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For a long time, the disparity between men’s and women’s basketball athletes’ pay has been a matter of debate in the world of professional hoops. However, over the past two years, with the WNBA’s popularity ever growing, the narrative has slightly shifted.
Caitlin Clark, who was drafted as the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, is listed among the highest-earning female athletes at the moment. While Clark’s WNBA salary may be just $114,000, in 2025, she is making 99% of her earnings from endorsements, which is close to $16,000,000!
Caitlin Clark finds herself in the list of the top 15 highest-paid athletes behind Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Eileen Gu and Zheng Qinwen. With regards to her on-court earnings, Clark made $78,066 in base salary, $30,000 in a bonus from the Commissioner’s Cup championship, $3,435 for making it to the WNBA semi-finals, and $2,575 for being selected to the All-Star team.
As a brand ambassador, Clark has ongoing endorsement deals with brands such as Gatorade, State Farm, Wilson, Panini America, Hy-Vee, Xfinity, Gainbridge, and Lilly. This makes her the sixth-highest-paid female athlete in the world in 2025.
However, some WNBA fans were not happy to see the names of other league stars, such as A’ja Wilson, on this list. While some fans rejoiced in Clark’s status as a star athlete, others were vocal in expressing their sentiments in the comments section of a post made by Overtime WBB. One fan wrote,
“I’m sorry but for A’ja not to be on this list is wild 😢.”
Another fan added,
“A mega star in her own right.”
This fan wrote,
“League owes her back pay and a huge percentage for merchandise, tv and ticket sales!”
This fan added,
“I was not surprised at all 😂 wnba y’all need to fix something it’s insane making basketball look bad 💀”
Another fan wrote,
“lol that’s any wnba player with endorsements.”
This fan added,
“Anyone who follows the W and the ongoing CBA negotiations would not be surprised by this at all. Pay them what they’re worth! @wnba.”
It is indeed true that Caitlin Clark’s arrival has significantly boosted the WNBA’s popularity and revenue up north. Since her rookie year, the league has generated a massive amount of fan interest and has secured a new media rights deal valued at around $2.2 billion over 11 years. Athletes currently receive roughly 9.3% of the league’s total revenue through their base salary structure.
Currently, the WNBA are negotiating for a new CBA, which might possibly allow players to earn seven-figure salaries. While Clark could massively benefit from such a change, the league could make certain concessions that could, in turn, affect the players themselves.
Adam Silver Sends a Message to Cailin Clark’s Haters
Caitlin Clark’s popularity has reverberated immensely through the hoops community. Even NBA commissioner Adam Silver has acknowledged the Fever star’s rising stardom and had a message for all her haters with an honest ‘truth bomb’. In an appearance on FanDuel Sports Network – Indiana, Silver discussed how Clark has impacted the game of basketball. He said,
“”To see the popularity of Caitlin (Clark), to see the Fever exploding in popularity — not just here in Indianapolis, Indiana, but globally — it’s remarkable.”
Clark has been receiving rising scrutiny, especially due to her limited role this season. This year was rather injury-plagued for the Fever star, playing only 13 out of 44 games in the campaign. Indiana still managed to reach the WNBA semi-finals and had an impressive run to conclude the 2025 season. The next season will mark Clark’s third WNBA season as she is expected to be back on the roster in full strength.
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