"WNBA take note": Social media reacts as Ottawa Charge's Emily Clark scripts history becoming the highest paid PWHL player

Emily Clark has signed a new contract with the Ottawa Charge on Thursday, and it seemingly got women's hockey fans ecstatic. While details of the extension until the 2027-28 season were not fully disclosed, Clark reportedly will earn approximately $100,000 next season, making her the highest-paid player in PWHL history.

Hockey insider Gino Hard shared the news on X (formerly Twitter):

"Emily Clark of the Ottawa Charge makes history as the first women's hockey player to earn a $100K salary 😲👏"

Soon, fans shared their reactions to the announcement on social media.

"WNBA take note. They are building their game and their salary is increasing. Not just demanding NHL money," a fan wrote.

"Wow. Hard work really doesn’t pay off," a fan said.

"League is trending in the right direction, keeps growing every year 👏" a fan wrote.

Here are some more reactions from fans:

"Clarkie!!!! Let’s gooooooooooo!!" one fan wrote in excitement.

"These games are fun to watch, the competition is there, and the ladies are highly skilled. No beer league team could compete. Huge difference between this and WNBA" a fan reacted.

"When you are used seeing what NHL players are paid, that is comically low, but at least enough to make a living playing hockey. Hopefully we’ll see an increase in pay as the league grows. Women deserve to have a way to play sports professionally. There’s some really good players." anoter fan mentioned.

Emily Clark talked about signing an extension with Ottawa Charge

Emily Clark has played with the Ottawa Charge since the PWHL began in 2023-24. She is 29 years old and serves as their alternate captain.

“When Mike (Hirshfeld) reached out about an extension, I was thrilled," Clark said, via thepwhl.com. "I am proud to have been part of this organization from the inaugural season, and I am really grateful to get to extend my contract."

Clark gave a shout-out to the fans, who played a part in extending her stay.

"It is so fun to play in front of them every night," Clark said. "Playing for such a passionate fan base made it easy for me to want more time here. I’m excited for more games at TD Place and more time in the community."

Emily Clark said the 2024 Walter Cup loss motivates her even more, and she is focused on helping bring a championship to Ottawa in the future.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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Edited by William Paul