I Can’t Take $55 million, : As Caitlin Clark’s Announce her departure due to
Regarding Caitlin Clark, a WNBA first-round draft pick, being paid substantially less than her male peers, Republican senators are divided.
While Ms. Clark was a member of the women’s basketball team at the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, she gained recognition on a global scale. She was chosen as the first choice by the Indiana Fever WNBA team earlier this month.
But considering that Ms. Clark would earn much less than her male NBA colleagues—specifically, she looked to make approximately $76,000 annually—the fact that her four-year contract was only worth $338,056 incited uproar. The first draft pick, who is her direct male counterpart in the NBA, is signed to a $55 million contract.
President Joe Biden also criticized the low salary.
When The Independent asked them about Clark’s pay situation, Republican Senators from Ms Clark’s home state of Iowa and from Indiana diverged.
“Well, I think that’s crap,” Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa told The Independent. “She is marvelous. I really think she is extraordinary. I think what she’s doing for women’s sports is really going to raise the issue so I’m really proud of her. Regardless, I am so proud of the entire team.”
But Senator Chuck Grassley, the oldest-serving Senator, said he believes Clark’s fame will lead to better pay for the WNBA on its own.
“She’s going to lead the way so that within 10 years, women are going to get paid just as much as the men,” the nonagenarian senator told The Independent.
Indiana’s Republican Senator Todd Young highlighted Clark’s historic $28 million deal with Nike and implied that Clark’s lower salary was justified because of viewership numbers.
“I hope that the women’s game continues to grow in viewership and brings in the sort of revenue that would justify a significantly higher salary for her,” he told The Independent. “ But I’m really pleased for Caitlin and her family that Caitlin just inked a massive sponsorship deal with Nike. That should be our point of emphasis right now.”
Young responded, “You betcha,” when asked if he would watch any Indiana Fever games.
Indiana gubernatorial candidate Senator Mike Braun echoed the remarks.
When questioned about Clark’s low pay, he told The Independent, “Well, maybe that’ll be remedied if she plays as well as she has up to this point, maybe she’ll be the one that changes that.”
More divided was Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville, who coached football at Auburn University, the University of Mississippi, Texas Tech University, and the University of Cincinnati before being elected in 2020.
“I suppose it’s a case of cause and effect,” Tuberville said to The Independent. “I don’t believe there will ever be an excessive number of female athletes who will similar to the stars. LeBron James, you know, switches on a lot of TVs.
He acknowledged, “But Caitlin Clark, she might be a difference.”
According to Tuberville, he watched the NCAA women’s basketball tournament championship game, in which the University of South Carolina, who had an undefeated season, defeated Clark’s Hawkeyes. More people watched the game than the men’s final game, with 24 million viewers, making it the highest viewership of a collegiate basketball game since 2019.
