Getty Caitlin Clark's future salary in the WNBA may surprise some fans.
Caitlin Clark’s salary projections with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever may surprise some fans. To be clear, Clark is not officially with the Fever yet, but all signs point to Indiana selecting Clark with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft on April 15.
According to the WNBA collective bargaining agreement, Clark would earn a rookie salary of $76,535 in 2024 if she is selected with one of the first four picks. This number rises slightly to $78,066 in 2025 and increases again to $85,873 in 2026. Finally, the fourth-year option base salary for Clark (assuming she lands inside the top four picks) is $97,582 for 2027.
Clark projects to land a four-year, $338,056 contract (including the fourth-year option) in the WNBA when factoring in the base money. For comparison, the minimum NBA salary for 2023-24 is $1.1 million, per HoopsRumors.com. That said, Clark has emerged as one of the most marketable athletes across sports and will have more endorsement opportunities than a typical NBA player who is earning a minimum salary.
Clark has declined to discuss the Big 3’s $5 million offer rumors publicly. Big 3 founder Ice Cube confirmed to CNN that the league is interested in Clark while describing the potential salary for Clark as a “historic offer.”
No, Caitlin Clark Is Not Losing Money by Leaving Iowa for the WNBA
Since Clark declared for the WNBA draft, there has been some chatter that the star will be losing money by turning pro. The basic math proves this is not true, unless Clark’s sponsors suddenly bolt when she leaves Iowa. Business analyst Darren Rovell was widely panned when suggesting Clark is losing money with her decision to leave Iowa.
“Headline: Caitlin Clark chooses a $750,000 paycut,” Rovell said in a February 29, 2024 message.
For starters, Clark is not permitted to earn money directly by playing college basketball. The NIL era allows Clark to make money from endorsements and sponsorships just as she is able to do in the WNBA. Clark is unable to earn a check from Iowa athletics.
Even if the WNBA salaries are low, Clark will be able to earn this money from the Fever in addition to her current endorsement options. Moving to the WNBA also opens up Clark to additional business opportunities. Clark can earn more money with the Fever as well as the WNBA for appearances during the offseason.
“Though many of her deals will continue to run, she is on the precipice of making even more money than she did this season at Iowa,” The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov wrote in a March 8 story titled, “The Caitlin Clark business is booming. Here’s how her WNBA sponsorships are lining up.” “Clark did not take any money from Iowa’s main collective, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“She will make a salary in the WNBA — the No. 1 pick is guaranteed $76,535 in her first season — unlike at Iowa. She can also avail herself of up to $250,000 in a league marketing deal and up to $100,000 in a team marketing contract if she eschews playing abroad next offseason, or she can sign what is likely to be a high-paying contract to play for a team in Europe or China.”
Caitlin Clark Has Endorsements With Global Brands Like Nike and Gatorade
Clark may have a few local deals focused primarily on her association with Iowa athletics, but the majority of the guard’s endorsement are for national brands. These deals include Nike, Xfinity, Gatorade and State Farm, per On3.com.
There have been no signs that Clark’s current partners want to end their endorsements once the star is playing in the WNBA. Gainbridge chief strategy officer Minji Ro explained why their brand is focused on continuing to partner with Clark, regardless of who she plays for in the coming years.
“We were in no matter what,” Ro told The Athletic. “Because that’s the power of Caitlin Clark. So she plays in Indiana, that’s great, but it doesn’t actually matter where she plays because she’s gonna sell out everywhere.”