Controversial sports analyst and former NFL player Shannon Sharpe has continued with his criticisms and controversial statements about the WNBA. In a recent interview with former NFL player Chad Ochocinco Johnson, the conversation about male versus female athletes’ wages came into focus, which was prompted following Caitlin Clark’s announcement of taking part in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
There has been a debate on why female athletes should receive the same pay as their male counterparts in the same sports category. However, Sharpe doesn’t believe they should as he made his points clear in the conversation on the podcast, Nightcap.
Shannon Sharpe schooled Ocho on why the WNBA players don’t get paid millions after Ocho enquired about what needs to be done to bridge the gap between the wage disparities. His major reason was that female athletes don’t sell out arenas like men do. He said,
they’re the clamoring, they don’t sell out arenas like the men do Ocho. The advertising, the sponsor dollars are not there like the men. So you’re saying, okay, let’s just say they make 10%. Well, they’re not, they’re not generating 10% of the revenue– I’m just giving you the harsh reality of what it is.
However, despite the progress made in female sports, major challenges remain, most especially in the wide pay margin. It is worth noting that the United States women’s national soccer team had obtained a collective agreement deal that guaranteed equal pay for both the male and female players which makes progress towards the bigger picture in sight.
Caitlin Clark announces next move in her career
Caitlin Clark had announced via her social media account on X, that she will be taking the giant leap. She confirmed that she will be entering 2024 WNBA Draft which is scheduled for the 15th of April.
Caitlin Clark (image via Iowa Chill/X)She specifically thanked the fans and her team, the Iowa Hawkeyes, for the support all through her time with the team.
She tweeted:
While this season is far from over, and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one in Iowa. I am excited to be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft.
In her four seasons with the Hawkeyes, she has averaged 28.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game. On Sunday she broke Pete Maravich‘s total points record in college basketball and became the NCAA’s highest scorer in both the male and female categories.
