Recently we witnessed phenomenon Caitlin Clark electrify not just fans of women’s basketball but seemingly captivate the attention and adoration of the entire American populace. While making attendance and ratings history, Catlin made lots of people lots of money and has just begun her journey. Social media posts from countless sports fans now decry the unfair state of women’s basketball that only pays Caitlin $76,535 as a rookie and locks her in at under $100,000 for each of her first four seasons in the WNBA. While I agree many women in the WNBA including Caitlin are pathetically under-compensated, I believe the blame is pointing in the wrong direction.
Players (labor) and consumers are not a priority to sports’ powerful incumbents when they exert their power. Worse, the biggest impediment to empowering female as well as male black and brown basketball players is the fact that white MEN run basketball. While the NBA C-Suite slickly bombards fans with “woke” catchphrases, do these suits in charge really want change? There are no Black or female owners of NBA teams, and NBA players might be well compensated but that doesn’t mean they still aren’t looked at and treated as the “hired help.” And crucially, the NBA holds the reins over the WNBA, perpetuating this imbalance.
Which brings me back to Caitlin Clark.
She not only represents an incredibly entertaining piece of business as an athlete playing for the BIG3, but she would also provide our league a perfect engine for driving the breakdown of further stereotypes and promoting diversity by showcasing a female competing at a world-class level with men.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – APRIL 17: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever poses for a portrait at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during her introductory press conference on April 17, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Matt Kryger/NBAE via Getty Images)
That’s why we made an offer to Caitlin. On a personal level, we guaranteed Caitlin that Nancy Lieberman, the pioneering women’s basketball great and two-time Hall of Fame player, would be her coach. And financially, compared to her paltry WNBA salary it was a MEGA offer. Ten million dollars of salary over two years, a percentage of team ownership worth millions, fifty percent of merchandising revenues from her name and likeness, and ownership of a BIG3 documentary with a seven-figure advance. In total, we’re talking fifteen million dollars or more to merely play a ten-game season. While still allowing her to play in the WNBA. The absolute best of both worlds!
By playing in both leagues, her sponsorship potential would increase dramatically too. Kobe Bryant always believed that a female player would make it to the highest level to play against men professionally. Lieberman’s own experience competing against men and the resultant surge in her marketability served as a precursor to what could have been for Caitlin.
Additionally, a two-league arrangement would benefit from the BIG3’s consistently growing domestic and international reach further amplifying Caitlin’s market value – especially given the BIG3’s higher television ratings and attendance, with regular-season ratings actually higher than that of even the NHL and MLS. A two-league deal for Caitlin would present the perfect solution to the very problem posted recently on X by President Biden, “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.”