(Photo Courtesy: Women’s Sports Foundation.org)
Sports have always been very competitive. In women's sports, women have had to compete to attract the same level of attention and wages as men do in their respective sports.
In 2023, Women’s sports have taken a vast step in the right direction financially and 2024 is looking even better. According to Deloitte, 2024 projects to exceed $1 billion, a 300% increase in women’s sports.
Attempting to equalize all elements of play between men and women from a female’s perspective has not always been simple or immediate. Over the years women in sports at many different levels have had to relentlessly speak their voice and justify their opinions to match the men.
In the 1900s, women had to fight to receive the same amenities and treatment as men. This is the reason why the 1972 Title IX law had gone into effect. Following movements like Title IX, arguably the desired focus has now shifted to equalized salary and equivalent media viewership between men and women.
"These are businesses, and none of us are out there saying we want to be paid the exact same as the men. When I think of pay equity, I think of the opportunity that the NBA and other male sports leagues have to be successful”, former WNBA point guard Sue Bird said in 2020.
For comparison, the NBA has generated billions of dollars in revenue while the WNBA has only been listed in the millions. The pay gap still dramatically differs among both leagues today. However, skilled, evolving collegiate players such as NCAA Iowa’s 22-year-old Caitlin Clark have attracted more attention not just for her team, but women’s sports in general.
Amid the social media growth in the NCAA, television ratings and attendance have notably risen as well. In October 2023, the New York Liberty brought in the largest crowd to Barclays Center to ever be recorded in the WNBA.
“To see all of the attendance records from this past year’s WNBA Finals was remarkable,” It is a true testament of how women’s sports can flourish when given the proper stage and spotlight such as Barclays Center” spoke Liberty Head Coach Sandy Brondello.
Aside from just college basketball, other sports like volleyball have seen growing crowds and increased television ratings at the collegiate level too.
Though factors such as pay may still be distributed unevenly, female athletes still have their voice, and they are continuing to be heard.