President Joe Biden weighs in on WNBA pay disparity amid outrage over Caitlin Clark’s salary

US President Joe Biden has called for female athletes to be “paid what they deserve” amid ongoing outrage surrounding Caitlin Clark’s rookie contract with the WNBA.

This week, the 22-year-old women’s basketball star was selected first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever. Clark is expected to sign a contract with the Fever worth $338,056 over four years, earning $76,535 in her rookie season this summer.

As sports fans learned of Clark’s contract with the WNBA, many people were quick to point out how drastically low her first-year salary was compared to her male counterparts in the NBA. President Biden has now weighed in on the debate over pay disparity in sports.

“Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all,” he began his post on X, formerly Twitter. “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,” Biden added.

President Biden isn’t the only notable figure to share their reaction to Clark’s $76,535 salary. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson called for Clark and her fellow WNBA players to make higher salaries, as he responded on X: “These ladies deserve so much more… Praying for the day.”

Meanwhile, Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis shared a graphic of Clark’s salary to her Instagram account with the caption: “This is OUTRAGEOUS!”

During Tuesday’s broadcast of the Today show, co-host Hoda Kotb described Clark’s first-year salary as “ridiculous” compared to male basketball players in the NBA. “When I saw the number, $76,000 in the first year and $78,000 in the second year, and $85,000 in the third year, for somebody