Back in 2022, I was at the University of Iowa finishing my PhD when I noticed a force quietly taking over campus: Caitlin Clark.
Over the next couple of years, Clark reshaped women’s college basketball: Viewership exploded with her jaw-dropping 3 pointers, every game was sold out (unfortunately before I could get a ticket), and Iowa reached the Final Four one season and finished as NCAA championship runners-up the next.
After graduation, she was picked up by the WNBA for a whopping…$78,000, far below the value she brought to the league.
Women’s cricket is entering a similar era. India’s World Cup victory has sparked excitement and optimism that the sport may finally see professional growth and meaningful investment.
But as momentum builds, the finances become increasingly important. In my previous article on The Economics of Women’s Cricket, we explored how each cricketing nation is investing in the women’s cricket. In this article, we broaden the scope and ask:
- How wide is the gender pay gap across major sports?
- Where does cricket sit within that debate?
- And most importantly: are women cricketers earning a livable wage that supports a basic standard of living in their countries?
Will the Clark effect translate to cricket? Let’s find out.
Key Takeaways
- Nat Sciver-Brunt earns an estimated $931,978 per year, one of the highest for a women’s cricketer (without sponsorships). However, that is less than the highest paid women in tennis, golf, and other sports where players are making $4-10 million annually.
- Rishabh Pant and Pat Cummins (~$4-4.5 Million) are among the highest paid cricketers, but their annual salaries are not as competitive as Stephen Curry ($59.6M) or Shohei Ohtani ($70M).
- The average international women’s cricketer in Australia, India, England, and New Zealand earns about $100,000-$200,000 a year, while players in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe earn between $2,000-$12,000 per year.
- Tennis was the pioneer in pushing for pay parity with the US Open offering equal prize money for both men & women in 1973.
Table of Contents
- Gender Pay Gap in Basketball
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Golf
- Baseball vs Softball
- Cricket
- Pay Gap in Cricket (Country by Country)
- Final Thoughts
- References
Should Women Athletes Be Paid the Same as Men?
When the gender pay debate comes up, there are usually two sides of the debate.
- Revenue-proportional pay: Athletes should earn proportional to the amount of money they generate for the league.
- Investment-driven growth: Paying athletes fairly strengthens the league, improves quality, and drives revenue over time.
To understand pay in women’s cricket, I’ll compare league revenue, player salaries, and recent investments across team sports like basketball and soccer, and individual sports like tennis and golf.
We also look at Gross National Income (GNI) per capita with Atlas method, a social marker that determines the average income based on GDP, currency exchange rates, inflation, etc. (including income earned outside of the country).
For example, we will be looking at several leagues in the US. It’s good to keep in mind that the GNI of the United States is $83,660 (2024) so we can see how athletes salaries fare in comparison.
League by League Revenue and Salary Breakdown
I read over 110 articles to bring you salary and revenue information from different sports all in one sports.
*Note: Although the NFL is the most profitable league in the US sports market ($20.24 billion), we do not consider it in our analysis since there is no women equivalent of the NFL.
1. Basketball
Pay Disparity: Extremely High
NBA: National Basketball Association, WNBA: Women’s National Basketball Association
The average NBA salary ($11.9M) is over 116 times higher than the average WNBA salary ($102,249).
Even the lowest-paid NBA player makes more than 4 times the highest paid WNBA athlete.
The NBA generates approximately $28.9 million per player, while the WNBA revenue player generates $1.22 million per player.
NBA vs WNBA at a Glance
| Category | NBA | WNBA |
| Founded | 1946 | 1996 |
| Estimated Salary Range | $1.16-$55.76 Million | $66,000-$250,000 |
| Average Salary | $11.9 Million | $102,249 |
| League Revenue | $13 billion (2024) | $180-200 Million (2023) |
| Salary as % of League Revenue | 0.09% (11.9M/13B) | 0.05% ($102K/190M) |
| Number of Teams | 30 | 13 |
| Number of Games/Team | 82 | 34 |
| Average Attendance | 18,834/match 22.2 million (total) | 10,986/match 3.14 million (total) |
- Highest Paid Athlete (Men): $59.6 million (Stephen Curry), $304 Million (Jaylen Brown for 5-year contract)
- Highest Paid Athlete (Women): $252,450 (Jackie Young on contract extension), $249,244 (Kelsey Mitchell)
Growth Trend and Recent Landmark Changes
- New changes are coming to the WNBA. In the current CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) negotiations, average salaries may rise to $460,000 with max salaries going as high as $1.1 million.
