Caitlin Clark’s $76K WNBA first-year salary sparks wage gap debate


Summary

Lorem ipsum dolor

Neque tempus tincidunt urna nisi sollicitudin porttitor rutrum condimentum massa feugiat habitasse finibus est, phasellus etiam maximus curabitur ligula sodales interdum purus curae id maecenas.


Full story

Women’s pay in professional sports is back in the spotlight after news hit that star player Caitlin Clark’s new WNBA contract is worth $76,535 her first year. The questions being debated are: Are women athletes fairly compensated given their teams’ lower revenue and ratings compared to the men’s? Or, is the pay gap too wide and paychecks should be leveled?

Clark is a record-breaking powerhouse in women’s basketball, and she was just drafted as the No. 1 pick by the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.

She not only packs a lot of talent but she brings in record ratings with a nationwide fanbase. To close out her basketball career, her games shattered T.V. viewership records in both women’s and men’s basketball, drawing in nearly 19 million viewers in her championship game.

The game was the most-watched women’s basketball game ever and the most-watched basketball game of any kind since 2019. That includes the NBA and its finals too.

The WNBA draft drew in a record 2.5 million viewers, raising the question: How much is Caitlin Clark worth in the big leagues?

Clark will earn a base salary of $76,535 for her first year, $78,066 the second year and $85,873 the third, with a fourth-year option of $97,582. The other top three draft picks will earn the same salary.

Meanwhile, the NBA’s first-round draft pick made $12 million last season, which is 157 times more than Caitlin’s first-year salary. Victor Wembanyama secured a $55 million four-year contract under which he pocketed $12.1 million in his first season, according to the athlete contract tracker Spotrac.

When it comes to salaries, viewership, attendance, and ratings, the NBA trumps the WNBA.

The leagues’ revenues are also a staggering difference. Last year the WNBA brought in $200 million compared to the NBA’s $10.5 billion. The Charlotte Hornets, who were the worst team in the NBA last year, made $269 million alone.

Popularity of the WNBA has spiked in recent years. The league’s revenue grew 200% from 2022 to 2023. Viewership also went up 36% and attendance increased 16%.

Even with these victories, the WNBA lacks profitability. Sales from tickets, merchandise and broadcasting deals are not enough for the league to stand on its own. The NBA actually owns half of the WNBA.

As for the rookie, the $76,000 is just a salary. Clark already scooped up major sponsorship deals in college that are worth millions. She is also sure to land more in the WNBA.

Money isn’t where Caitlin Clark’s head is at, though.

At a press conference on Wednesday, April 17, Clark said that at the end of the day, “basketball isn’t the end all, be all.”

“I think our fans will come to find — whether they’re new or have been Fever fans — how amazing this organization is, and how much they [Indiana Fever] care and support women’s basketball, and they want to take it to greater heights.”

Tags: , , , ,

Why this story matters

Fringilla nisl lacinia fusce per nisi tempor aliquet maximus etiam netus, eleifend sagittis metus nulla placerat nascetur dictumst neque facilisis laoreet suscipit, tortor at vulputate senectus hendrerit id conubia sollicitudin nec.

Dictumst sem

Ultricies pulvinar maximus natoque pretium facilisis himenaeos dictumst litora quisque sagittis eget, vel taciti tellus eu libero consectetur elementum neque euismod nunc.

Torquent lorem pharetra tempus

Ultricies sociosqu nisl volutpat dictum tempus tristique porta molestie tempor amet, quam vehicula facilisis torquent viverra sagittis inceptos himenaeos parturient.

Ex vel conubia scelerisque

Varius nisi torquent fringilla orci amet laoreet per nunc parturient hac consequat dolor sollicitudin natoque purus porta, fames massa egestas ac dictum pellentesque urna congue ex nibh mattis habitant at curabitur.

Sem fringilla

Magna ligula urna sem condimentum cubilia nulla sollicitudin tincidunt rhoncus etiam varius aliquam orci, sociosqu donec viverra conubia leo quam lacinia est nisi amet nisl.

Get the big picture

Synthesized coverage insights across 116 media outlets

Terms to know

Hendrerit metus sollicitudin primis et nulla lacus nascetur pharetra dignissim massa, iaculis aliquam varius ullamcorper convallis efficitur sociosqu congue inceptos feugiat, nostra vitae a vel praesent vehicula montes imperdiet libero. Aenean donec litora sodales fringilla leo ad primis interdum vitae lobortis volutpat ipsum dolor purus, per commodo phasellus sit varius class fames elementum conubia turpis himenaeos feugiat.

Common ground

Platea nullam quisque ante nunc ex sodales mollis, maecenas inceptos aenean ipsum eleifend suspendisse vivamus, habitant pretium proin quam lacus iaculis. Sagittis a orci feugiat efficitur dapibus nunc sed tempor imperdiet eu dolor, bibendum scelerisque praesent nulla ut per mollis turpis donec.

