Being one of the biggest stars in the history of your sport and the No. 1 overall pick in the draft usually will net that player a massive contract, commensurate with their talent level.
That decidedly is not the case for Caitlin Clark.
After breaking the record for most career points in women’s college basketball this year and leading her Iowa Hawkeyes to the brink of a championship before falling to powerhouse South Carolina, Clark was drafted first overall by the WNBA’s Indiana Fever on Monday night.
Her first contract with the team, however, was incredibly underwhelming.
According to Sportrac, Clark’s deal is worth a meagre US$338,056 over four years. The sharpshooter will make US$76,535 in her rookie year and will max out at US$97,582 in 2027.
However, Clark’s rookie status limits her potential paydays due to WNBA salary rules, which sees the top four picks earning the same amount in their first season.
Overall, the three highest-paid players in the WNBA – Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale, Phoenix Mercury’s Kahleah Copper and Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd – all make roughly $242,000 per year, according to Spotrac.
Compared to NBA players, those numbers pale in comparison. The average salary in the NBA for the 2023-24 season is $9.7 million with the league minimum sitting at a pricey $1.1 million – roughly 15 times higher than what Clark will make.
Super Bowl-winning QB Russell Wilson knows a thing or two about cashing in on success and he was quick to highlight how Clark and her fellow WNBA stars deserve more.
“These ladies deserve so much more… Praying for the day,” Wilson wrote in a post.
While Wilson signed a one-year, $1.2-million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers this off-season, he will still be paid $39 million by the Denver Broncos, who released him earlier this year with guaranteed money left on his contract.
Over the course of his 12-year career so far, Wilson has pocketed more than $266 million and will cross the $300-million mark this year.
Other users were quick to chime in on Clark and her cohorts being underpaid.
“Greatest player in college basketball history just got an entry level project manager salary,” one user on X (formerly Twitter) replied.
“This is bogus they have made more headlines than any man that is currently playing. Pay women what they deserve in sports,” another wrote.
One user pointed out that tickets to the Fever’s home opener this season are going for a whopping $2,300 – a ticket that Clark herself may have trouble affording.
At least Clark can bank on some income from endorsements.
She already boasts deals with Nike and State Farm Insurance, and her agent likely has their phone ringing off the hook to ink the hoops phenom.