- Although Caitlin Clark’s WNBA contract may not touch the roof, she has reportedly signed a $28 million contract with Nike over 8 years.
- Clark would win the Times 2024 Athlete of the Year, and the WNBA was the fastest growing brand in 2024 according to the Morning Consult report.
- The WNBA has secured a $2.2 billion deal for the next 11 years, averaging $200 million/year, up from the current deal of $60 million/year.
- According to Sportico, the NBA is projected to hit $14.3 billion revenue in the 2025/26 season.
Revenue Per Player:
- NBA: $28.9 million = ($13 billion league revenue)/(30 teams x 15 players per standard roster
- WNBA: $1.22 million = ($190 million)/(13 x 15)
Bottom Line: While salaries remain far below NBA levels, rising media deals and growing brand valuation suggest the WNBA’s momenum may finally be shifting.
Sources: NBA, WNBA References
Embed from Getty Images2. Football (Soccer)
Pay Disparity: High
MLS: Major League Soccer, NWSL: National Women’s Soccer League
The average MLS Salary ($354,390) is about 2.5-3 times higher than the average NWSL salary ($125,000-$150,000).
The lowest paid MLS player earns a comparable salary to the highest paid NWSL athlete.
The MLS generates $2.86 million per player, while the NWSL generates about $223,000 per player.
MLS vs NWSL at a Glance
| Category | MLS | NWSL |
| Founded | 1993 | 2012 |
| Estimated Salary Range | $104,000-$12 million | $48,500-$500,000 |
| Average Salary | $354,390 | $125,000-150,000 |
| League Revenue | $2.23 billion | ~$75 million |
| Salary as % of League Revenue | 0.016% | 0.18% |
| Number of Teams | 30 | 14 |
| Number of Games/Team | 34 | 26 |
| Average Attendance | 21,988/match (2025) 11.2 million (total) | 10,669/match (2025) 1.9 million (total) |
- Highest Paid Athlete (MLS): $12 Million (Lionel Messi)
- Highest Paid Athlete (NWSL): ~$500,000 (Sophia Smith)
Revenue of other Soccer Leagues: EPL ($10.2B), La Liga ($7.9B), Bundesliga ($5.9B), Serie A ($4.8B)
Growth, International Salaries, & Recent Landmark Changes
- In 2023, the NWSL signed set of four-year pacts with ESPN, Scripps Sports, Amazon, and CBS totaling $240 million.
- The average NWSL team is valued at $104 million.
- In 2022, the US Women’s team won a historic equal-pay settlement of $22 million in 2022, divided among 30 players on the USWNT roster (~$733,333 per player).
- The USWNT, USMNT (Men’s National Team) CBA came to an agreement to pool FIFA prize money and split it equally (after 10% to US soccer for youth programs). The US Women’s Team has won 4 FIFA World Cups and 5 Olympic golds, while the men have not made it past the quarter-finals in recent history.
- According to Forbes, top USWNT players like Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe earned around $7 million in 2023, combining on-field and off-field earnings. In contrast, the top male players like Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi earn around $120 million annually.
- The prize money for the 2022 Men’s FIFA World Cup was $440 million (for 32 teams) compared to $110 million for the Women’s World Cup.
Revenue per Player:
- MLS: $2.86 million = $2.23B/(30 teams x 26 players)
- NWSL: $223,000 = $75M/(14 x 24)
Note: MLS has 20 players on the roster with up to 10 supplemental players. Similarly, NWSL has 22 minimum players with up to 4 supplemental players.
