“Paid what they deserve”: President Joe Biden advocates outrage of female athlete pay grade amid Caitlin Clark’s contract

NCAA Women
President Joe Biden advocates outrage of female athlete pay grade amid Caitlin Clark’s contract

Amid the outrage regarding the 2024 WNBA draft's No. 1 pick, Caitlin Clark's rookie contract with the WNBA, President Joe Biden called for female athletes to be "paid what they deserve."

Biden took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share his views on the matter, in support of female athletes.

"Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all," President Biden tweeted on X.
"But right now we're seeing that even if you're the best, women are not paid their fair share. It’s time that we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women are paid what they deserve."

Caitlin Clark was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever on Monday and is expected to sign a contract with the team worth $338,056 over four years, earning $76,535 in her rookie season this summer.

Compared to her male counterparts in the NBA, Clark's contract is drastically low, which fueled an outrage by sports fans demanding equal pay.

The WNBA is, after all, a business organization, and does not earn enough revenue to pay their players the same as the NBA which is the main reason for the difference in pay. Until now, the WNBA garnered little interest when compared to the NBA and therefore dulled in its revenue generation.

However, as of late, the WNBA is making good strides and is gathering a lot of interest of which Caitlin Clark has been a major influence.

Clark, unarguably one of the finest collegiate players of all time, is the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer and a two-time national player of the year.


Caitlin Clark expected to receive eight-figure deal with Nike

Caitlin Clark is expected to receive a lucrative eight-figure endorsement deal with Nike, which will include her own signature shoe. Clark is set to be one of the three active players in the WNBA with their own signature shoe deal alongside Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart.

The 22-year-old had a deal with Nike, which ended after the conclusion of the recent college basketball season. The end of the deal allowed Clark to hit the market at the peak of her popularity.

Already having secured endorsement deals with Gatorade, State Farm and Panini, Clark is expected to land one of the most lucrative sneaker deals in the WNBA with many sponsors interested to be in the Caitlin Clark business.