COLUMBIA, S.C. — WNBA fever is sweeping the nation.
The league, which was founded in 1996, is taking off in popularity and success. One of the young stars whose talent is stoking the flames of the WNBA fanfare is Caitlin Clark.
Her transition to the professional league is drawing in crowds and renewed attention to the pervasive gender pay gap.
Caitlin Clark, as the number one pick in the WNBA draft, has a contract valued at $76,535, a stark contrast to the over $10 million projected for the NBA's top draft pick.
According to Business Insider, this disparity highlights a broader issue in professional basketball, where the average base pay for WNBA players is $113,295, significantly lower than the NBA's average of $9.7 million.
“We have got to invest in these women,” A’ja Wilson explains. “We have to really put money into these women to push the needle forward.
The two-time WNBA champion and South Carolina Gamecocks legend has consistently highlighted the pay disparity and leveraged her platform to advocate for equitable compensation and broader recognition of women's basketball.
While players and coaches acknowledge that factors such as audience size and revenue generation influence the situation, the pay disparity in women's basketball remains widely viewed as unacceptably high.
It’s an issue female athletes across different sports are grappling with.
A problem Dr. Tarlan Charhardovali, an assistant professor with USC’s Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, says needs to be addressed by decision-makers and those running different sports governing bodies.
“It has always been on the athletes,” she explained. “They have to had to advocate for better resources, better treatment, better coaches, better facilities, which are all tied to their pay as well.”
Dr. Chahardovali believes the burden of responsibility needs to shift from players and fans to leaders and decision-makers.
“For a very long time they have undervalued women’s sports…they always saw it as a charity,” she said. “It is no longer a case for charity. It’s a business case. It’s a wise decision to invest in women’s sports.”
The pay disparity in sports mirrors the broader gender wage gap across industries, highlighting the ongoing challenges in achieving equitable compensation for women.
“Women currently make 84 cents to every dollar a man makes in the United States if they work full time,” said Kelli Parker with the South Carolina Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network.
According to the most recent data, the divide is even deeper in South Carolina.
Parker explained women in The Palmetto State make 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. It’s 57 cents for black women and 55 cents for Latinas.
Parker explains that closing the gender wage gap requires systemic and institutional changes.
However, WREN offers actionable steps to address and overcome these challenges, including:
- Negotiating Salary: Studies show women are less likely to negotiate their salary and raises. WREN said being an effective negotiator and advocating for fair pay can help individual women increase their earnings.
- Develop Skills: Continuously developing in-demand skills, getting additional certifications/education, and staying up-to-date can make women more competitive and valuable in the job market.
- Build Networks: Networking and finding mentors, especially with other professional women, can provide guidance, connections, and sponsors to aid career advancement.
- Research Pay Rates: Understanding typical pay rates and ranges for roles and industries can arm women with data to better evaluate and negotiate fair compensation.
- Be An Ally: Men can also be allies by respecting contributions, amplifying voices, equitably splitting housework/childcare, and calling out discrimination.