Bottom Line: Although NWSL salaries are lower than MLS salaries, the disparity in league salary is nowhere near as extreme as basketball. Culturally, women’s soccer is more popular and the US women’s national team has made strides in pay parity (though other national soccer teams may still face wide gaps).
Sources: MLS, USWNT Soccer References
Embed from Getty Images3. Tennis
Pay Disparity: Low
ATP: Association of Tennis Professionals, WTA: Women’s Tennis Associations
The median earnings for male professional tennis players ($22,362) is lower than for female players ($75,888). This is due to over 1000 professional men players compared to about 550 women.
The prize money for Grand Slams and other tournaments are largely equal.
ATP vs WTA Tennis at a Glance
| Category | Men | Women |
| Salary Range/Average | $4000-$9 million | $254,394 |
| Median Salary | $22,362 | $75,888 |
| Winning Prize Money | $5M (US Open) $4.9M (ATP Finals) $3.5M (Wimbledon) $2.6M (French Open) $2.1M (Australian Open) | $5M (US Open) $4.8M (WTA Finals) $3.5M (Wimbledon) $2.6M (French Open) $2.1M (Australian Open) |
| Number of Events/Season | ~64 | ~55 |
- Highest Paid Athlete (Men): $20.3 million (Jannik Sinner, $47.3 million total with off-court earnings), $13.3 million (Carlos Alcaraz, $48.3 million with off-court earnings)
- Highest Paid Athlete (Women): $12.4 million (Aryna Sabalenka, $15 million with off-court), $12.2 million (Coco Gauff, $25 million with off-court)
Prize money for this year’s Roland-Garros will total EUR 49.6m, up 12.3 per cent on 2022. With the aim of ensuring a more even distribution between players, the tournament organisers have significantly increased the prize money for first-round losers in the women’s and men’s… pic.twitter.com/3HC75KlnIP
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 12, 2023
Growth Trend and Recent Landmark Changes
- In 1973, the US Open became the first Grand Slam to offer equal prize money for both men & women ($25,000 then) after movement driven by Billie Jean King. The other Grand Slams would take a quarter of a century to make the same move: 2001 (Australian Open), 2006 (French Open), 2007 (Wimbledon).
- Australian Open offered equal pay in 1984 and reverted to paying the men more in 1996 before going back in 2001.
- WTA announced by 2027, there will be a pathway towards full equal prize money and women’s tennis calendar will be revamped.
- In 2024, 28 men & 15 women earned at least $2 million. In his career, Novak Djokovic has won more than $190.2 million in prize money alone. Roger Federer is said to have breached the $1 billion mark.
- 2023 French Open total prize money was $56.8 million (€ 49.6 million). The winner of a Grand Slam, like the US open is about $2.5 million whereas even a first-round loss can yield $100,000.
- According to Forbes, the world’s top ten highest paid tennis players made an estimated $285 million (the record was $343 million during the height of Federer-Nadal-Djokovic-Serena Williams).
- The US Open’s revenue in 2024 was about $559.6 million. About 3.2 million fans attended the Grand Slams in 2025 (1.1 million – US, 1 million – Australian, 650,000 – French, 550,000 – Wimbledon)
Bottom Line: Prize money in professional tennis is far more balanced than most other sports. While off-court earnings still have large gaps, equal Grand Slam payouts show that both men & women have more equitable financial opportunities for this individual sport.
Sources: Tennis References
Embed from Getty Images4. Golf
Pay Disparity: High
The average PGA salary (~$1.48M) is nearly seven times the median LPGA salary (~$213K).
Although women golfers are earning up to $6M in recent times, the highest paid male golfers are earning between $60-90M.
PGA vs LPGA at a Glance
| Category | PGA | LPGA |
| Founded | 1929 | 1950 |
| Estimated Salary Range | $6,000-$92 million | $2,300-$6 Million |
| Average Salary | $1.48 million (2021) | $213,159 (Median 2024) |
| Winning Prize Money | $4.3 million (US Open) $3.6 million (The Masters) $3.3 million (PGA Championship) $3.1 million (Open Championship) | $2.4 Million (US Open) $487,500 (The Annika) |
- Highest Paid Athlete (Men): $92 million (Jon Rahm, $102 million including off-course earnings), $67 million (Scottie Scheffler)
- Highest Paid Athlete (Women): $4.5 million (Nelly Korda, $12.5 million with off-course)
Growth Trend and Recent Landmark Changes
- Tiger Woods’ career earnings total about $120 million with Rory McIlroy closing in at $108 million.
