Clark phenomenon raises pay scale temperature to fever pitch
The Indiana Fever is sure to boil over into some deathly temperatures after selecting Caitlin Clark as the first pick in the Women's National Basketball Association 2024 draft. Clark has undoubtedly changed the college game the past two years, but now she has broken societal norms and stepped into one of the most controversial topics in sports. The contract she signed on April 15 was a four year contract worth $338,056. In comparison, the San Antonios Spurs signed rookie Victor Wembanyama as the first pick in the men’s National Basketball Association 2023 draft, and he will make $55 million in his four year contract. The stark difference leaves fanatics, viewers, and even politicians wondering if the game they love and admire so much is fair and just.
In the 2024 NCAA tournament, Clark averaged 30 points and 8.7 assists per game at Iowa as opposed to Wembanyana who averaged 21.6 points and 2.4 assists in the LNB Elite, a professional French basketball team. While both stats are impressive, it’s clear that Clark proved far more dominant in her league. Her talent shows in all aspects of life, causing some to question why this does not merit equal pay. Furthermore, her character has reminded young girls that anything is possible. Beyond the borders of Iowa, Clark brought in significantly more press for women’s basketball this year. The women’s championship between Iowa and South Carolina drew a total of 24 million viewers compared to the men’s game at 14.82 million views. President Joe Biden commented on how great it is that women's sports are receiving more attention, but still at their best, women are not paid equitably. As more people take interest in women's basketball, the question of pay becomes increasingly hotter (dare I say, feverish).
As a logistical counterpoint to this argument, the WNBA makes significantly less revenue than the NBA, a direct result of the number of viewers the NBA gains. For example, the WNBA averaged 728,000 views per game in the 2023 season in comparison to the 11.64 million the NBA received per game. Due to this, people argue it is impossible for women to receive equal pay, even though it’s deserved. On the contrary, Clark has doubled, nearly tripled, views and press, and she is projected to do the same for the league. Some argue for complete abolishment of the pay gap, forcing men’s salaries to match womens, regardless of revenue. The main argument for that point is that men should not be paid more just because they receive more attention, praise that is given because of systematic sexism.
Even though Clark’s salary is nowhere near comparable to men’s, you won’t need to start a GoFundMe to cover her shoe costs. She recently signed a $20 million contract with Nike and will continue to gain an unfathomable amount of money from endorsements. All professional athletes are taken care of, but the debate is not about the amount of money, but about the financial ethics behind it.
by Sophie Carlin
Published April 29 2024
Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue VII