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Caitlin Clark’s incredible college career for the Iowa Hawkeyes is quickly winding down.
Clark announced earlier this week that she would forgo her final year of college eligibility and instead enter her name in the 2024 WNBA Draft, where she’s the consensus top prospect.
That led some fans to wonder if she may well be leaving money on the table due to the extensive number of endorsement deals she currently has. But the numbers show that’s not necessarily the case.
Rachel Bachman of Wall Street Journal took a deep dive into the financial aspect of Clark’s choice and discovered that, if anything, Clark stands to make more money to begin her WNBA career.
Let’s start with the obvious.
Bachman states that Clark will likely have a salary of $76,535 as a top-four pick in the draft. But she can also make an additional $350,000 in bonuses.
Then there’s the big money matter — sponsorship.
“Clark’s top sponsors—Gatorade, Hy-Vee and State Farm—told The Wall Street Journal they’ll maintain their partnerships with Clark into the pros,” Bachman reports.
But wait, there’s more.
Clark currently has a shoe deal with Nike. But that deal expires following the completion of the season.
That means she is free to negotiate with additional brands such Adidas, Puma, and Under Armour, which Bachman reports are all negotiating with Clark alongside of Nike. Bachman adds that the number discussed for Clark’s shoe deal is around $3 million per year.
“She is a once-in-a-generation player,” shoe industry analyst Matt Powell told Bachman. “I think this is an opportunity for brands to really get after the women’s side of the business, which they really continue to fail at.”
Could Clark lose out on money?
Of course. Game 4 of the WNBA Finals drew 889,000 viewers on ESPN last season. The NCAA championship game featuring Clark and Iowa against LSU drew nearly 10 million viewers on ABC.
So the difference in exposure is inarguable.
But there are also a ton of other things going for her that say it may not be quite the pay cut that some believe.