Caitlin Clark’s new WNBA salary went viral, and even President Biden is taking notice.
Clark, selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever on Monday in the 2024 WNBA Draft, is set to make $76,535 her rookie year and $338,056 over the next four seasons, according to Spotrac.
WNBA salaries have been a topic for years — often forcing players to go overseas to play in the WNBA offseason — but Clark’s rise in stardom has brought new interest — and opinions — to the sport.
“Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all,” Biden wrote on X. “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.”
Clark was taken No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever on Monday night after leading Iowa to back-to-back national championship game appearances.
For comparison, Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick of the Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft, will make $55.1 million over four years.
The Hawkeyes’ loss to South Carolina in the national championship game was viewed by 18.7 million people and peaked at 24 million — the most-watched hoops broadcast of any kind since the 2019 men’s championship game between Texas Tech and Virginia.
However, Clark’s NCAA popularity will do little to impact her rookie salary given the current financial realities of the WNBA.
The WNBA currently makes $60 million a season from their TV contracts ESPN, CBS, ION and Amazon, per Front Office Sports.
