Will the WNBA's new TV deal boost Caitlin Clark and other stars' shockingly low salaries?

Despite basketball's profile, it's not uncommon for WNBA players to have lower salaries than many jobs in the common world. Former WNBA star and current college coach Dawn Staley told CBS News, "We have been fighting this fight for a very long time."

However, things might change for the better in the near future. The WNBA agreed to a landmark TV rights deal in July 2024, which will pay the league around $200 million annually starting in 2026.

Thanks to a star-studded 2024 WNBA Draft class, women’s professional basketball could see a noticeable increase in viewership and attention in the coming years. As attention is predicted to rise in the WNBA, so has the business interest of fans curious about the league. However, the current salary figures of WNBA stars may shock many.

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Clark’s historic performance at the University of Iowa put women’s basketball on the map in the spring of 2024. The NCAA’s website believes that her legacy in the sport is just beginning, but there’s no doubt she capitalized handsomely on her brand while in college. USA Today estimated that Clark made around $3.5 million in endorsement deals last season.

Shortly after the Indiana Fever selected Clark with the first pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, the prolific scorer received a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike. The New York Post reports that the two signed an eight-year pact worth as much as $28 million.

However, these advertisement metrics far exceed what Clark is set to earn on the court in the first few years of her WNBA career.

According to Spotrac, Caitlin Clark signed a four-year, $338,000 contract with the Indiana Fever. In her rookie season, she earned $76,535, and is slated to take home $97,582 in her fourth WNBA campaign.

The compensation for Victor Wembanyama, the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, looks a little different. In his first NBA season, Wembanyama made just over $12 million in his deal with the San Antonio Spurs.

According to Spotrac, three players had the honor of claiming they are the highest paid player in the WNBA during the 2024 season. Arike Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings, Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury and Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm all have $241,984 base salaries this season.

With the relatively low base pay compared to their male counterparts, it hasn’t been uncommon for WNBA players to play in international leagues during the offseason. However, Sportico believes this trend may be shifting.

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Sportico reported in February 2024 that about half of the WNBA’s players played intentionally during the winter. While that may sound like a lot, that figure actually represents a decrease from the 60 percent of the league that would do so in the 2010s.

There are different reasons for why this is. Front Office Sports reported in April 2024 that players have fewer opportunities to play outside the United States than they did before. This has to do with shifts in world politics, involving Russia and Israel, who hosted leagues for female professional players.

The Athletic looked at it from a compensation perspective in April 2023. They reported that WNBA agents told them that only five to 10 players make more than $500,000 playing internationally in a given offseason. The higher payouts tended to be afforded in Russia and China.

Additionally, players might not be as keen to play away from the United States due to fear about what might happen to them abroad. Brittney Griner was infamously detained in Russia for 10 months in a highly public situation.

According to Spotrac, only about 70 WNBA players made $100,000 or more in salary during the 2024 campaign.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy weighed in on Varney & Co. He said, “It (the salary) is low, but it’s built in. It is based on the past, not the future. So, she’ll (Caitlin Clark) hopefully change that structure. But that’s (their current salary) probably what the WNBA draft picks deserve,” he said.

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