The gender pay gap in sports has been a hot topic for years, and right now, all eyes are on two rising basketball stars: Caitlin Clark of the WNBA and Victor Wembanyama of the NBA. Both were picked first in their respective drafts and are big names in the sport ,but their paychecks couldn’t be more different.
Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, signed a four-year deal worth about $338,000. That breaks down to around $84,000 per year.
Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s No. 1 pick in 2023, signed a four-year contract worth about $55 million, or roughly $13.7 million a year.
The NBA makes around $10 billion a year. The WNBA earns about $200–300 million. Since the NBA brings in far more money, it can pay its players much more.
The NBA gets bigger TV deals, more sponsors, and more global attention. That means more money flowing into the league and into players’ pockets.
NBA players have an 82-game season, while the WNBA only plays 40 regular season games. Fewer games = less income.
NBA players get about 50% of league revenue. WNBA players get much less sometimes only 20–30%.
Thanks to stars like Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu, the WNBA is growing fast. Clark’s college games brought in record-breaking viewers, and now WNBA games are getting more attention than ever before. This increased popularity could lead to more money for players in the future.
The WNBA will renegotiate its contract rules in 2025, and many players hope for better salaries, more bonuses, and a fairer share of league profits.
This isn’t just about basketball. The pay gap between Caitlin and Victor shows a bigger issue: women in many industries are still being paid far less than men, even when they’re just as talented.
But as more fans tune in, and as players speak up, things are slowly starting to change. And with stars like Caitlin Clark leading the way, the future of women’s basketball looks brighter than ever.
