Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: NBA, Basketball, Donald Trump
Nasir Jabbar
Donald Trump has already had his say on the WNBA pay row as stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have demanded wage increases.
Indiana Fever's Clark and Chicago Sky's Reese are among the biggest and marketable stars of the WNBA.
The pair have spoken out about their pay, claiming they are underpaid amid unprecedented ratings, interest and attendance.
Reese once claimed the WNBA don't 'pay my bills' in a stunning revelation.
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"I just hope y'all know." she said on social media. "The WNBA don't pay my bills at all. I don't even think it pays one of my bills. Literally."
Clark has also made her feelings clear as she was part of a protest against the league.
Several WNBA players wore t-shirts emblazoned with the words 'pay us what you owe us' during All-Star week, with Steph Curry backing his female compatriots.
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Speaking last year, Trump praised Clark and described the WNBA pay row as a 'very complicated thing'.
"She’s incredible, by the way," he said of Clark. "I’ve watched her. I think she’s incredible. The shot, I watch her shot go in, it’s like, could she shoot that way in the NBA? She’s unbelievable."
The US president said Clark would probably 'make a lot of money' either way.
"It’s really, you got to rely on the market. You can’t go in and say, 'Well, we’re gonna break this contract because this person did well'," he added. "The league could probably go up and give her a bonus. It wouldn’t kill the league if the league is doing OK.
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"The league could really do something with her because it seems unfair, but you have a lot of that. I see it all the time with football and baseball, even basketball, where somebody comes in and turns out to be 10 times better."
Ex-US president Joe Biden also weighed in on the matter as he demanded women are 'paid their fair share'.
On X, he wrote: "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.
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"It’s time that we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women are paid what they deserve."
According to Sports Illustrated, WNBA salaries range from a minimum of $66,000 to an absolute maximum contract of around $250,000.
Clark will earn $78,000 in the 2025 season, while All-Star rival Napheesa Collier has an average annual salary of $184,000.
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Arike Ogunbowale has the highest average annual salary in the WNBA at $241,000.