- According to Reuters, LIV golf, backed by Saudi funding, has invested about $5 billion over the last couple of years. The organization reportedly offered players like Jon Rahm $300 million to defect from the PGA Tour.
- PGA, in response, upped the 2025 season prize money to $366.9 million. Combined with other tournaments, PGA golfers have an opportunity to play for $700 million in a year.
- The total prize money for the ladies’ US Open was a $12 million purse and the Memorial PGA tournament was about $20 million. Other tournaments like the Chevron Championship, Evian Championship, and the AIG Women’s Open had a total purse around $8-10 million.
- CBS and NBC renewed a 9-year media rights contract in 2022 for about $700 million.
- The LPGA is currently in negotiations for a media deal that will put all North American golf matches live on TV. More investment like the ones with FM, U-NEXT deal in Japan is around the corner.
Bottom Line: Despite being around since the 1950s, the gap between top male and female golfers remain among the widest in professional sports.
Sources: Golf References
Embed from Getty Images5. Baseball vs Softball
Pay Disparity: Extremely High
MLB: Major League Baseball, AUSL: Athletes Unlimited Softball League
The average MLB salary ($4.66M) is over 100x the average AUSL salary ($45,000).
The highest-paid MLB player (Ohtani, $70M) earns nearly 60x times the highest-paid AUSL player (Canady, $1.2M).
MLB vs AUSL at a Glance
| Category | MLB | AUSL* |
| Founded | 1903 | 2025 |
| Salary Range | $740,000-$70 Million | $45,000-$75,000 |
| Average Salary | $4.66 million | $45,000 |
| League Revenue | $12.1 billion | N/A |
| Salary as % of League Revenue | 0.038% | N/A |
| Number of Teams | 30 | 4 |
| Number of Games/Team | 162 | 24 |
| Average Attendance | 29,459/match 71.4 million (total) | N/A |
- Highest Paid Athlete (Men): $70 Million (Shohei Ohtani)
- Highest Paid Athlete (Women): $1.2 Million* (NiJaree Canady, NCAA Softball)
Fun Fact: MLB has the highest total season attendance of any sports league in the world in 2024 drawing about 71.4 million people.
*AUSL – Athletes Unlimited Softball League
Growth Trend and Recent Landmark Changes
- The AUSL earned about $1 million on merchandise alone in its inaugural season with 20 matches sold out.
- The MLB has taken about a 20% stake in AUSL.
- National Professional Fastpitch (also known as the Women’s Pro Softball League) ran from 2004-2021. The average season salaries were around $3,000.
- Although MLB players earn high average salary ($4.66M), they also play the most games (162), which brings their amount per match down to about $28,800.
Bottom Line: Softball players earn a fraction of their MLB counterparts, but the landscape is improving. AUSL is a major upgrade from the now defunct National Professional Fastpitch in terms of investment and support. Meanwhile, the men still have the potential to earn substantial amounts of money both on and off the field.
Sources: Baseball References
Embed from Getty Images6. Ice Hockey
Pay Disparity: Extremely High
NHL: National Hockey League, PWHL: Professional Women’s Hockey League
The average NHL salary ($3.5M) is 35 times higher than the highest PWHL salary ($100K+).
PWHL began in 2023 and has seen rapid league growth.
