© Darren Yamashita/Imagn
The financial impact that Caitlin Clark has made on the WNBA is undeniable. But as it turns out, her fellow WNBA players should be much more thankful than anybody even thought, and the numbers are hard to ignore.
See, in leagues like the NFL, players get a significant direct cut of jersey sales with their name on the back. But it’s not that simple in the WNBA. In the W, the WNBPA gets a 50 percent cut of all jersey sales league-wide. The union then distributes that money evenly across its members.
Since the start of the regular season, sales of @WNBA merchandise are up over 500% vs. the same period last year — with fan gear sales over the first half of the season at the highest in league history.
Player-specific merchandise, including jerseys and T-shirts, have seen a… pic.twitter.com/XR6O3aWLCJ— Boardroom (@boardroom) August 21, 2024
Caitlin Clark Jersey Sales Are Making Every Other WNBA Player Much, Much Richer
That’s where Clark comes in. In 2024, the then-Indiana Fever rookie didn’t just lead the league in jersey sales; she was second among all basketball players, both male and female, in jersey sales. Clark trailed only Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry when it comes to jerseys sold.
Across the league, player-specific merchandise sales were up a staggering 1,000 percent year-over-year, according to Boardroom. That success has continued into 2025, as Clark yet again leads the league in jersey sales, with rookie Paige Bueckers checking in at No. 2 and Clark’s former Iowa teammate Kate Martin landing in third.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese and WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces round out the top five. So while some may want to diminish Clark’s importance to the league, it’s abundantly clear how she’s completely reshaped the future of the league.
Should that translate into special treatment on the court? Of course not. But you would think players would be a little more appreciative in the way that talk about Clark off of it.