Madness After March
As the WNBA prepares to start its season on May 14th, we should look at what makes this upcoming season the most exciting and anticipated one yet. Coming off of an impressive March Madness season for the Women’s NCAA Basketball tournament, the WNBA is hoping to capitalize off of this hype. Stars such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese being drafted into the league brings some much needed excitement and drama around the WNBA.
Photo by Corey Sipkin
The rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has captivated fans for the past year and everyone was excited to see them face off once again in the NCAA Tournament. This time Caitlin Clark got the better of Reese, and proceeded to lead her Iowa Hawkeyes to the finals in the tournament. The Women’s Tournament this year, along with these two stars, dominated March in a way that we have not seen women do in the past. According to NBC, the finals of the Women’s tournament boasted a viewership of 18.9 million people, while the men’s tournament had 14.8 million. The sports media was also dominated by the women, showcasing the star power that the women’s game has started to accumulate.
Photo by ESPN
However, after Monday’s draft, Clark’s rookie contract in the WNBA was leaked, revealing that she would make $76,535 dollars in her rookie year, with the entire contract being worth $338,056 and a duration of 4 years. For reference, Victor Wembanyama, the last first overall pick in the NBA is making $12,160,680 with his entire contract being 4 years worth over $55 million dollars. He also was guaranteed $25 million dollars at signing. Yes, the NBA is wildly more popular than the WNBA as of right now, however this is a wage gap of about $12 million dollars per year. For further reference, Shake Melton, who signed a minimum contract with the Knicks is making upwards of $500 thousand dollars this year. He is the last man on the bench and making more than five times the amount of money that the number one overall pick in the WNBA draft is making.
Photo by Troy Taormina
These kinds of wages are the reason that WNBA have to suffer to live. Britney Griner was forced to travel abroad to play basketball in the off-season because she needed the money, and this ultimately led to her 10 month detainment in Russia. There are certainly arguments to be made, such as the league being small and less profitable than the NBA. This is true. However, we have seen the immense growth of the WNBA throughout the past couple of years. Most notably the stars who have been entering the league coming from the NCAA tournament. Stars such as Brianna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, who almost beat Steph Curry as well as out-scoring all of the men performers, in the three point contest at this past year’s NBA All-Star Weekend. In a league with teams owned by billionaires which is clearly growing players should be getting compensated for their role in the league’s development. It is not the time for WNBA teams to start handing out hundred million dollar contracts, but teams should be able to make sure that their players are never struggling or needing to play professionally elsewhere simply for the money. Teams have the means to do right by the players, which will ultimately lead to a better overall league atmosphere which could only further the development of the sport.