Fans argue against outrage on Caitlin Clark and Victor Wembanyama’s $12.02M pay disparity
Fans argue against outrage on Caitlin Clark and Victor Wembanyama’s $12.02M pay disparity (image credit: getty)
This season, Caitlin Clark has brought a lot of attention to the WNBA. Given her massive marketing and economic impact on the league, fans were outraged to see recent pay figures compared to some of her counterparts.
As everyone knows, the pay gap between WNBA and NBA players is massive. It was brought to light once again after a graphic was posted on social media which featured a pair of No. 1 picks.
In the first year of her contract, Caitlin Clark’s salary is $76,500. Meanwhile, San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama earned $12.1 million in his rookie season in the NBA.
While some fans were outraged, others thought rationally. They admitted it had nothing to do with gender, but the size of the market of each league.
Some fans had positive remarks about the future of the WNBA. They feel stars like Clark are going to help reduce the pay gap in the future.
“They will start to get paid soon as more stars like Caitlyn and Resse come into the limelight!” One fan said.
“Mama CC gonna put that WNBA salary to 1-5 mil before she retires. She gonna be goated,” another fan said.
“This will all change because of Caitlin,” said one fan.
Indiana Fever veteran applauds Caitlin Clark’s fun-loving spirit
After a run in college where she broke numerous records, Caitlin Clark entered the pros with a lot of outside noise around her. Despite the narrative not always being positive, one of her teammates talked about her easy-going nature.
On Thursday night, the Indiana Fever will play their regular season finale before gearing up for the playoffs. Ahead of the matchup, Erica Wheeler reflected on the overall vibe of the team. She said that the Fever knows when to be serious, but Clark has made this season fun.
“All we do is have fun with Caitlin Clark, who never takes anything serious,” Wheeler said on Thursday morning. “I tell people all the time she’s really a kid at heart.”
“Majority of the time we having fun. The outside world was really trying to get inside this building, we just didn’t let it.”
Wheeler is in her eighth WNBA season. As a former All-Star, she brings leadership and experience to the young Fever team. On the court, Wheeler plays a smaller role as she is only averaging 13.7 minutes a game.
After Thursday’s game, the Fever will prepare for their first playoff matchup since 2016. As for Clark, she’ll look to carry her impressive play into the postseason.
