Ariel Roblin: Let's bring back the Monarchs. Our fans can drive women's sports to a new level

Let's hear it for women's sports that are setting records. The women's NCAA championship this month attracted nearly 19 million viewers. Last year 92,000 fans packed the stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, for volleyball. There's a clear appetite for women's sports. But TV time and salaries lag far behind. This week at the WNBA draft, it was no surprise Iowa's Caitlin Clark was the first pick. What is surprising is her salary. In four years, she'll make $338,000. Compare that to her male counterpart, who secured a rookie contract of $55 million. Yes, women's sports still make far less than men's but an athlete that attracts millions of viewers might be worth risking a bigger investment. She won't even make $100,000 in her fourth year. And let's be honest, Caitlin Clark doesn't seem like a risk, she's more like a sure bet. Sometimes, to grow a business, you have to pay people more than profit margins suggest and then build the brand around them, or you risk losing the best players.Professional women's sports are growing in the Bay Area with a new soccer team in San Jose that sold out its home opener and a WNBA team coming to San Francisco. How about bringing back our 2005 WNBA champions, the Sacramento Monarchs? Our fans can drive women's sports to a new level. We can be the team that values women's sports more than any other city. We'll go to the games, watch them on TV, and buy the merch. And we can be the city that pays female athletes what they are worth.Ariel Roblin is the president and general manager of KCRA 3 and My58. See more of her editorials here.