Gender Pay Gap in Basketball

The gender pay gap is a persistent and unjust disparity in earnings between men and women performing similar roles. This research paper examines the gender pay gap in basketball, focusing on the United States National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA); aiming to determine the impact of gender on athlete earnings. The literature review presented in this paper, delves into theories like the human capital model and labour market discrimination, highlighting the broader presence of wage disparity across numerous industries. The review also identifies sponsorship, media coverage, and audience demand as factors that contribute to the sports industry's gender pay gap. To conduct the primary research, statistical analysis of salary data spanning the years 2020 to 2023 of select teams from both the NBA and WNBA was conducted. As hypothesized, they revealed significant differences in average salaries between male and female players. Notably, positive trends in narrowing the gap in the earnings of WNBA players were also observed, especially after a new collective bargaining agreement in 2020. The study underscores the persistent gender pay disparity in basketball and emphasis the need for initiatives to promote gender equality in sports and society at large.