TTwo iconic female athletes — Ibtihaj Muhammad and A’ja Wilson — called for more U.S. investment in women’s sports at the TIME100 Summit on Wednesday.
“I would love to see these big companies…investing in women and investing in the game,” Muhammad said.
Muhammad is an Olympic medalist in fencing, activist and author and Wilson is an Olympic gold medalist in basketball and WNBA champion. The duo spoke with Pablo Torre, host of the sports podcast, Pablo Torre discovers, days after the lower salaries of female athletes were highlighted when basketball phenom Caitlin Clark was selected first overall in the WNBA draft with a salary of $338,056 over the next four years.
However, some college athletes are performing significantly better financially than their predecessors after the NCAA lifted its ban on college athletes earning money by using their names, images and likenesses. Asked how different her career would have been if she had still been in college, Wilson is blunt. “Obviously, my bank account would be the biggest difference, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I would have an agent in college,” she says.
WIlson also spoke about not compromising her values and helping young black women feel seen when receiving money. “When it comes to big sponsorships… I think, well, you’re going to get me and I’m not going to change that because that’s what needs to be seen,” she says. “Black women have been a force; When it comes to the WNBA, this is essentially an organization that was built on the backs of Black women.”
The pair praised the young athletes and urged them to recognize the need to protect their mental health. “You have to protect your peace first; your brand will come with it, but your peace is what really matters,” Wilson said.
Wilson also talked about the strangeness of playing the Olympics and the WNBA season so close together. “I went from being my rival – I absolutely can’t stand you – and now it’s like – girl, let’s get this gold… it’s really hard to do,” she says. “But it also shows how elitist the athletes are when you get to that stage.
Muhammad recalled answering many questions about politics rather than sports before participating in the Olympics. She wishes Team USA had better prepared her for that moment. “It was very stressful because you want to perform well and compete well for your country, but at the same time, I wanted to represent the communities I’m a part of in the best way possible.” Muhammad says she looks to boxer Muhammad Ali for inspiration when it comes to her values. “Muhammad Ali has always been at the epicenter of how I view my platform,” she said.
Wilson also asked fans to show appreciation for female athletes: “Buy this shirt. Go to that game, take someone else, put your money where your mouth is and invest in these women,” she said. Muhammad agrees. She is a longtime fan and grew up watching women’s basketball; Her parents took her to see the New York Liberty perform at Madison Square Garden. (She’s from New Jersey.) “I’ve been investing since I was young,” she says.
The TIME100 Summit brings together leaders from the global TIME100 community to highlight solutions and encourage action toward a better world. This year’s summit features a variety of speakers from diverse sectors, including politics, business, health and science, culture and more.
Speakers at the 2024 TIME 100 Summit include actor Elliot Page, designer Tory Burch, Muhammad, Wilson, author Margaret Atwood, NYSE President Lynn Martin, comedian Alex Edelman, professor Yoshua Bengio, the 68th Secretary of State John Kerry, actress Jane Fonda and many more.
The TIME100 Summit was presented by Booking.com, Citi, Merck, Northern Data Group, Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whiskey and Verizon.
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