Steph Curry has a clear as day stance on the ongoing WNBA pay row amid the latest 'should be grateful' comments sent the way of the league's stars.
Women's basketball has been locked in disputes over salaries for several months, with leading players calling for change.
And one of the biggest names to weigh in has been the Golden State Warriors icon Curry.
The four-time NBA champion has long spoken about addressing the gender pay gap, and earlier this year he backed that up by investing into the Unrivalled three versus three league.
Advert
The competition was launched to give players another platform and provide an income during the off-season.
The latest pay row began after Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier criticised commissioner Cath Engelbert following her side's semi-final series defeat.
Collier said: “I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin, Angel and Paige, who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years.
“Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $60 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything.’”
The remarks sparked outrage, with players and fans questioning Engelbert's stance.
Curry, who has backed women's basketball through his investment in Unrivalled, has already been outspoken on the gender pay gap.
Back in 2018, on Women's Equality Day, he spoke about addressing the issue.
He wrote in the Players’ Tribune: “I think it’s important that we all come together to figure out how we can make that possible, as soon as possible. Not just as ‘fathers of daughters,’ or for those sorts of reasons.
"And not just on Women’s Equality Day. Every day – that’s when we need to be working to close the pay gap in this country. Because every day is when the pay gap is affecting women. And every day is when the pay gap is sending the wrong message to women about who they are, and how they’re valued, and what they can or cannot become.”
Curry explained that both his mother Sonya and his wife Ayesha had big influences on his perspective.
But the row over WNBA salaries looks set to continue.
The current collective bargaining agreement is due to expire at the end of October, meaning there is not long left to find a breakthrough.
Although the league has grown commercially in recent years, many players do not believe their pay has kept up with that growth.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese highlighted the problem last year, when she revealed that her $73,000 salary did not cover her $96,000 annual rent.
She explained that it was only through endorsement deals and her involvement with the Unrivalled league that allowed her to make a six-figure income.
Topics: Basketball, Steph Curry , WNBA
James Taylor