“Tope salarial”. That is a fundamental phrase to understand all professional sports leagues in the United States, since it forces all teams to keep payrolls well below income and thus allow commercial viability.
That salary cap is the main explanation for the recent controversy for the salary that superstar Caitlin Clark will receive in the Indiana Fever from WNBA, after being the first selection in the Draft held last Monday.
What is the salary cap in the WNBA for the 2024 season?
This limit is set in relation to the annual income of the women’s basketball league, which is distributed equally among the 12 WNBA teams. For the 2024 season, the salary cap is $1.4 million per team And furthermore, the collective contract has restrictions for rookie players.
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That’s why Caitlin Clark, who at the University of Iowa broke all records and boosted the ratings of the “March Madness” women’s college basketball finals to historic numbers, He will earn “barely” 76 thousand dollars in his first season with the Fever and with some bonuses it could reach 100 thousand. Simply, by regulation they cannot pay it more.
The contrast with the NBA is obviously gigantic. For example, Victor Wembanyama, the Frenchman who was the first selection in the 2023 Draft, signed a contract that paid him 12 million dollars in his first season with the San Antonio Spurs.
And there the explanation is again the salary cap: 136 million per team for the current 2023-2024 season, since the NBA generates income of more than 10 billion dollars per championship.
The WNBA, although it is on a sustained rise, is a business of 233 million dollars per season.
What did Joe Biden say about Caitlin Clark’s salary?
The salary differences between the WNBA and the NBA It is a controversial issue for several years in the United States, but Clark’s arrival and a recent post by President Joe Biden fueled the debate.
Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all.
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.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 16, 2024
From his official presidential account on X (@Potus), Biden said that “Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all. But now we are seeing that even if you are the best, women don’t get their fair share. It is time we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women receive the pay they deserve.”
Can WNBA salaries increase?
Clark’s arrival will allow the women’s basketball league sign new and lucrative contracts, and it will surely also generate a great impact on ticket sales.
These incomes will allow the salary limit to be raised, But in any case the increase will not be exponential nor will it be close to the salaries of the men’s league.
The other option that has been on the table for some time is increase the number of games per season (which today is only 40, compared to 82 in the NBA) as long as income from ticket sales and television contracts grows.
Caitlin Clark’s Lucrative Business Contracts
In any case, Caitlin Clark has juicy commercial contracts with brands such as Gatorade, Buick and State Farm, among others, which earn her income greater than 3 million dollars.
Furthermore, in the coming days a new agreement should be announced over the 10 million dollars with Nike.
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