President Biden jumped into the debate on gender and sports this week after University of Iowa basketball standout Caitlin Clark was selected No. 1 in the WNBA draft, calling for equal pay for female athletes. I asked for
Ms. Clark's salary will be much less than that of her male counterpart. In an op-ed for X on Tuesday, Biden said that despite her accomplishments in the sports world, female athletes are underrepresented.
“Right now we are seeing that women are not being paid what they deserve, even at the very best,” he says. “It is time to give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure that women are paid the compensation they deserve.”
Biden gave a nod to a momentous moment for women's basketball, which has stars such as Clark, selected by the WNBA's Indiana Fever, Paige Bueckers of the University of Connecticut and Angel Reese of the University of Los Angeles.
However, under the WNBA's collective bargaining agreement, Clark's salary will be $338,056 over the next four years. That sum is just a fraction of the contract for Victor Wembaneyama, whom the San Antonio Spurs selected with the No. 1 pick in last year's NBA Draft. His contract was worth $55 million, according to Spotrac, a website that tracks salaries in sports.
This disparity has come under scrutiny at a pivotal time for sports, especially college athletics. Students have the opportunity to monetize their athletic success through name, image, likeness or his NIL contract, and top stars like Mr. Clark can earn millions of dollars. However, women's total compensation in sports far exceeds that of male athletes.
The women's national championship game, in which Clark's Iowa State lost to South Carolina, had higher ratings than the first-ever men's college championship game between UW and Purdue.
The president's comments sparked mixed reactions online, with some echoing Biden's views on unfairness and others arguing that it was not sexism but the league's much lower revenue than the NBA. Some did. Others used the opportunity to criticize Democrats over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports.
Women's tennis legend Martina Navratilova praised Biden.
She answered “Yes,” with an X, calling for policies that guarantee women's equal access to education. “In other words, stay away from Title IX, thank you Mr. President!”
Last year, after LSU defeated the University of Iowa, another team led by Clark, first lady Jill Biden suggested that both teams be invited to the White House, saying it would be a break with tradition. It was controversial. The image of a president who entertains only the title winners.
Reese, a star at LSU and a top pick in the WNBA draft, slammed the idea at the time.
“If we lose, we won't be invited to the White House,” she said on the podcast.