Women’s basketball has burst into the national spotlight, thanks to star players such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
Both were drafted in the first round of Monday’s 2024 WNBA draft, and are some of the most exciting prospects the league has seen in its history. But instead of celebrating the achievements of these women and what they can bring to the WNBA, the talk immediately descended upon a familiar topic: how WNBA players are underpaid.
But according to conservative sports commentator Jason Whitlock, WNBA players are actually overpaid.
In a clip taken from his talk show ‘Fearless,’ posted to social media platform X, Whitlock said the media and other forces are trying to create a “sense of entitlement” in WNBA players by arguing they should be paid more. Whitlock claimed WNBA players are overpaid now.
“They’re overpaid at $75,000 a year … they’re overpaid already,” Whitlock argued.
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Clark, who was the No. 1 pick by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA draft, is set to make $76,535 in her rookie season, according to the New York Post. For context, Victor Wembanyama, the first pick in the 2023 NBA draft, made $12.1 million in his rookie year.
Whitlock highlighted the fact that the WNBA’s failure to turn a profit in any of its 30 years of operation is a clear demonstration of why the athletes are overpaid.
He noted that these outside forces want new WNBA stars like Clark and Reese, who was selected seventh overall in the draft by the Chicago Sky, to be like what he called the “legion of angry feminists” and “alphabet mafia angry people” to join the fight for pay increases in the WNBA.
In 30 years, the WNBA has never once turned a profit. The women are overpaid already at $75K a year. They’re trying to create a sense of entitlement in these women. pic.twitter.com/uj2aL9bgqU
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) April 17, 2024
Whitlock’s comments come at a time when the WNBA is in the midst of a surge in popularity, thanks to the stardom of players such as Clark and Reese. The Atlantic reported that the 2024 WNBA Draft recorded 2.4 million viewers, a 307 percent increase from the previous year.
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The salary issue has even drawn attention from President Joe Biden, who argued that women in the WNBA are not paid their “fair share.”
But in order for pay increases to be seriously considered, the surge in popularity has to turn into profit.
As Whitlock noted, the WNBA has never made a profit. The league is actually subsidized by the NBA, which owns 50 percent of the WNBA, with a yearly endowment of $15 million to help cover operations costs for WNBA teams.
Reports of the revenue generated by the WNBA vary. Some indicated that the league brought in $60 million in revenue in 2022, and was expected to bring in up to $200 million revenue in 2023. These reports did not indicate the total profit the league made during those years.
The NBA generated roughly $10.58 billion in revenue for the 2022 season, although it’s unclear how much of that was profit.
These figures highlight that the WNBA pay debate comes down to one simple thing: profit.
The WNBA is a business, and the players who choose to pursue a career in the WNBA are doing so of their own free will, knowing that the league has struggled financially for its entire existence.
So, in this sense, Whitlock is right that WNBA players should not feel entitled to make a similar salary to NBA players, because the league they play for is nowhere near as profitable as the NBA.
This is the uncomfortable truth about this entire debate. It’s not about what’s fair or what’s equal, it’s about what’s feasible. And currently, it’s not feasible for the WNBA to pay its players at the same level as a league that generates 166 times the amount of revenue as the WNBA.
At the end of the day, the NBA and WNBA are businesses. And a business in a financial hole cannot afford to pay its employees more money than the business has.
Further, it’s unlikely that commentators like Whitlock aren’t in favor of the WNBA succeeding. They simply want the arguments to be based on logic and facts, not emotion.
On the bright side for the WNBA, the addition of stars like Clark and Reese provides the league with the opportunity to finally climb out of its financial hole and generate more revenue, turn a profit and pay its players more.
That’s why this upcoming season is arguably the most important in the WNBA’s history.
The 2024 women’s NCAA tournament drew huge viewership numbers, thanks to the entertaining play of players like Clark and Reese. It reinforced the notion that people watch sports because of the entertainment value, not because of politics.
This level of viewership and popularity could skyrocket the WNBA’s revenue and help the league turn a profitable season.
It’s unclear, however, whether this popularity will carry over to the WNBA.
But if there was ever a time that the WNBA would be able to turn things around, this is the year to do it.
