After a generational college run in Iowa, Caitlin Clark began her profession this week in Indiana, where the common college graduate earns $52,267 a 12 months, in response to the U.S. Census American Consumer Survey.
But Clark isn't your average young skilled.
She is considered one of the most important stars within the country with huge name recognition and business appeal entering the WNBA. She's sold out arenas, landed a $28 million endorsement take care of Nike and skyrocketed television rankings – and her skilled potential has sparked widespread discussion concerning the economics of girls's basketball.
In her first season with the Indiana Fever, her salary of $76,535 will easily exceed Indiana's average wage. Even considering the WNBA's five-month season, that's a small thing in comparison with many other athletes, especially those credited with the potential to vary the trajectory of their sport.
Victor Wembanyama, the highest pick within the 2023 NBA Draft, earned $12.16 million in his first season, about 80 times greater than Clark per game. Caleb Williams, the NFL's No. 1 draft selection, will earn a salary of about $1 million in 2024, plus a signing bonus that can pay him greater than $7 million. Even Paul Skenes, who was the primary pick within the 2023 MLB Draft but is much from a household name, signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates value around $9.8 million, which incorporates a bonus of $9.2 million Includes US dollars.
The WNBA's revenues are far below those of other major North American leagues. But even in area of interest sports like bowling, browsing and bull riding, Clark's salary lags behind that of pros.
The base salary for a Professional Pickleball Association contract player is $75,000. The top five ranked players on the PPA Tour will receive a median of $1.5 million in prize money and payouts this 12 months. Ten Professional Bowlers Association players earned greater than Clark's rookie salary last 12 months. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association featured 25 bull riders whose paychecks exceeded $76,535, with the top-ranked rider earning nearly Clark's entire four-year contract value $338,056 in 2023 from National Finals Rodeo earnings.
Clark's relatively low salary has turn out to be such a national conversation that even the president has commented on it.
Women in sport proceed to push boundaries and encourage us all.
But at once we see that girls are usually not getting their justifiable share, even in the event that they are the most effective.
It's time we give our daughters the identical opportunities as our sons and ensure women get what they deserve.
– President Biden (@POTUS) April 16, 2024
A key difference between the WNBA and its counterparts in lots of other sports is that WNBA players earn a smaller share of league revenue. While NBA players have negotiated a 50-50 split of basketball revenue, the WNBA's salaries accounted for 9.3 percent of the league's revenue in 2023. Kelsey Plum, the star of the Las Vegas Aces and first vice chairman of the players' association, has repeatedly said that the WNBA players want an even bigger piece of the pie, not necessarily a straight raise. “We don’t demand the same salary as men” she said. “We demand that we receive the same percentage of revenue share.”
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert rejected the narrative surrounding Clark's salary. At the CNBC Changemakers SummitEngelbert explained that Clark could earn as much as half 1,000,000 in WNBA salary in 2024. However, this extra compensation is contingent on Clark profiting from team and league marketing agreements, in addition to receiving individual awards and advancing within the playoffs.
Nothing is guaranteed beyond their base salary that resembles the paychecks present in much newer leagues than the WNBA, which is in its twenty eighth season. Pro Volleyball Federation No. 1 Asjia O'Neal is making $60,000 within the PVF's inaugural season. Additionally, the PWHL pays its players a median of $55,000 of their first 12 months. The newer leagues have said their sponsorship and media rights are necessary sources of revenue. But the WNBA also attracts major sponsors, including Google, Nike and CarMax, and has rights deals with ESPN and Amazon.
Given the WNBA's position within the larger sports landscape, it might be inappropriate to match Clark to Wembanyama, Williams or Skenes. But it's also only paid by the lowest-paid NBA player on a two-way contract ($559,872), some NFL practice players (at the least $12,000 every week) and the minimum earners within the NHL ($750,000). dollars).
1. The future Olympian, 18, earned $80,000 by winning a multi-day event this spring and a complete of $219,000 from five events in 2024.
2. The Finnish pro finished fifteenth, winning $77,350 in prize money in 14 events and never ending higher than third in 2023.
3. According to Sports Business Journal, the Charlotte Hornets entertainer earns an annual salary of $100,000 – not even the best amongst NBA mascots.
4. The Miami Marlins have signed the 17-year-old catcher to a one-year contract value $75,000 within the 2024 class. He was assigned to the minor leagues of the Dominican Summer League Marlins.
5. The MLS midfielder earned a base salary of $75,325 in 2023, making him the 789th highest-paid player.
6. The base prize money and payouts for a contract player within the Professional Pickleball League are roughly $75,000.
7. The golfer earned $78,414 in 2023 by competing in 11 events (best finish was twenty third).
eighth. Despite failing to position in most competitions, the 20-year-old placed twenty sixth and earned $76,439 in 2023.
9. The chess grandmaster earned almost $80,000 for winning a tournament – the Grand Swiss – in November 2023.
10. The Fortnite player, who ranked 481st worldwide in total earnings, won $83,475 last 12 months.
The WNBA's current position in its development is usually in comparison with the time when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird entered the NBA, sparking a wave of recognition that has accompanied the league for a long time. When Bird was drafted in 1978, he signed a five-year contract with a median annual value of $650,000 (this figure doesn’t take inflation into consideration). Johnson's average salary over his first five seasons was $460,000.
WNBA advocates hope Clark might help foster similar rivalries, with newcomers like Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky and diverse other players bringing pedigree within the NCAA Tournament and other matchups.
At a fundraiser in April, Southern California head coach Lindsey Gottlieb cited Clark's salary as a reason to advocate for more cash for girls's college basketball. Although Clark and USC star JuJu Watkins have lucrative backers, Gottlieb said neither will “get their worth and worth in basketball.”
The hope for Clark and other WNBA players is that change is on the horizon. The league has struggled up to now to keep up its financial base through investments. Over the last decade, even long-established franchises just like the New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks have almost failed. Teams lacked adequate practice facilities and players often competed abroad to complement their income.
Meanwhile, teams have generally turn out to be more competitive, and recent ownership groups in Atlanta, Las Vegas, New York and Phoenix are focused on making WNBA life more attractive, each financially and with perks. The WNBA has secured more corporate partnerships and media deals to extend the worth of the league. The league generated an estimated revenue of $200 million in 2023, doubling its total revenue in 2019. in response to Chiney Ogwumike, former vice chairman of the players' association. The WNBA recently announced it should spend $25 million on charter flights each of the subsequent two seasons. And it's hoped that a brand new media rights deal – the present one, which brings the printed partners a combined $50 million and expires in 2025 – will provide an extra influx of cash.
Consider the NWSL's recent broadcast contract, which calls for an annual payout of $60 million in comparison with the previous amount of $1.5 million, which helped increase the salary cap by 40 percent from 2023 to 2024 . Now several players' contracts pay high six-figure sums annually and are valued at seven figures over the course of their lives. No WNBA player has ever signed a contract value greater than 1,000,000 dollars.
That million-dollar mark could fall before Clark signs her next contract. And yet, without significant changes to the WNBA's funds, their salary may never reflect what other stars in similar positions receive.
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