NHL vs PWHL at a Glance
| Category | NHL | PWHL |
| Founded | 1917 | 2023 |
| Estimated Salary Range | $750,000-$14 million | $35,000-$100,000+ |
| Average Salary | $3.5 million | N/A |
| League Revenue | $6.6 billion | N/A |
| Salary as % of League Revenue | 0.053% | N/A |
| Number of Teams | 32 | 8 |
| Number of Games/Team | 19 | 24 |
| Average Attendance | 17,448/match 23,014,458 (total) | 7,230/match 735,455 (total) |
- Highest Paid Athlete (NHL): $14 Million (Leon Draisaitl), $136 Million (Kirill Kaprizov – 8 year extension)
- Highest Paid Athlete (PWHL): $100,000+ (Emily Clark)
Growth Trend and Recent Landmark Changes
- It was reported that the General Managers, support staff, etc. of PWHL were well paid for the relatively new league.
- The NHL and Rogers Communications announced a $11 billion media rights deal in Canada. The NHL also has 7-year deals with Disney & Turner Sports around $200-400 million.
- The PWHL signed deals with Fox, Paramount, and other networks.
- Premier Hockey Federation, the precursor to the PWHL, paid its players an average of $45,000-$60,000 with top salaries reaching $80,000.
Bottom Line: The pay disparity may look extreme, but PWHL is a new league and is growing rapidly. Only time will tell if it succeeds, but it will take a lot to match a 100-year old NHL league.
Sources: Ice Hockey References
7. Pay Disparity in Other Sports
There are several sports we did not explore in as great depth, but there have been movement for pay parity in other individual sports as well.
Olympic Stars
- Michael Phelps’ reportedly earned about $9.3 million annually, largely due to sponsorships. Katie Ledecky won around $335,000 in the 2016 Olympics and has earned over $4 million with other sponsorships and endorsements.
- In 2023, the Equal Pay for Team USA Act was passed mandating equal pay for athletes representing the national team. Gymnastics GOAT Simone Biles earned about $11.1 million in 2024, the highest paid female gymnast.
UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
- In 2017, Ronda Rousey was the 4th highest female athlete paid with total earnings of $11 million ($8 million – winnings, $3 million off-field)
- Conor McGregor has earned $39.3 million in his career, the most well compensated UFC fighter of all-time.
UFC fighter Rousey said in 2019, “How much you get paid should have something to do with how much money you bring in. I am the highest paid fighter not because Dana or Lorenzo wanted to do something nice for the ladies. They do it because I bring in the highest numbers. They do it because I make them the most money. I think the money that they make should be proportionate to the money they bring in.”
College Sports, Law Suits, and Miscellaneous
- College sports in the US is a separate altogether, but with NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), college athletes have started to get paid. However, now we are seeing disparity in college pay as well. Men’s basketball players earned an average of $171,272, while the women earned about $16,222 in 2024.
- After tennis in 1972, several other individual sports followed equal prize money. By 2004, volleyball and skating offered equal prize money. By 2019, skiing, snowboarding, biking, and even the World Surf League announced equal prize money for both female & men competitors.
- Kent State University’s former field hockey coach, Kathleen Wiler, won a $95,000 Equal Pay lawsuit where the university paid her less than the coach of the wrestling team.
- The gender pay gap was among the worst in rugby as recently as 2019.
8. Cricket
Pay Disparity: Moderate
IPL: Indian Premier League, WPL: Women Premier League
The average IPL salary (~$460K) is higher than the highest-paid WPL player ($415K) with IPL players earning on average 5.5 times more than their WPL counterparts.
The revenue per player is approximately $2.7-$3.8 million in the IPL compared to about $816K in the WPL.
Even in the lower-tier cricket nations (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe), where salaries are lower, player earnings are still significantly above their countries’ GNI.
| Category | IPL | WPL |
| Founded | 2008 | 2023 |
| Salary Range | $24,000-$3.2 Million | $12,000-$415,000 |
| Average Salary | $459,743 (2023) | $82,522 (2023) |
| League Revenue | $691.3 Million (5761 Crore INR) | $71.86 Million (637 Crore INR) |
| Salary as % of League Revenue | 0.067% | 0.11% |
| Number of Teams | 10 | 5 |
| Number of Games/Team | 14 | 8 |
| Average Attendance | 26,000/match | 9,000-13,000/match |
- Highest Paid Athlete (IPL): $3.21 Million (Rishabh Pant)
- Highest Paid Athlete (WPL): $415,000 (Smriti Mandhana)
Growth Trend and Recent Landmark Changes
- The BCCI distributed $5.7 million (51 Crore INR) to its players after the Women’s ODI world cup victory. This is on top of the ICC prize money of $4.48 million (40 Crore INR).
