Hoda Kotb was all fired up after learning that WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark will make just a fraction of what her male cohorts earn for her first year as a professional basketball player.
âFor somebody who is now the face of womenâs basketball, it seemed kind of ridiculous,â Kotb said on the âTodayâ show Tuesday.
Kotb noted that Clark, who was the No. 1 overall draft pick Monday, signed a four-year contract with the Indiana Fever for $338,000, whereas the top pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Victor Wembanyama, landed a $55 million deal.
Hoda Kotb went on a rant about Caitlin Clarkâs âridiculousâ first-year WNBA salary.Hoda & Jenna/NBC
The âTodayâ show co-anchor noted that the athlete will earn significantly less money than the man who was in her position in 2023.Getty Images
âThereâs just something about this thatâs so disturbing,â Kotb, 59, added. âI mean, I picture all the little girls with signs that say, âCaitlin!â but this is what her contract is worth?â
Kotbâs co-anchor, Savannah Guthrie, chimed in to say, âHopefully the payday is coming, too.â
The pay disparity evidently remained on Kotbâs mind for hours, as she discussed it again on âToday with Hoda & Jennaâ later Tuesday morning.
âThereâs just something about this thatâs so disturbing,â Kotb said.Hoda & Jenna/NBC
Clark will earn $76,535 for her first year playing with the Indiana Fever.Hoda & Jenna/NBC
âI was like, âAh! Whatâs she gonna get paid?â Because finally, you can get a real paycheck, and then I saw it, and I was like, âThis canât be right,’â she said.
Kotb read Clarkâs starting salary of $76,535 and asked, âSo this is what the No. 1 player, whoâs now at the WNBA, [is earning]?â
Kotb acknowledged that Clark, 22, will earn more money from various endorsements, but she still does not understand how the athlete is making significantly less than Wembanyama, who cashed in $12.1 million for his first season with the San Antonio Spurs last year.
âHonestly, the gap is so jarring,â Jenna Bush Hager chimed in.Hoda & Jenna/NBC
Kotb related the WNBA and NBA pay gap to her own life.Hoda & Jenna/NBC
âHonestly, the gap is so jarring,â Jenna Bush Hager said. âThe discrepancy when weâre talking about equal pay? That ainât even close!â
Kotb pointed out that the significant gap is âlike picking at an old scab for many women,â including herself.
Kotb went on to jam out to Taylor Swiftâs song âThe Man.âHoda & Jenna/NBC
âSheâs shaking!â Bush Hager said of her co-host.Hoda & Jenna/NBC
Kotb credited Clark with putting womenâs basketball center stage and inspiring young girls, saying she does not want the salary difference to take away from that.
âI was imagining the little girls with the signs, who were filling the stadiums, who are now obsessed with basketball, with signs that say, âCaitlin,â and society, I guess, is saying, âWell, this is what thatâs worth right now. Thatâs worth $76,000,’â she said.
Kotb then went on her phone and started playing Taylor Swiftâs song âThe Manâ before singing the lyrics, ââCause if I was a man, then Iâd be the man.â
âHodaâs shaking!â Bush Hager, 42, exclaimed. âWhen you make Hoda mad, you never know whoâs gonna come out.â
Clark has been regarded as one of the greatest college athletes of all time.Getty Images
She snatched the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft Monday.Getty Images
Kotb jokingly ended the segment by putting her hands in a prayer position and saying, âNamaste.â
Clark has skyrocketed to fame over the last few years by breaking several records with the Iowa Hawkeyes and taking home second place in the NCAA tournament.
The former college athlete was anticipated to be the first pick in the WNBA draft, and she successfully clinched the title while wearing head-to-toe Prada.
News
Meg Sabotaged R.Stewart’s Yacht In Sardinia After He Refused To Let Her Join: GO TO HELL, OLD MAN!
**Rod Stewart Prioritizes Family Over Royal Invitation for Sardinian Yacht Cruise** In a surprising turn of events, Rod Stewart, the legendary British rocker, declined an invitation from Prince Harry to join his family on a luxurious yacht cruise in Sardinia….
Insane Haz Rushed To SLAP Christie Brinkley As She Kick Him Out Of 2024 Polo Hamptons Match: B!TCH!
**Christie Brinkley Confronts Prince Harry at 2024 Polo Hamptons Match: ‘You’re Not Welcome!’** At the 2024 Polo Hamptons match, Christie Brinkley took decisive action, demanding Prince Harry’s removal due to his uninvited presence. The unexpected incident turned the usually glamorous…
Rare Footage Captured! Usher Humiliated Meg AT 24 BET Award As She Seduce Him! Am NOT Ur Victims
**Rare Footage Captured! Usher Humiliates Meghan Markle at 2024 BET Awards as She Attempts to Seduce Him** Rare footage from the 2024 BET Awards has surfaced, capturing a controversial interaction between Meghan Markle and Usher. The incident, marked by Meghan’s…
Can I Call You a Dad? | Emotional Adoptions
Can I Call You a Dad? | Emotional Adoptions Imagine the pure, unadulterated joy of welcoming a child into your home – a child who will look to you as their guiding light, their protector, and their source of unconditional…
Mom Has To Stop Herself From Laughing As She Films Toddlers On A Mission
Toddlers on a Mission: A Mom’s Hysterical Adventure! Oh my goodness, you guys, you have to see this! I was rolling on the floor laughing the other day as I watched my little ones embark on the most hilarious mission…
Dec Donnelly POKES FUN at Ant McPartlinâs new fatherhood status as the PAIR LAUNCH the first Britainâs Got Talent semi-final
Declan Donnelly poked fun at Ant McPartlinâs new fatherhood status as the pair launched the first Britainâs Got Talent semi-final on Monday night. Ant, 48, and his wife Anne-Marie, 46, welcomed son Wilder â Antâs first child â on May 14, and he announced the happy…
End of content
No more pages to load