Vice President Biden addresses the Caitlin Clark contract dispute

As news of Caitlin Clark’s new WNBA pay spread, even President Biden took notice.

The Indiana Fever selected Clark first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft on Monday. According to Spotrac, Clark will earn $76,535 in her rookie year and $338,056 over the next four seasons.

Although WNBA earnings have long been a source of discussion and frequently force players to go overseas during the offseason, Clark’s ascent to fame has sparked fresh interest in the sport and a wider range of viewpoints.

On X, Biden tweeted, “Women in athletics continue to push new frontiers and inspire us everyone.” But as of right now, it’s evident that women do not receive a fair wage, regardless of their excellence.

“We need to make sure women receive the compensation they deserve and offer our daughters the same possibilities as our sons.”

The Indiana Fever selected Clark first overall on Monday night, one night after he helped Iowa advance to consecutive NCAA championship games.

For comparison, Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick of the Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft, will make $55.1 million over four years.

The Hawkeyes’ loss to South Carolina in the national championship game was viewed by 18.7 million people and peaked at 24 million — the most-watched hoops broadcast of any kind since the 2019 men’s championship game between Texas Tech and Virginia.

However, Clark’s NCAA popularity will do little to impact her rookie salary given the current financial realities of the WNBA.