Jose Breton/NurPhoto via Getty Images

CCSS

R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.7, W.2, SL.1, L.6

Do These Women Deserve a Raise?

On the court and the field, female athletes are better than ever. So why aren’t they getting paid like men?

December 2019 - January 2020

By Tod Olson

Rich Barnes/Getty Images

Celebrating A Big Win
The U.S. women’s soccer team won the World Cup this summer. Now the team’s players and their fans are fighting for something else: equal pay.

In July, the U.S. women’s soccer team won their second straight World Cup. They outscored the other teams 26-3. As the final game ended, players celebrated. Fans broke into a chant. But they didn’t yell “USA!” They didn’t shout the names of the players. They chanted: “Equal pay! Equal pay! Equal pay!”

The American women hadn’t just won a soccer game. They had started a worldwide debate. They are one of the most successful teams in sports. Yet they earn less money than the much less successful U.S. men’s team. Just before the World Cup, the players sued the U.S. Soccer Federation for a raise. The case will go to court in May 2020.

Star players like Megan Rapinoe are leading the fight. She wants fans to do more than cheer at their games. She wants them to ask: Are women treated fairly—in sports and in society? “This is so much bigger than just what’s happening on the field,” she says.

In 2015, the U.S. women’s soccer team won the World Cup. They won it again in 2019. When they won the second time, fans began to chant. But they didn’t yell “USA!” They chanted: “Equal pay! Equal pay! Equal pay!”

The U.S. women’s soccer team is very successful. They are more successful than the U.S. men’s team. Yet the men’s team earns more money. The female players say this isn’t fair. So they sued the U.S. Soccer Federation for a raise. Their case will go to court in May 2020.

Megan Rapinoe is one of the players on the U.S. women’s soccer team. She wants fans to ask: Are women treated fairly in sports? Are they treated fairly in society?

In July, the U.S. women’s soccer team won their second straight World Cup, outscoring the other teams 26-3. As the final game ended, players celebrated and fans broke into a chant. But instead of yelling “USA!” or shouting the names of the players, the fans chanted: “Equal pay! Equal pay! Equal pay!”

The American women hadn’t only won a soccer game—they had started a worldwide debate. They are one of the most successful teams in sports, yet they earn less money than the much less successful U.S. men’s team. So just before the World Cup, the players sued the U.S. Soccer Federation for a raise. The case will go to court in May 2020.

Megan Rapinoe is one of the star players leading the fight. She wants fans to cheer at their games, but also to ask: Are women treated fairly—in sports and in society? “This is so much bigger than just what’s happening on the field,” she explains.

PAUSE AND THINK: What is the U.S. women’s soccer team asking for?

Right to Play

One hundred years ago, most women didn’t play sports. Only tennis, golf, and archery were considered OK for girls.

But slowly, women won the right to compete like men. The Olympics added women’s track and field in 1928. And a women’s baseball league was formed in 1943—while most young men were fighting in World War II.

Tennis players were the first athletes to fight for equal pay. In 1970, female tennis star Billie Jean King was ranked No. 2 in the world. She earned $600 for winning a competition in Italy. The men’s winner got $3,500. So King organized the top female players. They started their own competitions. In 1973, they threatened to boycott the U.S. Open—one of tennis’s biggest events—unless they were offered equal pay.

One hundred years ago, most women didn’t play sports. Usually, only tennis, golf, and archery were open to women.

But slowly, women won the right to play other sports. In 1928, the Olympics added women’s track and field. In 1943, most young men were fighting in World War II. So a women’s baseball league was started.

Female tennis players were the first athletes to fight for equal pay. Billie Jean King was a tennis star. In 1970, she was ranked No. 2 in the world. She won a competition in Italy. She earned $600. The men’s winner got $3,500. So King organized the top female players. They started their own competitions. In 1973, the U.S. Open was one of the big events in tennis. The top female players threatened to boycott it unless they got equal pay.

One hundred years ago, most women didn’t play sports. The only options considered acceptable for girls were tennis, golf, and archery.

But slowly, women won the right to compete like men. The Olympics added women’s track and field to its roster in 1928. And in 1943, while most young men were fighting in World War II, a women’s baseball league was formed.

