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Caitlin Clark's WNBA salary is less than 1% of what an NBA No. 1 pick makes

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The news that Caitlin Clark is the WNBA's No. 1 draft pick after setting the all-time NCAA scoring record in her season has people wondering: How much will the star athlete make in the WNBA ? And how does her salary compare to that of her NBA colleagues?

Caitlin Clark contributed an estimated $80 million to Iowa's economy

The 22-year-old former Iowa Hawkeyes player turned heads in her junior year when she led Iowa to its first national championship game and set the Big Ten's single-season record for points and assists. As a senior, Clark became Division I's career and season leader in points and three-pointers.

As Clark's star rose, Iowa attendance increased 81% between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons, according to ESPN. Every Iowa home and away game (except two tournament games in Florida) was sold out for Clark's senior season, and economists estimate she contributed over $80 million to the Iowa economy over her four-year career.

She is ultimately “the record-breaking face of women’s college basketball,” wrote ESPN.

Clark's celebrity fan: Caitlin Clark receives a personalized AFC Richmond jersey from “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis

Clark is scheduled to begin the 2024 WNBA season on Tuesday, May 14 with the Indiana Fever, joining a team that features 2023 WNBA rookie of the year Aliyah Boston, who was also the No. 1 pick in last year's draft. The Fever will play 40 games over the course of the season, which is scheduled to end on September 19th.

So how will Clark be compensated? Here are the numbers broken down.

Caitlin Clark WNBA Salary

According to the WNBA's CBA, Clark will receive a four-year contract worth a total of $338,056.

The first four picks of the WNBA draft each have the same value, meaning Clark and subsequent draft picks Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso and Rickea Jackson will each receive the same amount of money. Here is the year-by-year breakdown of Clark's contract (it was not announced whether she signed):

  • 2024: $76,535
  • 2025: $78,066
  • 2026: $85,873
  • 2027 (fourth year option): $97,582

How does Caitlin Clark's salary compare to the average NBA salary?

Clark will earn about 0.6% of what her NBA counterparts make in their four-year contracts.

The 2023 NBA No. 1 draft pick, San Antonio Spurs player Victor Wembanyama, signed a four-year contract last year worth a total of $55,174,766. According to Spotrac, his annual salary averages around $13.7 million. Meanwhile, Clark will receive compensation of $76,535 for her first season.

To put this into perspective, Wenbanyama's rookie salary of $13.7 million equates to approximately $167,000 per game in an 82-game season, or more than double Clark's rookie salary in the WNBA.

According to Forbes, the WNBA-NBA salary gap is a long-standing point of contention in the field and is determined in part by long-term viewership expectations and television ratings. According to Vox, the NBA's “much larger revenue” is another variable behind the gap.

How much does Caitlin Clark make in advertising revenue each year?

According to On3, Clark already has numerous endorsements that she will take from college to the WNBA thanks to NIL (name, image and likeness) rights, giving her a valuation of $3.4 million.

Clark ranks second on the NIL rating list among female athletes and basketball players, behind LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne ($3.7 million) and USC basketball player and LeBron James' son Bronny James ($4.9 million -Dollar).

Clark's recommendations include:

  • Gatorade
  • Nike
  • Panini
  • District farm
  • Xfinity

In addition to her national support, Clark already has a regional sponsor in the Indianapolis area. She signed a contract with Gainbridge, an insurance and retirement company based in Zionsville, to promote ParityFlex, a retirement plan for women. Gainbridge is also the title sponsor of the Fever's home arena, Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Who designed Angel Reese?

Former LSU forward Angel Reese, also known as “Bayou Barbie,” was the No. 7 overall pick by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Angel Reese WNBA Salary

According to SpotracReese will make slightly less than Clark over the next four seasons on a contract worth $324,383.

Reese will begin her rookie season with an annual salary of $73,439. That number will increase to $93,636 by her fourth year in the league.

Social media users are voicing their opinions on WNBA pay

Many expressed dismay online at Clark's projected WNBA salary compared to her NBA counterparts.

“These ladies deserve so much more…I pray for this day,” Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson said wrote on X.

“There is no reason why I should have a higher salary than Caitlin Clark,” said another fan wrote.

“To everyone ruining Caitlin Clark's salary, I agree and want something better for her,” another person said wrote.

Others found no problem with Clark's salary.

“If Caitlin Clark significantly increases the product, ratings and sales, she will be paid more. Meanwhile, she can earn much more than her salary through advertising. It doesn’t hurt her,” one said X user wrote.

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