- In comparison, the BCCI rewarded the men with $15 million (125 Crore INR) after the 2024 T20 World Cup on top of ICC’s prize money of $2.45 million.
- The 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup had a record prize money of $13.88 million a marked increase from $1.32 million from 2022.
- The average salary for a WBBL player is $30,812 while the average BBL salary is $110,312. The Women’s Hundred pays around $38,077, while the men’s Hundred pays around $75,440 on average.
Sources: Cricket Pay Gap
Embed from Getty ImagesMen’s vs Women’s Salaries in Cricket (Country By Country Breakdown)
Australia, England, New Zealand, and India now have equal match fees for both men & women. West Indies has signed a MOU to create a pathway for equal match fees by 2027.
Note that match fees is not the same as equal salary, but it is still a step in the right direction. Match fees is how much a player is paid per match. However, women cricketers do not play as much volume of cricket (for example, NZ have equal match fees for Test cricket but the White Ferns have not played a Test in ages).
Bottom Line: Since 2017, women’s cricket has gained momentum through increased visibility, equal match fees, and the emergency of women’s franchise leagues, important steps toward professionalizing the sport. However, more needs to be done in the lower-tiered country to diminish the gap within women’s cricket. Finally, even though men’s cricketers earn high salaries, it is nowhere in comparison to the MLB or the NBA.
| Country | GNI | Salary Range (Men) | Salary Range (Women) |
| Australia | $62,550 | $362,500-$1.75M | $217,000-$521,000 |
| England | $48,610 | $350,000-$1.5M | $119,000-$171,250 |
| New Zealand | $46,280 | $206,000-$375,000 | $88,000-$163,000 |
| India | $2,650 | $191,000-$1.3M | $25,000-$57,000 |
| West Indies | $23,600 (Barbados) $22,310 (St. Kitts and Nevis) $21,380 (Antigua and Barbuda) $20,220 (Guyana) $20,000 (Trinidad & Tobago) $12,800 (St. Lucia) $6,490 (Jamaica) | $140,000-$300,000 | $50,000-$100,000 |
| South Africa | $6,100 | $70,000-$468,000 | N/A |
| Sri Lanka | $3,860 | $65,000-$351,000 | $8,000-$12,000 |
| Pakistan | $1,430 | $72,000-$280,000 | $2,000-$12,500 |
| Bangladesh | $2,820 | $55,000-$212,000 | $9,000-$12,000 |
| Ireland | $77,920 | $90,000-$100,000 | $50,000-$75,000 |
| Zimbabwe | $2,260 | $44,000-$90,000 | N/A |
| Afghanistan | $370 (2023) | $20,000-$40,000 | N/A |
For breakdown for the estimated salary range, refer to our article on Salary of Cricketers (Men’s) from Each of the 12 Nations (2022). For women’s cricket, we just did a salary breakdown in 2025: Economics of Women’s Cricket.
Highest Paid Cricketers
For the highest paid cricketers, we looked at franchise league earnings along with match fees and central contracts. Here is an example of how we calculated Pooran and Klaasen’s earnings.
