Caitlin Clark salary breakdown reveals how underpaid she is in the WNBA

Jeremy Beren

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Caitlin Clark salary breakdown reveals how underpaid she is in the WNBA image

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The WNBA and the WNBPA agreed to a 40-day extension of the collective bargaining agreement that was set to expire on Nov. 30.

Yet, there appears to be little momentum toward a new deal, as player salary increases do not include a large enough percentage of revenue sharing with the league that will grow as WNBA business grows.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is in a privileged position relative to other WNBA stars. She began earning millions of dollars through NIL sponsorships before she played her first professional game in 2024.

Sportico crunched the numbers and found that Clark was the sixth-highest earner among female professional athletes in 2025. She earned $16 million from her numerous sponsorships in a year during which she signed a lucrative new deal with Nike.

However, Clark earned just $114,076 for playing with the Fever during her second WNBA season. And it's not because she played only 13 games due to injury.

Clark's base salary was $78,066 in the second year of her four-year rookie contract. She earned an additional $30,000 bonus for Indiana's Commissioner's Cup victory, another $3,435 when the Fever reached the WNBA semifinals and a further $2,575 when she was named an All-Star for the second season running.

Both the WNBA and the WNBPA agree that salaries will rise significantly in the next CBA. But there remains disagreement on how those salary increases will be implemented — or how much they will rise beginning in 2026.

A player of Clark's caliber won't be making $114,000 for much longer. But the fact that it represents such a minuscule portion of her earnings is a problem that the WNBA must address decisively.

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Contributing Writer