The internet was ablaze after Monday night’s WNBA Draft with takes on Caitlin Clark’s rookie contract salary, but longtime sports commentator Jemele Hill is fed up with fans and analysts who mis-contextualize WNBA compensation rather than seeing Clark’s arrival as an opportunity to support the league.
In a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter), Hill called the “clowning” of WNBA salaries misogynistic and reminded fans that the league is fewer than 30 years old and on an upswing.
“I’m already annoyed by this conversation because for years, WNBA players have fought for more money,” Hill explained. “And when they were outspoken, so many of y’all told them to shut up or reminded them how they had no value.”
I’m already annoyed by this conversation because for years, WNBA players have fought for more money. And when they were outspoken, so many of y’all told them to shut up or reminded them how they had no value The NBA has had 50+ years of investment, media coverage, etc. After 27… https://t.co/ysGqkEPcNf
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) April 16, 2024
Clark will make shy of $340,000 on her rookie contract over four years. Many have incorrectly stated this will represent a pay cut from her NIL income at Iowa. In reality, she will make nearly $77,000 in the first year of the deal in addition to significant sponsorship deals with State Farm, Nike, and more.
The pay disparity between the NBA and WNBA has been hotly debated in sports media for years. Recently, the discussion has matured. WNBA athletes have reminded fans and analysts their near-term goal is not equal pay to NBA stars. Instead, they want investment from corporate sponsors and broadcasters that equate with the tangible interest in women’s basketball around the country. If that comes, players argue that pay will naturally be boosted.
As Hill points out, the WNBA is also impossible to compare to the modern NBA. A more accurate comparison would be the NBA in the mid-1980s when it was the same age as the “W” is now.
Hill believes fans who focus on the low pay or mock WNBA athletes are misogynistic. They certainly aren’t helping by being loudly wrong.