| Country | Men | Women |
| Australia | $3.6-$4.5 Million (Pat Cummins) | $831,951 (Ash Gardner) |
| England | $3.5-$3.85 Million (Jos Buttler) | $931,978 (Nat Sciver Brunt) |
| New Zealand | ~$2.29 Million (Daryl Mitchell) | $435,755 (Amelia Kerr) |
| India | $4-$4.4 Million (Rishabh Pant) | $757,420 (Smriti Mandhana) |
| West Indies | $3.1-$4.1 Million (Nicholas Pooran) | $269,200 (Deandre Dottin) |
| South Africa | $3.5-$3.9 Million (Heinrich Klaasen) | $400,000-$480,000 (Marizanne Kapp) |
| Sri Lanka | $1.6-$1.8 Million (Matheesha Pathirana) | $226,741 (Chamari Athapaththu) |
| Pakistan | ~$750,000 (Babar Azam) | N/A |
| Bangladesh | $390,000-$410,000 (Mustafizur Rahman) | $17,000-$20,000 (Nigar Sultana) |
| Ireland | $600,000-$800,000 (Josh Little) | $60,000-$100,000 (Gaby Lewis) |
| Zimbabwe | $122,000-$516,000 (Sikandar Raza) | N/A |
| Afghanistan | $2.2-$3.36 million (Rashid Khan) | N/A |
Final Thoughts
Women in sports continue to earn far less than their male counterparts, but times are changing. Investment and visibility towards women’s sport is increasing, and so are their salaries.
Caitlin Clark may not get a paycheck close to Steph Curry’s at the moment, but the impact of athletes like Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese, Billie Jean King & Serena Williams, and of course, Harmanpreet Kaur leading India to victory is reshaping the landscape and pushing world sports closer to fair pay.
Sources
Basketball
- Forbes – Why No Women Are Among the World’s 50 Highest Paid Athletes in 2025
- Sports Illustrated – Average NBA Salary (2024-25), SI – Average WNBA Salary (2025), Hoops Hype (NBA Player Salaries)
- NBA Average Attendance (2024), WNBA Average Attendance (2025), WNBA Revenue Estimate
- NBC Report on Caitlin Clark and WNBA potentially eclipsing the billion-dollar mark
- Berkeley Economic Review, DC Report, Caitlin Clark NCAA, Adelphi University Salary Comparison, Basketball’s Gender Pay Gap, MarketWatch, WNBA League Revenue
- Caitlin Clark Salary
Soccer
- SI – 2025 MLS Salary, MLS Salary
- Highest Paid NWSL Players, NWSL Attendance down 5%
- NWSL Investment
- 2022 USWNT, USMNT New Deal
- Female Soccer Pay – CNN Report
- World Economic Forum – Pay Case
Tennis
- Forbes – World’s Highest-Paid Tennis Players 2025
- Tennis Prize Money Tracker – Sportico, US Open Revenue – Sportico
- WTA Prize Money Leaders
- How much do professional tennis players earn?
- How much do tennis players make?
- Tennis Equal Pay, World Economic Forum Report
Golf
- The World’s Highest Paid Golfers 2025 – Forbes
- 2024 Highest Earning Female Athletes
- Golf Gender Pay Gap One of the Largest in Sport
- Golf Gender Pay Gap
- PGA Tour Career Earnings, LPGA Earnings
- Golf Monthly Prize Money, Golf Monthly – The Annika, US Open (Women), Average Salary – Golf Monthly
- PGA Tour Attendance
- LPGA Average Salary, Perfect Putt Substack
Baseball and Softball
- MLB Average Salary, MLB Attendance, Baseball America – Attendance
- Highest Paid MLB Player
- College softball’s first million dollar player
- AUSL Attendance Record
- AUSL Average Salary
Ice Hockey
- USA Today – Highest Paid NHL Players
- NHL Average Salary
- NHL Attendance
- PWHL Attendance
- NHL Records
- Highest Paid PWHL Player
Cricket
- ECB 2024 – Gender Pay Gap
- Cricket Australia – Gender Pay Gap
- New York Times – Gender Pay Gap
- Average IPL Attendance
- WPL 2023 Attendance
Other Sources
- Highest Paid Athletes by Sport and Gender
- Parity – Women Athlete Report 2024
- Parity – Gender Pay Gap 2025
- BBC Prize Support Study
- BBC Prize Money Study 1
- Rugby Gender Pay Gap NZ
Other BCD Salary Articles
Men
- What is the Salary of an Indian Premier League (IPL) player in India?
- Big Bash League Salary
- The Hundred (Men’s) Salary
- Salary of a Caribbean Premier League (CPL) player
- Pakistan Super League (PSL) Salary
- Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Salary
Women
- The Hundred (Women’s) Salary
- WBBL Salary
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