The hot takes over women’s basketball don’t seem to be slowing down, and Jason Whitlock waded back into the waters Wednesday, claiming that Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are being overpaid in the WNBA.
The conservative sports commentator claimed that outside forces were trying to create a “sense of entitlement” in WNBA players like Reese and Clark.
“In more than 30 years of history, the WNBA has never once turned a profit, what business overpays? They’re already overpaid at $75,000 a year,” Whitlock exclaimed during the “Truth Bomb” segment of his “Fearless” podcast.
“What they’re trying to create in these women is a sense of entitlement. ‘Oh, you’re owed something, you’re mistreated. You know what, you should be just like Megan Rapinoe! You should be just like all the angry feminists that have dominated the WNBA and led it to 30-plus years of no profits and total irrelevance. You need to mimic their behavior.’”
Whitlock continued to pontificate that the WNBA has been filled with a “legion of alphabet mafia angry people.”
Whitlock’s comments came amid a debate over whether women’s basketball players are being paid a fair wage as the WNBA’s popularity has started to increase, even before Clark joined the pro ranks on Monday.
However, the women’s basketball superstar has brought an increased focus on player wages in the WNBA after it came out that her four-year rookie contract was only worth $338,056 and that she would be making $76,535 in her first year.
The news quickly brought surprise and anger over how much the deal was worth, even reaching the attention of President Joe Biden on Tuesday.
“Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all,” POTUS wrote on social media. “But right now we’re seeing that even if you’re the best, women are not paid their fair share.
Here’s everything to know about Caitlin Clark and her surprising WNBA salary
Caitlin Clark, college basketball’s all-time leading scorer and new face of the organization unsurprisingly went No. 1 in the WNBA draft to the Indiana Fever.
She hasn’t even played a game yet, but Clark has already become one of the biggest names in the WNBA.
Her first-round pick helped to drive a 304% increase in viewership for the WNBA draft this week. But the conversation around Clark certainly didn’t stop after she signed for 4-year deal with the Indiana Fever.
Clark will earn $338,056 over four years, per the league’s collective bargaining agreement, with the Indiana Fever.
In comparison, the top pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Victor Wembanyama, landed a $55 million deal.
Television personality Hoda Kotb was noticeably distraught about the pay gap during the “Today” show Tuesday.
“For somebody who is now the face of women’s basketball, it seemed kind of ridiculous,” Kotb said.
Kotb called it “disturbing” and brought it up multiple times throughout the morning.
Former ESPN journalist and current contributor to The Atlantic Jemele Hill was displeased with the discourse surrounding WNBA salaries and posted a lengthy X post on the subject.
“I’m already annoyed by this conversation because for years, WNBA players have fought for more money. And when they were outspoken, so many of y’all told them to shut up or reminded them how they had no value The NBA has had 50+ years of investment, media coverage, etc. After 27 years, the WNBA will not be the current NBA. So stop comparing them,” Hill wrote on social media.
“Weaponizing this information against WNBA players is another form of misogyny. These women have been dreaming of playing professionally in front of American audiences their whole lives,” Hill continued. “Instead of clowning and reminding them of what they’re not — buy the merchandise, go to the games, and watch the games on television.
“It’s time that we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women are paid what they deserve.”
But Whitlock doesn’t sound like he would agree with the president’s take on the issue, and he continued to criticize those who wanted to paint the situation as women being treated unfairly.
“We haven’t been unfair to women,” Whitlock said. “You don’t have to believe every lie told over Twitter or told on some college campus.”
With the increased focus on the WNBA with Clark now among its ranks, the debate over their pay likely won’t be going away anytime soon.
