Caitlin Clark’s rookie WNBA year has seen the Indiana Fever star instantly become a household name, especially in the United States.
She is a near-unanimous Rooke of the Year winner and her emergence has provided a platform for women’s basketball to reach new heights. More eyes are on the WNBA than ever and after players opted out of the current collective bargaining agreement, they are hoping to catapult themselves into a higher financial bracket.
Clark earned just £58,000 in her first year in the professional game and is set to take home just £260k across her first four seasons, a drop in the ocean compared to NBA salaries, but her lucrative endorsements help offset that.
Her deal with Nike is worth over £21million over eight years, the largest shoe deal ever for a women’s basketball player, and the 22-year-old also works with Gatorade, State Farm, Wilson, Panini America, Xfinity and Gainbridge.
With her growing and loyal fanbase, Clark is the dream athlete for sponsors. And SportsPro claim that she is now the fourth most marketable athlete in the entire world, behind only Olympics legend Simone Biles, Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr and NBA superstar LeBron James.
The group explained their factors for the list: “We have blended extensive data analysis, advanced social media monitoring, economic valuations, expert and consumer insights to bring you this definitive list.
“Once again sophisticated qualitative research was integrated with quantitative marketability measurements, while comprehensive mathematical and statistical formulas from multiple data sources were then applied to determine the final rankings according to each athlete’s Total Marketability Score.”
Crucially, Clark is ahead of a host of familiar names in the footballing world such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and even Cristiano Ronaldo.
The now Al-Nassr forward once stood at the very top of marketability but his lack of presence in Europe has seen the 39-year-old take a major hit in that department.
Clark’s off-the-court riches have seen her snub advances to join her WNBA rivals in a new ‘Unrivaled’ basketball league, which has courted the likes of Angel Reese, Jewell Loyd and Arike Ogunbowale.
Founded by New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, ‘Unrivaled’ has pledged to be the highest-paying league in the history of women’s professional sports.
They have offered WNBA stars the chance to earn significant money without playing overseas during their off-season, but have so far failed to get Clark on board despite reports of a nine-figure offer.
Clark, meanwhile, has been relaxing in her time away from basketball and taken up golf this Autumn after exiting the WNBA play-offs in the first round.
