... expect [women's sport] to meet where men's professional sport is now," Michele Donnelly, assistant professor in sport management at Brock University, told CBC News. "And have not allowed it that growth period."
As fans, one of the biggest ways we can support more investment in women's sports is by opening our own wallets, to prove to sports execs, managers, and arena owners that we're willing to shell out just as much money for women as for men. "If fans want to truly support female athletes, they should buy more tickets to attend games, show up and cheer them on, watch female sporting events on television to help increase ratings, purchase products that have female athletes as spokespeople, etc," said Berson.
Clark may not be angling for a raise anytime soon, thanks to millions of dollars in endorsements that will add to her $76k salary, but the gender pay gap persists. That's why we need to keep talking about it. Change only happens when we acknowledge the problem and do what it takes to ensure our world can evolve into a place of fairness and true equality.