$165 million worth Russell Wilson asserts the ‘ladies deserve so much more’ after seeing Caitlin Clark’s first contract in the WNBA

Wilson wrote Caitlin Clark deserves much larger contract considering her impact on the sport.

$165 million worth Russell Wilson asserts the ‘ladies deserve so much more’ after seeing Caitlin Clark’s first contract in the WNBA

Russell Wilson and Caitlin Clark (Image via IMAGO)

Russell Wilson believes that Indiana Fever should have given Caitlin Clark a much better deal. The Iowa graduate became the first athlete off the board during the WNBA draft on Monday.

Amidst 1,000 spectators at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the Fever was taking Clark as the No. 1 overall pick. The 22-year-old signed a four-year contract worth $338,056. Per Spotrac, all the first four picks make the same amount.

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Shortly after the ceremony, Russell Wilson tweeted a diagram of how much Clark would earn. The veteran NFL quarterback pointed out that the NCAA all-time leading scorer should earn more. Her involvement with the sport helped it attract more viewers and inspired a generation of young girls to take up basketball.

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These ladies deserve so much more. Praying for the day.
Wilson wrote on X (formerly Twitter)

A small comparison should prove Wilson’s argument. The NCAA women’s college basketball final drew an average of 18.9 million viewers compared to the men’s, which peaked at 14.8 million viewers.

Although Clark and Iowa lost the match to unbeaten South Carolina, Clark became the champion of the people. She will now battle to prove herself in the WNBA, where the stakes are much higher.

Similar to Caitlin Clark, Russell Wilson has to prove to himself that he is one of the pioneers of Black quarterbacks

Before voicing his solidarity with Clark, Wilson created a lot of mess by announcing that his back-to-back Super Bowl trips opened several doors for Black quarterbacks in the NFL. However, Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe reminded the 35-year-old that there were others before him and he couldn’t just take the credit all by himself.

$165 million worth Russell Wilson asserts the 'ladies deserve so much more' after seeing Caitlin Clark’s first contract in the WNBA
Russell Wilson (Image via IMAGO)

Another former player has refuted Wilson’s claims. Retired Denver Broncos player and current NFL analyst Mark Schlereth, while appearing on the Stinkin Truth Podcast, shared his take.

Let's not jump on the Patrick Mahomes bandwagon. That guy is as good as it gets. And by the way, at those Super Bowls that you went to, you had a generational defense. The Legion of Boom became the model in the NFL at that time.
Mark Schlereth said

He argued that after Wison won his first Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, other teams started employing the tactics used by Pete Carroll. But the nine-time Pro Bowler wasn’t the only person responsible for the success. The Seahawks had match-winners all around the ballpark.

You had a generational defense; you had a run game with Marshawn Lynch in [Beast Mode]. You didn't have a cape on; you didn't sling the team on your, you were along for the ride to a degree.
Mark Schlereth added

Following his premature departure from Mile High, Russell Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has one year to prove to the Steel City franchise that he can still be as deadly as in his Seahawks days.

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