Caitlin Clark Quiets Haters With Major New Sponsor After Declaring For WNBA Draft

Did Caitlin Clark make the wrong decision to forgo her final year of college eligibility in order to enter the WNBA?

That’s the claim that some are making, stating that Clark is leaving money on the table by turning the pro.

The evidence, however, continues to mount in the opposite direction. Clark added her first new sponsor on Tuesday since declaring for the WNBA Draft, and it was a big one.

The new deal came in the form of a partnership with Gainbridge Life Insurance. The Indiana-based company has grown to massive levels in recent years and currently sponsors the arena where both the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever play.

The Fever, of course, have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and are widely expected to use that pick to select Clark, the all-time leading scorer in Division I college basketball.

“We are thrilled to partner with a generational talent like Caitlin Clark,’’ Group 1001 President and CEO Dan Towriss said in a press release. “We look forward to having Caitlin join (tennis legend) Billie Jean (King)  and  (golf star) Annika (Sorenstam) to represent Gainbridge as this new product for women is launched and now available on the Gainbridge platform.”

Caitlin Clark Helps NCAA Women’s Basketball To Record Ratings

Clark lifted interest in women’s college basketball to new heights in recent years. She starred in the 2023 NCAA Championship Game that blew away the previous record rating for a women’s college game.

While 3.39 million people watched her final regular season game for the Hawkeyes on FOX. FOX executive Michael Mulvihill even joked that Clark should return to school because of the rating.

Meanwhile, WNBA ratings have floundered in recent years even despite superstars such as A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu.

Clark could well change that. And if she does, it will likely come with a big payday for doing so.