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Caitlin Clark is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in professional sports today, but whether or not she’s being fairly compensated for that is up for debate. Clark has reinvigorated the women’s basketball fanbase, but the WNBA doesn’t seem to have the budget for her.

Sports Illustrated reported that Clark earns a modest salary comparable to that of a typical corporate employee — $78,066, plus an All-Star bonus of $2,575. Her base salary isn’t even cracking six figures, despite the enormous salaries NBA players bring in.

Caitlin Clark isn’t afraid to speak out about the earning discrepancy between the NBA and WNBA.

According to Sports Illustrated, the WNBA held its All-Star Weekend on July 19. Just days before, on Thursday, the WNBA Players Association began its collective bargaining agreement talks with the WNBA. While no news has come from the meetings yet, players clearly wanted to make a statement about what they wanted. Clark and other famous WNBA players wore shirts that read, “Pay us what you owe us.”

In a press conference at the All-Star Game, Clark stated, “We should be paid more, and hopefully that’s the case moving forward as the league continues to grow. That’s probably the most important thing that we’re in the room thinking about.”

And the league certainly is growing. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has announced that five new franchises will join the league throughout the next five seasons. Many people credit this growth to players like Clark, who are garnering an unprecedented amount of publicity for the once-barely known league.

It should be noted, of course, that Clark has become a multi-millionaire thanks to various brand deals, so she’s not exactly struggling financially. Still, knowing what most male pro athletes are paid, it does seem unfair that Clark earns less than $80,000 a year.

: The First Year Salary For WNBA’s #1 Draft Pick Caitlin Clark Is Barely More Than An Average Office Worker In Indiana

The popularity of the WNBA reflects the players’ salaries.

If the WNBA needs an excuse not to pay players more, it has a pretty good one. Even fans aren’t sure how to feel about their favorite players, like Clark, demanding more money when the WNBA has had its fair share of struggles. A separate report from Sports Illustrated pointed out that the league has not been profitable since it was created in 1997. Additionally, there are reports that it experienced $40 million in losses in 2024. They may, quite simply, not have the money for higher salaries.

ESPN host Pat McAfee shared his own thoughts on the league’s salaries. Siding with the players, he suggested the WNBA could take an even bigger loss. He argued that it was an “embarrassment” for players like Clark to make so little. It’s unclear exactly how much money Clark brings in for the Indiana Fever and the WNBA as a whole, but it would seem like she’s worth more than roughly $80,000.

: The Conversation We’re Not Having About Caitlin Clark

Perhaps the bigger issue is the inflated earnings of male professional athletes.

The WNBA Players Association is actually seeking a larger percentage of overall revenue in their new collective bargaining agreement. Sports Illustrated reported that WNBA players only earn 9.3% of the league’s revenue right now. Compare that to the NBA, where players bring in 49% to 51%.

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According to ESPN, the highest-paid NBA player of the 2025 to 2026 season was the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, who made $59,606,817. It’s not clear how much of that is from the NBA itself and how much comes from sponsorships. The lowest-paid player was Nikola Djurisic of the Atlanta Hawks, who still made $1,272,870.

Surely some of the pay disparity has to do with the fact that men’s sports have always been more popular, and are therefore believed to be more deserving of money. No one bats an eye at a man making tens of millions of dollars for playing basketball. The issue is, not nearly enough people bat an eye at a woman making under $80,000, either.

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Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.