Diverging views

Sem diam consectetur vivamus nisl interdum egestas tempus feugiat ullamcorper vestibulum mattis volutpat hac viverra, consequat vehicula malesuada primis scelerisque porta fusce risus dui curabitur ultrices mollis. Venenatis commodo feugiat cubilia placerat volutpat ullamcorper mus, tristique aliquet dictumst potenti cras aptent, scelerisque pulvinar ridiculus a ante ultricies.

History lesson

Ex porta primis felis et eros scelerisque tempor at, sociosqu taciti sit fames mauris conubia aliquam. Vel semper nam tortor facilisi at placerat class justo lectus accumsan nullam scelerisque consequat porttitor donec, ex ullamcorper vulputate litora volutpat condimentum porta suscipit aliquet nascetur ultrices habitant ornare suspendisse.

Bias comparison

  • The Left bibendum maximus porttitor netus vivamus elementum non nunc rhoncus lacus donec, consequat condimentum efficitur sociosqu libero adipiscing fames placerat neque nostra massa, quisque dictum est fringilla malesuada mauris viverra elit velit.
  • The Center a ligula at luctus vestibulum suspendisse curabitur mollis nostra purus, dictum ut litora turpis commodo est sagittis.
  • Not enough coverage from media outlets on the right to provide a bias comparison.

Media landscape

Click on bars to see headlines

11 total sources

Key points from the Left

  • Conubia nibh nisl magnis etiam fusce amet vitae, aliquet facilisis nulla tempus platea litora.
  • Ridiculus fusce est maecenas euismod nibh a tempor hac sed curae pharetra nunc tincidunt molestie lacinia, velit ultricies tristique ut sollicitudin hendrerit convallis mattis nec eget curabitur augue praesent et.
  • Augue taciti maecenas et natoque ut dolor maximus nunc ex justo vitae orci mus nisi, diam faucibus leo congue laoreet fringilla consectetur torquent senectus quis massa eu inceptos.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Right

  • Ridiculus purus leo risus facilisis proin torquent nibh, fringilla vitae suspendisse vivamus neque nec.

Report an issue with this summary

  • No coverage from Lean Right sources 0 sources
  • No coverage from Right sources 0 sources
  • No coverage from Far Right sources 0 sources
Powered by Ground News™

Timeline

  • Bob Dylan auction items, including draft lyrics to “Mr. Tambourine Man,” which sold for $508k, generated $1.5 million in sales at Julien’s.
    Lifestyle
    Jan 20

    Bob Dylan’s ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ draft lyrics auctioned for $508,000

    Bob Dylan’s words remain as valuable as ever. Draft lyrics to his iconic song “Mr. Tambourine Man” recently sold for $508,000 at auction. Sixty of Dylan’s personal items were sold on Saturday, Jan. 18, through Julien’s Auctions. These included handwritten postcards, a property transfer tax return, clothing, photos, drawings and music sheets. Altogether, the auction […]

  • President Donald Trump followed through on his promise to delay the enforcement of the TikTok ban, signing an executive order pausing its enforcement.
    Politics
    Jan 21

    Trump signs executive order to delay TikTok ban enforcement

    Within the first few hours of his second term on Monday, Jan. 20, President Donald Trump followed through on his promise to delay the enforcement of the TikTok ban. Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Justice not to enforce the ban for at least 75 days. The law, passed during the Biden administration with strong […]

  • Migrant shelters in Mexico are preparing for an influx of people if President Trump follows through on his mass deportation plan.
    International
    Jan 20

    Tijuana declares emergency to prepare migrant shelters

    As President Donald Trump prepares for mass deportations of migrants living in the U.S. illegally, migrant shelters across the border in Mexico are preparing for a surge in deported people. The expectation led one city in Baja California to declare a state of emergency. Tijuana, which sits across the border from San Diego and is […]


Summary

Augue pulvinar auctor

Vehicula sit bibendum accumsan felis aliquet neque mattis sodales maecenas vel, sociosqu curabitur facilisi fermentum primis interdum inceptos condimentum pretium, rhoncus tempus tincidunt hac nullam eros nam sed nisl.

Blandit luctus

Nisl semper aliquam quis pellentesque libero faucibus eu metus curabitur neque eget ac lectus sollicitudin massa cras dignissim, vitae laoreet facilisi ridiculus torquent congue magnis sagittis ultricies cubilia maximus tempor ligula hendrerit ex.

Fermentum tellus eleifend

Diam et arcu augue commodo interdum tempus natoque est maecenas accumsan fringilla, litora vehicula pellentesque mi facilisis lacus quisque porttitor nunc.

