Donald Trump spoke out this week to praise the Indiana Fever sharpshooter Caitlin Clark. He also weighed in on her contract controversy in the WNBA.
Trump Gushes Over ‘Incredible’ Clark
Trump discussed Clark while appearing on the “Let’s Go!” podcast with legendary sportscaster Jim Gray and six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick.
“She’s incredible, by the way,” Trump 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.”
During this interview, Trump was asked about equitable pay in women’s sports. Clark’s base salary in the WNBA is just $76,000 annually. Though she makes more than that in endorsements, her male counterparts in the NBA are raking in millions every year.
Related: Unrivaled Tries To Lure Caitlin Clark With $1 Million Offer To Play Just Three Months
Trump Weighs In On Fairer Pay For Women’s Athletes
When asked whether WNBA salaries should be increased, Trump admitted that the idea of making pay fairer for women’s athletes is “a very complicated thing.”
“Well, it’s really you’ve got to rely on the market,” Trump explained. “You can’t go in and just say, ‘Well, we’re going to break this contract because this person did well’. It sounds unfair, but somebody agrees to a contract. Hopefully, she’ll keep it going, and probably will. She’s going to make a lot of money.”
“The league could really do something with her because it seems unfair, but you have a lot of that,” he stated. “I see it all the time with football and baseball, even basketball, where somebody comes in and turns out to be 10 times better.”
Trump went on to say that the WNBA could give Clark a one-off bonus to ease the tensions surrounding her salary.
“It wouldn’t kill the league if the league is doing okay,” he added.
“It’s a phenomenal thing she’s got going, but very tricky,” Trump continued, referring to Clark. “When you start getting involved with trying to recreate markets, it gets very, very tricky. The downside is greater than the upside.”
Outrage Over Clark’s Salary
Clark’s salary compared to those of NBA players has been drawing outrage all year.
“They’ve already sold out games,” TODAY host Hoda Kotb said back in April. “She had the highest ratings, her teams and the Final Four had the highest ratings — higher than the World Series, higher than the NBA. So I was like, what is she going to get paid? Because finally, you can get a real paycheck. Then I saw it and was like, this can’t be right.”
Her co-host Jenna Bush Hager agreed, adding, “Honestly the gap is so jarring. … We’re talking about equal pay. That ain’t even close.”
It should be noted that there are a few differences between the WNBA and NBA. For example, the WNBA plays a shorter 40-game, four-month season, while the NBA plays for six months. The NBA has also been in existence way longer than the WNBA has. The NBA just started its 79th season last month, while the WNBA finished its 28th season back in September.
Perhaps most importantly, the WNBA loses money – which is subsidized by the NBA – every year. Despite Caitlin Clark massive expanding the league’s popularity, they will still lose something on the order of $40 million this year.
Regardless of how you feel about equitable pay for the WNBA, it’s hard to disagree with Trump’s assertion that Clark is “incredible.” We can’t wait to see her dominate on the court for years to come!