The first athletes to fight for equal pay were female tennis players. In 1970, tennis star Billie Jean King was ranked No. 2 in the world. She earned $600 for winning a competition in Italy—but the men’s winner received $3,500. Frustrated, King organized the top female players to hold their own competitions. In 1973, they threatened to boycott the U.S. Open—one of tennis’s biggest events—unless they were offered equal pay.

PAUSE AND THINK: What were women’s sports like 100 years ago?

Equal Pay for Equal Play?

Today, the top female tennis players make millions of dollars. But in many sports, even the best female athletes barely make a living. In 2018, A’ja Wilson was the No. 1 draft pick in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Her salary was $53,000. Deandre Ayton was the No. 1 draft pick in the men’s league, the NBA. He earned $8.2 million.

Should Wilson earn as much as Ayton? There’s no easy answer. The best female athletes devote their lives to their sports. They train hard and risk injury.

But every sport is a business. The players get paid based on the money that business makes. Last year, the NBA brought in more than $7 billion. Most teams pack their arenas every night. The WNBA struggles to fill half their seats.

Why aren’t fans more interested in women’s sports? Some people say they would be if the media paid more attention to them. One study found that just 3 percent of sports news on TV is about women.

Today, the top female tennis players make millions of dollars. But in many sports, the best female athletes do not make very much. A’ja Wilson is a basketball player. In 2018, she was the No. 1 draft pick in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Her salary was $53,000. The No. 1 draft pick in the men’s league, the NBA, was Deandre Ayton. He earned $8.2 million.

Should Wilson earn as much as Ayton? There’s no easy answer. The best female athletes train hard. They risk injury.

But every sport is a business. The players get paid based on the money that business makes. Last year, the NBA brought in more than $7 billion. Most teams fill their arenas every night. The WNBA does not.

Why aren’t women’s sports more popular? Some people say the media should pay more attention to them. Then fans would be interested. One study found that just 3 percent of sports news on TV is about women.

The top female tennis players now make millions of dollars, but in many sports, even the best female athletes barely make a living. In 2018, the No. 1 draft pick in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was A’ja Wilson. Her salary was only $53,000. Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 draft pick in the men’s league (the NBA), earned a whopping $8.2 million.

Should Wilson earn as much as Ayton? There’s no easy answer. Top female athletes devote their lives to their sports, training hard and risking injury.

But every sport is a business, and players are compensated based on the money that business makes. Last year, most NBA teams packed their arenas night after night, and the league brought in more than $7 billion. In contrast, the WNBA struggles to fill half their seats.

Why aren’t women’s sports more popular? Some people blame the lack of attention from the media. According to one study, just 3 percent of sports news on TV focuses on women’s sports.

PAUSE AND THINK: What affects how much athletes get paid?

World Famous

Last summer, the U.S. women’s soccer team got plenty of attention. About 1 billion people watched the World Cup on TV. The team came back to a huge parade in New York City.

The players earned about $250,000 each for their World Cup victory. But they still aren’t paid equally. Most of the players went back to teams in the women’s pro league. The most a player can make in that league is $46,200 a year. Many players have to take other jobs in the off-season.

The stars of the women’s national team hope their success will help change that. And they want their fight for equal pay to give confidence to young athletes. “I hope they feel inspired,” Megan Rapinoe says. “I hope they feel like they’re worth every penny and more.”

Last summer, the U.S. women’s soccer team got a lot of attention. About 1 billion people watched the World Cup on TV. There was a parade for the team in New York City.

For the World Cup victory, each player got about $250,000. But they still aren’t paid equally. Most of the players are on teams in the women’s pro league. The most a player can make in that league is $46,200 a year. Many players take other jobs in the off-season.

The U.S. women’s team hopes their success will help change that. They also want to give confidence to young athletes. “I hope they feel inspired,” says Rapinoe. “I hope they feel like they’re worth every penny and more.”

Last summer, the U.S. women’s soccer team received lots of attention. About 1 billion people tuned in to the World Cup on TV. Upon returning to America, the team was greeted with a huge parade in New York City.

The players earned about $250,000 each for their World Cup victory, but they still aren’t paid equally. Most of the players returned to teams in the women’s pro league, which pays a maximum of $46,200 a year. As a result, many players have to take other jobs in the off-season.

The stars of the women’s national team hope their success will help change that. They also hope their fight will empower young athletes. “I hope they feel inspired,” says Rapinoe. “I hope they feel like they’re worth every penny and more.”