Photo: Andy Lyons (Getty Images)

I’m a diehard supporter of women’s sports, especially the WNBA. I attended the first ever game on June 21, 1997 at the Kia Forum f.k.a Great Western Forum in Inglewood, Calif., making me a day one fan. Everyone in the arena knew we were seeing something special.

The league has maintained that unique connection with its fans throughout its 27 years.

The one thing that drives me crazy about the W, are the sexist trolls who show up every few years to comment on the pay gap between WNBA and NBA stars.

When a major college player turns pro, they attempt to show everyone how smart they are by comparing a fresh-faced rookie’s salary to LeBron James or Steph Curry.

Should WNBA players be paid more? Absolutely! But these jerks don’t actually care about that. They just want to use the issue to dunk on the sport.

This time around, they’re using basketball phenom Caitlin Clark to make their point.

On Tuesday, as rumors about her rookie salary made their way around the internet, there was a sudden wave of outrage about how much this female superstar would make in comparison to her male counterparts.

Fans were offended by the rumored $76,000 she would make for her first season with the Indiana Fever.

While the frenzy around Clark has brought more attention to women’s basketball, it’s also led to a lot of so-called “experts” offering uninformed opinions on the game.

The hard truth is the WNBA does not make as much money as the NBA, which means players do not make as much.

According to CBS Sports, the NBA made $10 billion in 2022, while the WNBA made $60 million.

There are 12 teams that receive varying levels of support in the WNBA. Some of them like New York, Las Vegas and Seattle always have high attendance and merch sales, while others see their support waver from season to season.

Much of the discourse that took over social media on Tuesday was disingenuous because it was sparked by trolls who don’t truly understand the women’s game or care about its success. They just want a reason to point out its flaws and failures.

If you truly want these athletes to make more money, there’s a very simple fix: support the league.

Attend games, watch them on TV, post about them on social media and buy merchandise.

Like everything else in this world, it comes down to money. If fans show they’re willing to invest in their favorite teams and players, advertisers will, which means owners will have more money for players.

And let’s be honest: Though this conversation happens every few years, it got extra heated this time around because it involved a white player.

I don’t remember seeing all this outrage energy for fellow talented draft picks Angel Reese, Rickea Jackson or Kamilla Cardoso.

Yes, Clark is a transcendent player, but we haven’t seen how she’ll fare in the league yet.

Show up and support the W with actions and dollars before you weigh in on how the game needs to change.