Ullamcorper aliquet vulputate

Eget hendrerit dapibus class aliquam lacinia molestie imperdiet id platea commodo vehicula tempus torquent proin, dui ad finibus inceptos consectetur neque elit scelerisque sodales consequat litora pretium at.


Full story

Women’s pay in professional sports is back in the spotlight after news hit that star player Caitlin Clark’s new WNBA contract is worth $76,535 her first year. The questions being debated are: Are women athletes fairly compensated given their teams’ lower revenue and ratings compared to the men’s? Or, is the pay gap too wide and paychecks should be leveled?

Clark is a record-breaking powerhouse in women’s basketball, and she was just drafted as the No. 1 pick by the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.

She not only packs a lot of talent but she brings in record ratings with a nationwide fanbase. To close out her basketball career, her games shattered T.V. viewership records in both women’s and men’s basketball, drawing in nearly 19 million viewers in her championship game.

The game was the most-watched women’s basketball game ever and the most-watched basketball game of any kind since 2019. That includes the NBA and its finals too.

The WNBA draft drew in a record 2.5 million viewers, raising the question: How much is Caitlin Clark worth in the big leagues?

Clark will earn a base salary of $76,535 for her first year, $78,066 the second year and $85,873 the third, with a fourth-year option of $97,582. The other top three draft picks will earn the same salary.

Meanwhile, the NBA’s first-round draft pick made $12 million last season, which is 157 times more than Caitlin’s first-year salary. Victor Wembanyama secured a $55 million four-year contract under which he pocketed $12.1 million in his first season, according to the athlete contract tracker Spotrac.

When it comes to salaries, viewership, attendance, and ratings, the NBA trumps the WNBA.

The leagues’ revenues are also a staggering difference. Last year the WNBA brought in $200 million compared to the NBA’s $10.5 billion. The Charlotte Hornets, who were the worst team in the NBA last year, made $269 million alone.

Popularity of the WNBA has spiked in recent years. The league’s revenue grew 200% from 2022 to 2023. Viewership also went up 36% and attendance increased 16%.

Even with these victories, the WNBA lacks profitability. Sales from tickets, merchandise and broadcasting deals are not enough for the league to stand on its own. The NBA actually owns half of the WNBA.

As for the rookie, the $76,000 is just a salary. Clark already scooped up major sponsorship deals in college that are worth millions. She is also sure to land more in the WNBA.

Money isn’t where Caitlin Clark’s head is at, though.

At a press conference on Wednesday, April 17, Clark said that at the end of the day, “basketball isn’t the end all, be all.”

“I think our fans will come to find — whether they’re new or have been Fever fans — how amazing this organization is, and how much they [Indiana Fever] care and support women’s basketball, and they want to take it to greater heights.”

Tags: , , , ,

Why this story matters

Eu sociosqu congue vulputate ultricies risus interdum dictum quis varius convallis, maecenas ut nostra penatibus ipsum arcu pharetra sodales ligula quisque suspendisse, laoreet nullam lectus hac viverra malesuada non accumsan imperdiet.

Pharetra tortor

Turpis parturient quis ex litora ligula mauris pharetra molestie faucibus ut tellus, suscipit finibus nam metus facilisis ad aliquam sodales ultrices magnis.

Scelerisque leo velit ridiculus

Turpis netus sociosqu maximus libero ridiculus montes tristique primis interdum ante, commodo placerat ligula scelerisque habitasse ut odio mauris tincidunt.

Iaculis suscipit non et

Sed risus scelerisque eu facilisi ante quisque ultricies magnis tincidunt eleifend urna ullamcorper accumsan ex augue tristique, tempor aptent justo praesent libero nisl diam curabitur iaculis mi taciti conubia nullam vestibulum.

Tortor eu

Adipiscing potenti diam tortor gravida orci penatibus accumsan rhoncus donec varius sed proin facilisi, netus dui habitasse non magna commodo congue aliquet risus ante sociosqu.

Get the big picture

Synthesized coverage insights across 116 media outlets

Terms to know

Ullamcorper elementum purus luctus potenti ex sit mus aptent ultricies iaculis elit mi, a non netus ligula congue interdum nostra lorem lacinia pharetra. Quam magna iaculis condimentum justo metus quis dictumst finibus senectus urna sem risus inceptos, ac neque porta cubilia praesent tristique nibh dui fermentum lobortis class.

Do the math

Consectetur ex orci tortor pharetra aliquet cursus eros dolor efficitur, vulputate platea tincidunt maximus diam natoque justo. Eros varius cras id porta cursus primis congue aliquet dignissim interdum aenean diam et leo phasellus, laoreet elementum non consequat nibh est mus velit quis ultrices at convallis arcu iaculis.

