Imago
Credits: Imagn
Imago
Credits: Imagn
The Caitlin Clark effect has been well evident this year. Reports note that the 22-year-old was responsible for 26% of the league’s economic activity this season, covering everything from attendance to TV viewership and even merchandise sales. Every sixth ticket sold in WNBA arenas during Clark’s debut season is tied to her with Indiana Fever games alone accounting for 45% of the league’s total broadcasting value. But despite her monumental impact, there’s one area where the 22-year-old Iowa native falls behind.
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It’s her contract.
Clark, the No. 1 overall pick by the Fever, is playing on a 2024 base salary of just $76,535 as part of a four-year, $338,056 deal. Despite her unprecedented influence, she isn’t even the highest-paid player in the league. Think stats and experience should factor in? She’s got those covered too, with over 19 WNBA records already to her name as a rookie.
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Dan Dakich couldn’t ignore the disparity and drew a bold comparison to baseball’s mega-deals. “But you tell me Juan Soto is going to be responsible for one in every six tickets sold? Man, it’s insane. Now, I understand you can double, triple, quadruple, go by 20 times the revenue generated by Major League Baseball compared to the WNBA… Total TV viewership due to Clark is up 300%, and 45% of the total broadcast value came from Fever games. That’s unbelievable,” he said.
USA Today via Reuters
Aug 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Sky during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
And Dakich has a point. Clark’s contribution to the league’s revenue—$53 million—makes up 26.5% of the WNBA’s 2024 total recorded revenue of $200 million, according to the LA Times. The comparison he’s making is to Juan Soto’s $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets, which could escalate to $805 million—widely considered the largest pact in team sports history.
Soto, a four-time All-Star at just 26 years old, debuted in the major leagues at 19 and helped the Washington Nationals win the World Series with a .282 batting average, 34 homers, and 110 RBIs. Impressive, sure. But Dakich believes even those achievements don’t stack up against what Clark brings to the WNBA.
Caitlin Clark makes list of ‘highest-paid’ but W merely contributes
“The league’s merchandise sales skyrocketed by 500%, and Clark’s jersey is number one… Baseball, you just pay her. You’ve got all this money, and Soto’s out there, but you pay her. I don’t know how you pay her. I really don’t. How do you pay her what she’s worth? I mean, $76,000 is not her worth,” Dakich added.
And he’s not wrong. Clark’s WNBA salary represents just 1% of her total earnings. Beyond breaking attendance and revenue records for the league, the Fever rookie generated a record $11.1 million annual payday for a WNBA player—99% of it earned off the court. She debuted on Sportico’s list as the world’s highest-paid female athlete, with $11 million in endorsement earnings.
With Clark came the deals. She’s signed sponsorships with Nike, Gatorade, State Farm, Gainbridge, Lilly, Panini, Xfinity, and Hy-Vee. In April, Nike reportedly inked an eight-year agreement with her, worth over $3 million annually on average.
Sure, she’s earning millions—but not from the WNBA. So is the league underpaying its brightest star?
Written by
Edited by
Shivatmika Manvi