Black women have contributed national titles in almost every sport imaginable for decades. They are credited for bringing in viewers, supporters, and sponsors, yet often aren’t paid the same as Black male athletes.
Many Black women in American sports spend half their year playing for other teams abroad, often because it pays significantly more than what they would make stateside. In the U.S., recent reports show men are paid 15% to 100% more than their female counterparts playing the same sport.
As of the 2019-2020 season, rookie female basketball players made a minimum of $41,965 and capped out at $117,500, while their male equivalents started around $900k and capped out at just over $38 million. The gap can be worse for sports like soccer and baseball.
Women’s teams and leagues have banded together to fight for higher pay. From demanding changes in their collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) to having male players voice their support and outrage on their platforms, the financial optics for Black women in sports is beginning to change – although it may have a long way to go.