The best college player in a generation will be paid significantly less than even the lowest earners among her male counterparts. But there are grounds for optimism
The surest sign of a sports league on the rise is the arrival of a story about one player’s salary. And ever since it was reported that the biggest star in women’s college basketball, Caitlin Clark, will earn $338,000 over the next four years after turning professional in the WNBA, the foul cries have been coming from all corners.
“When I saw the numbers – $76,000 in the first year, $78,000 in the second year, $85,000 in the third year – for somebody who is now the face of women’s basketball, it seemed kind of ridiculous,” Today show host Hoda Kotb said. Even Dave Portnoy, majordomo of the proudly misogynistic Barstool Sports, seemed offended: he offered Clark $10m to play for his company’s hoops team. The incredulity went all the way to the top: Joe Biden posted on X that “it’s time that we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women are paid what they deserve.”