Dishonest people around the world feigned hysteria over Caitlin Clark’s WNBA New Year’s salary after it was revealed that she would earn approximately $76,000 a year in her first four years with the Indiana Fever. Idiots gathered together.
Clark’s star is shining so brightly that it renews the long-standing debate about the gender pay gap. Her celebrity status has even given President Biden consideration.
“Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all. But now we are facing a crisis in which women, even the best, are not getting the compensation they deserve. It’s time to give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women are paid the compensation they deserve,” Biden tweeted on Wednesday.
Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all.
But now we are seeing that women, even the best, are not getting the compensation they deserve.
Now is the time to give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure that women are paid the compensation they deserve.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 16, 2024
Other dishonest figures joined the chorus of melodrama, stoking false outrage over star players’ WNBA salaries. (Related: ‘Be Funnier Dumb*ss’: Caitlin Clark dunks on ‘SNL’ cast members)
“It’s outrageous that Caitlin Clarke only produces a fraction of the work that men do. It’s 2024. When is it time to close the gender pay gap and give women equal opportunities? It happened years ago. Let’s do it now,” Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Lori Trahan tweeted Thursday.
It’s outrageous that Caitlin Clark only makes a fraction of what her male partners make.
The year is 2024. It was years ago to close the gender pay gap and give women equal opportunities. Let’s do it now.https://t.co/khvBX6wuiM
— Lori Trahan (@RepLoriTrahan) April 18, 2024
Well, for Biden, Trahan, and everyone else clutching their pearls, I have a simple solution. That means getting season tickets. It’s unclear whether Biden has ever attended a WNBA game in his life. He certainly hasn’t done any of that as president. The Daily Caller reached out to Trahan to ask if she had ever attended a game or supported the WNBA financially in any way, but did not receive a response in time for publication. .
Mr. Biden and Mr. Trahan are by no means outliers. For all the people complaining about the alleged pay disparity, very few actually attend WNBA games. The calculations simply don’t add up.of the best In terms of average attendance for WNBA teams, the Las Vegas Aces still averaged less than 10,000 fans per game last season. according to To Statista.
Although the league is growing in popularity, the whiners’ complaints far outweigh their desire to actually support the league financially. This lack of support makes the premium value of in-game advertising much lower for the league’s partners, resulting in a significantly reduced revenue stream compared to its male counterpart, the NBA.
In fact, women are actually overpaid compared to their NBA colleagues.
As you can see here, the pay gap is actually reversed. In real, actual, no-bullshit reality, a WNBA player earns a higher percentage of league revenue (0.16%) than her NBA player (0.096%). pic.twitter.com/SRyPZ5XAMR
— Jeffrey Ingersoll (@GPIngersoll) April 17, 2024
WNBA players make up a higher percentage of the league’s revenue than NBA players, according to team payroll data collected by the Daily Caller from Spotrac. The NBA brought in more than $10 billion in revenue. revenue Last season. The WNBA, meanwhile, was expected to get just 2% of that, or $200 million, Bloomberg previously reported. report.
The WNBA is definitely gaining momentum right now. In 2023, she earned $200 million, up from $60 million in 2022, an increase of over 200%. according to Data from World Sports Network and Bloomberg. This is great and shows that interest in women’s athletics is growing. However, compared to the NBA, it is still a small fry.
Trahan calls for “equal opportunities” for women in sports. I would argue that they have just that. Clark is a great example. She just signed an eight-figure contract with Nike that is rumored to be in the $10 million to $20 million range. Where is the anger of girls who can’t get shoe deals? What about the support gap?
That’s not true. Clark made all the money she earned from her Nikes as the most inspiring and exciting women’s basketball player the world has ever seen. And Nike will capitalize on that by making her the face of many of her campaigns and selling Veggies off some sneakers because of it. That’s how it should be. (Related: America is finally talking about women’s basketball, but some scolds aren’t satisfied yet)
If we want WNBA players to make as much money as NBA players, we have to put our money where our mouth is. Patronize the game. Buy all jerseys. Reduce your wallet at the store. Never in my life have I seen a boy or girl walking down the street wearing the jersey of their favorite WNBA player. Have any of these scolds bought their kids an Elena Delle Donne or Skyler Diggins jersey for Christmas? Instead of blaming your dissatisfaction on nameless, faceless, unjust forces, why don’t you take some responsibility too and say: game. Maybe it’s time to actually do something about what I’ve been complaining about. ”
That would definitely be a good start. But I’m not going to hold my breath because I would expect the majority of these people to be more interested in just complaining than actually solving the problem.
