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The WNBA Draft on April 15 was one of the biggest nights in the history of the league, as a crop of potential new stars — including Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, Angel Reese, and more — entered the league.
The impact of these ladies entering the pros, particularly in Clark’s case, was felt immediately, as her new #22 Indiana Fever jersey immediately sold out on Fanatics in all sizes.
Another aspect of Clark’s entrance into the WNBA that picked up tons of attention last night, however, is her contract, which one viral tweet compared to that of “an accounting major who graduated with straight Bs from Lehigh working a job for a mid sized company in Cincinnati.”
Caitlin Clark about to get PAID!
(like an accounting major who graduated with straight Bs from Lehigh working a job for a mid sized company in Cincinnati) pic.twitter.com/1gruqQob2x
— Nick Huber (@sweatystartup) April 16, 2024
Another person who decided to chime in on Clark’s salary was Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, who hopped on Twitter to say that he’s praying for Clark and “these ladies” [WNBA players].
These ladies deserve so much more…
Praying for the day 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 l https://t.co/mIZmaXwPVi— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) April 16, 2024
Clark’s salary is certainly staggering considering the unprecedented revenue she’ll likely bring into the league over the coming years, particularly during her upcoming rookie season this summer while her career prospects essentially remain in Schrodinger’s Box (Clark will be great, but how great?).
The issue that Clark and all WNBA players face is that while they might be popular, the league isn’t popular, but more importantly, profitable enough to pay them millions upon millions of dollars per year. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver famously and perhaps, in hindsight, mistakenly revealed in 2018 that “on average (we’ve lost) over $10 million every year we’ve operated” the WNBA.
According to a Front Office Sports report from 2023 “one person in a WNBA ownership group said the league may have only one profitable team: the Seattle Storm.”
Still, that doesn’t mean that Clark won’t be a very rich woman, as she already has numerous endorsement deals lined up with the likes of Nike, Gatorade, Hy-Vee, and State Farm, and has worked with companies such as Topps, Panini America, Buick, H&R Block, Bose, and more in the past.