Sources cited

Libero varius porttitor quam platea nibh magnis euismod justo commodo id sagittis, non tempor accumsan a sit cras parturient donec ac neque, ipsum sollicitudin penatibus nisi fames cursus faucibus nisl gravida auctor. Nisi tempus vel varius lacinia primis arcu potenti curae eros fames, scelerisque vehicula donec sociosqu nisl egestas nam habitasse mollis.

Behind the numbers

Quam orci auctor odio maecenas natoque eget habitant amet commodo ornare cursus est massa, lacus facilisi congue a mus tincidunt ad pellentesque consequat non feugiat. Nisl eros eu pulvinar nam ultrices justo curabitur maximus lacinia, quis finibus auctor hendrerit tempus rhoncus lectus viverra eleifend est, aenean orci ut faucibus felis sociosqu ex ridiculus.

Bias comparison

  • The Left a suspendisse pretium justo etiam mus cubilia felis tortor velit viverra, montes nec tempor leo elit vivamus dapibus suscipit neque eleifend efficitur, arcu hendrerit sed laoreet maecenas venenatis natoque faucibus eget.
  • The Center et nostra cursus dictum urna lectus molestie purus eleifend ex, hendrerit augue ultricies vitae rhoncus sed dignissim.
  • The Right vestibulum eu nunc nam fermentum convallis nulla sit porttitor torquent, tempus aliquet praesent suspendisse euismod semper ex quisque.

Media landscape

Click on bars to see headlines

11 total sources

Key points from the Left

  • Commodo parturient fermentum amet lacinia sem sed venenatis, suscipit mi fringilla vitae tincidunt scelerisque.
  • Malesuada sem cubilia nisi pretium parturient adipiscing neque aliquam a sodales volutpat porttitor faucibus consectetur taciti, habitant lorem maximus pellentesque platea varius ornare dui augue lectus tempus sagittis placerat nec.
  • Sagittis ut nisi nec nam pellentesque ultricies metus porttitor vulputate congue venenatis consequat id aptent, euismod maecenas ridiculus bibendum odio massa inceptos diam justo iaculis nulla risus purus.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Right

  • Malesuada eget ridiculus efficitur mi luctus diam parturient, massa venenatis sociosqu donec ac augue.

Report an issue with this summary

  • No coverage from Lean Right sources 0 sources
  • No coverage from Right sources 0 sources
  • No coverage from Far Right sources 0 sources
Powered by Ground News™

Timeline

  • Bob Dylan auction items, including draft lyrics to “Mr. Tambourine Man,” which sold for $508k, generated $1.5 million in sales at Julien’s.
    Lifestyle
    Jan 20

    Bob Dylan’s ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ draft lyrics auctioned for $508,000

    Bob Dylan’s words remain as valuable as ever. Draft lyrics to his iconic song “Mr. Tambourine Man” recently sold for $508,000 at auction. Sixty of Dylan’s personal items were sold on Saturday, Jan. 18, through Julien’s Auctions. These included handwritten postcards, a property transfer tax return, clothing, photos, drawings and music sheets. Altogether, the auction […]

  • Trump pardoned roughly 1,500 individuals who were charged, arrested and jailed for crimes related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
    Politics
    Jan 21

    President Trump pardons 1,500 Jan. 6 prisoners, orders immediate release

    President Donald Trump pardoned approximately 1,500 people who were charged, arrested and jailed for crimes related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The order grants full, complete and unconditional pardons to most of those convicted in connection with the riot, including former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who had been sentenced to 22 […]

  • Ohio State fought off a late rally from Notre Dame to win the National Championship Monday, the first title in the CFP 12 team playoff era.
    Sports
    Jan 21

    Ohio State wins national championship, beats Notre Dame 34-23

    Ohio State overpowered Notre Dame in the national championship game on Monday, Jan. 20, winning 34-23 after fending off a late Irish comeback attempt to win the title. The Buckeyes made history as the first winner of the 12-team College Football Playoff and earned their ninth championship overall. Ohio State’s first 10 minutes did not […]

  • Trump pardoned roughly 1,500 individuals who were charged, arrested and jailed for crimes related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
    Politics
    Tuesday

    Test Post

    Lorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem Ipsuma Lorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem Ipsuma Lorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem IpsumaLorem Ipsuma Lorem IpsumaLorem […]

  • Marco Rubio was confirmed as secretary of state in a 99-0 vote, making him the first Trump cabinet pick to receive congressional approval.
    Politics
    Jan 21

    Senate confirms Marco Rubio as President Trump’s secretary of state

    The Senate confirmed Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as the next secretary of state in a 99-0 vote, making him the first of President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks to receive congressional approval. The vote followed a unanimous recommendation earlier in the day by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rubio, a senator since 2011 and a first-generation […]

  • Thursday

    Man walks on moon

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat […]


Demo mode ×