WNBA COMMISSIONER DEFENDS CAITLIN CLARK'S SALARY AFTER JOE BIDEN'S FIERCE CRITICISM

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has defended the salary handed to Caitlin Clark for her rookie season with the Indiana Fever as she called out "false narratives" amid criticism from United States President Joe Biden.

The uproar surrounding the agreement the point guard has signed with her new employers for the next four years, mandated by the current collective bargaining agreement, prompted figures from the worlds of sports, entertainment and politics come together to call for reform. Having helped to transform the popularity of women's college basketball during her time in Iowa, Clark was drafted by the Fever as the first overall pick on April 15.

However, her salary of $76,535 for her first year, which will rise to $97,582 in year four, has been the subject of intense scrutiny as discourse abounds in relation to the gender pay-gap. As a point of comparison, Clark's male counterpart in the NBA Draft last year earned a $55m deal over four years as the No. 1 pick.

However, Engelbert has now deflected the anger which has abounded in recent days as she spoke at the 2024 CNBC Changemakers event in New York. She asserted: "Let me clarify first, because it’s proxy season, right. No CEO, do you just put the base pay in there. No, you put their bonus, you put their stock options, you put everything.

"Caitlin has the ability to make up to a half of a million dollars just in WNBA wages this year," she continued, as she then tried to give some context to where the controversial pay-gap originated. "So they’re just looking at a base, which is collectively bargained and actually is low, because she’s the No. 1 pick.

“But she also has millions and millions of dollars in endorsements, and actually because she’s declared to become pro, her endorsements are higher in dollar value – she has a global platform now, not just a U.S. platform, so she’s going to do just fine as well as will the top players in the league as every league does."

With the main sticking point for critics being the clear disparity in terms of remuneration for stars of both respective competitions, the commissioner pointed out that the NBA is benefitting from being the more established global brand. What is true is that the latter garners revenue in the region of $13 billion per annum, with the WNBA bringing in a lesser $200 million, as per CNBC. However, WNBA stars have historically argued for the same share of league revenue as the NBA, not the same raw dollar amounts.

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Trying to bring some more clarity to the discourse, Engelbert added: "Those men’s leagues are 75-120 years old., We’re tipping off our 28th season. I would say if you looked at them 28 seasons in, we’re further ahead. But I realize we still have work to do and it’s all about the ecosystem around us that drives revenue.”

Perhaps the most prominent critic of the pay gap in recent days has been President Biden, who posted on Twitter/X: "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 give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women are paid what they deserve."

Likewise, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson also joined the call for better pay for female basketballers, saying on X: “These ladies deserve so much more… Praying for the day, while Hollywood's Jamie Lee Curtis also posted on Instagram in support of Clark, calling her salary: "OUTRAGEOUS!"

2024-04-19T21:33:54Z dg43tfdfdgfd