Everyone Loves Women’s Sports—So Why Aren’t the Players Paid What They Deserve?

It’s a Sunday afternoon. Your favorite team’s about to tip off and your whole group chat is buzzing. You’re rooting for clutch threes, wild blocks, and the dance moves in the locker room after the win. Sound familiar? For millions, women’s sports are more than just games—they’re traditions, bonding moments, and proofs of what’s possible when talent meets opportunity.

If you think women’s sports are just a sideshow, think again: women’s basketball games are smashing viewership records, the FIFA Women’s World Cup draws massive global audiences, and NCAA women’s tournaments trend higher every season. The interest is real. The fans are loyal. The memories are golden.

So why aren’t the players paid what they’re owed?

The Talent Isn’t in Question

Let’s be real: women athletes routinely demonstrate the highest levels of skill, hustle, courage, and leadership. They dunk. They dribble. They fight through adversity. Household names are made not just by highlight reels, but by the community work and mentorship these athletes take on. Kids wear their jerseys. Instagram lights up with their highlights. Corporate sponsors are lining up. For every person shouting for Caitlin Clark or A’ja Wilson, there are countless more discovering basketball—because of the WNBA.

And it’s not just basketball: Women’s soccer stars like Megan Rapinoe, Crystal Dunn, and Sam Kerr are leading global conversations about justice and equality, both on and off the pitch. Simone Biles redefined gymnastics—and athletic courage—for everyone.

Clearly, the stands are overflowing and the stage belongs to today’s women athletes. It’s past time their salaries, benefits, and bonuses caught up.

More than a Hashtag: The Fight for Equal Pay

It’s easy to slap an “equal pay” hashtag on your next tweet, but the struggle for salary equity runs deep. Take the women of the WNBA, who formed their own union—the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA)—to advocate for fair wages, better travel conditions, maternity protections, and investment in the future.

What does “equal pay” actually mean, though? Plenty of detractors argue that because revenue in women’s leagues isn’t yet equal to men’s, the salaries shouldn’t be, either. Here’s the thing: women’s leagues have been systematically underfunded for decades. Their games were often played in bad time slots, with little promotion or media coverage. When you give shortshrifts to promotion and investment, and then point to revenue as justification for lower pay, you’re moving the goalposts. For a long time, women athletes have been expected to “prove” their worth—and every time, they have. Yet the investment rarely matches the output.

Records Are Meant to Be Broken—And They Are

Look at the numbers. This year, WNBA viewership soared to all-time highs—up more than 60% in some cases. Sabrina Ionescu’s three-point contest duel with Stephen Curry wasn’t just a viral moment; it was an emblem of the undeniable skill and draw of women’s sports. The NCAA Women’s Tournament regularly outperforms its men’s counterpart, with sellout crowds up and down the bracket.

Brands are catching on. Nike, Adidas, and Gatorade are putting money and attention where it matters—backing stars who inspire a generation. With the new NCAA NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) rules, college players can build brands earlier and advocate for themselves. But for most professional athletes, the biggest bump comes from their league paychecks.

If the eyes—and dollars—are there, why aren’t the paychecks keeping pace?

The Cost of Inequality

Low salaries don’t just shortchange the players. They send a message to every little girl who picks up a bat, laces up her cleats, or steps onto the hardwood, that her dreams are somehow worth less. They push top athletes overseas, splitting their loyalty and energy between countries and time zones just to make ends meet. It destabilizes the leagues—and the lives of the athletes who make the magic happen.

The WNBA base salary for rookies can start as low as $75,000. Compare that with NBA rookies—where first-year contracts start in the millions, sometimes before they even leave college. Sure, league revenues are different, but many analysts estimate that women’s leagues pay their athletes a far smaller percentage of league income than men’s leagues do. If more league income flowed directly to athletes—like it does for men—the gap would shrink quickly.

It’s About Investment, Not Charity

Equal pay isn’t about “handouts.” It’s about honoring the value women bring to their sports and investing in their future. When TV networks promote games at prime times, viewership climbs. When sponsors sign multi-year partnerships, they see big returns. When leagues empower athletes with resources, benefits, and visibility, the result is a rising tide: more exciting competition, deeper fan engagement, and new stars emerging every season.

If you doubt the market for women’s sports, consider this: in 2023, women’s sports sponsorships reached an estimated $1 billion globally—a 20% jump in a single year. Streaming platforms are clamoring for the rights, and every viral buzzer-beater tells the world: the demand is only rising.

Standing with the Players

It’s time for fans, brands, and leagues to come together and demand change. That’s why I stand with the WNBPA, the USWNT, and everyone who puts their career, reputation, and heart on the line for equal pay. Supporting women’s athletes isn’t just about justice; it’s about growing the whole sports world. When women are respected, funded, and celebrated, we all win.

So the next time someone tells you “no one watches women’s sports,” show them the rating charts, the sold-out arenas, the grassroots energy—and the heart of the athletes fighting for what’s right. Women’s sports have always delivered. Now it’s time for paychecks to catch up.

Let’s show the world what’s possible when talent is respected, equity is the standard, and everyone is paid what they’re owed. The future of sports is female, and it’s here.