Coco Gauff has reacted to the professional contract of rising basketball star Caitlin Clark, calling her severely underpaid.
Most players in women's basketball, and the WNBA particularly, aren't paid remotely close to what their male counterparts are paid, for example, in the NBA. While regular role players in the NBA earn tens of millions, superstars in the women's league earn many times less.
The example of Caitlin Clark and her first contract demonstrates that clearly. She is the most exciting female professional we've seen in years, even a superstar already, and yet her starting salary will be about $76,000 per year. She will earn a little over $300,000 from her first professional contract.
That's quite low, considering that her male counterpart, who went number one in last year's NBA draft, signed a contract worth over a million per year. Coco Gauff, one of the highest-earning female athletes in the world, reacted to that ahead of the 2024 Madrid Open, calling her and all other players severely underpaid.
"Not that it's always about money, but obviously ... these women are very, very much severely underpaid when it comes to the amount of work, when it comes to their male counterparts."
Despite having a very low salary, Clark has several deals lined up that will earn her millions, so like many fellow female athletes, she can subsidize her earnings via endorsements. However, when comparing base salaries, the difference is clear.
Obviously, the NBA is currently more popular than the WNBA, sells more tickets, and has better TV deals, which contributes to the salary difference, even though the women's league is becoming more and more popular every day with the hope of matching the men's league in the future.
However, as a woman in sports, Gauff will advocate for more equality in sports.