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Biden Calls Out Sports Pay Gap Amid Caitlin Clark Salary Debate

Jeremy Childs
·2 min read

President Joe Biden stepped into the conversation around WNBA first draft pick Caitlin Clark’s sub six-figure annual salary, saying that the pay gap between the women’s and men’s leagues reflect a larger discrepancy in opportunities.

“Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all,” the president said Wednesday on X/Twitter. “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,” his post concluded.

Biden’s remarks come after details of the University of Iowa basketball star’s salary were called out for being far less than the pay for male players in the NBA.

Clark was offered a rookie contract with the Indiana Fever, during which she would be paid $76,535 for the first year, increasing to an option of $97,582 by the fourth year. The total pay package summed up to $353,000 over the course of four years, and her compensation package was dictated by the pay scale in the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement.

For comparison, last year’s first draft pick in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama, signed a $55 million contract over four years with the San Antonio Spurs, including guaranteed payment of $25 million, according to Spotrac, which documents player compensation financials.

Clark, LSU’s Angel Reese, Stanford’s Cameron Brink, and other star players have led to a boom in NCAA’s women’s basketball.

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