How Much Money Will Caitlin Clark Make As A Pro?

It's Caitlin Clark's world, and we're all living in it.

Clark's been able to break not only statistical records, but also television ratings - and with that comes money, big money and brands – State Farm – that have already signed her to hawk their products. With one more year of college eligibility left thanks to the COVID year, and a ridiculously low WNBA guaranteed rookie contract, not to mention a $5-plus million offer from Ice Cube's Big 3 league, it's not a matter of if Clark will make big money in 2024-25, it's a question of where and how much her agents can extract. 

"Heard some say that Caitlin Clark will make less as a WNBA player than she would with NIL in college. Well, no. She will make her WNBA salary, whatever it is, plus 'pro NIL': endorsement and marketing revenue that will be significantly more than she made while in college," Andrew Brandt, a former Green Bay Packers vice president who negotiated player contracts, recently wrote on Twitter. 

OK, but what about the argument that women's college basketball is more popular than the WNBA? Will going to the WNBA hurt Clark's wallet?

"She'll make more. Much more," Brandt tweeted emphatically. 

Imagn/USAToday

CAITLIN CLARK'S CURRENT NCAA DEAL

Thanks to the NCAA's name, image and likeness agreement, Caitlin Clark has already been paid for various off-the-court deals, including State Farm commercials with Steph Curry. As an NCAA player, she's not allowed to receive compensation directly from the university, but she has reportedly earned $3.1 million in previous endorsement and sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike, Gatorade, State Farm and others, according to Forbes.

It's important to note that many of these deals were made before the 2023-24 season. In other words, if those same deals were being negotiated right now (and you can be sure her agent will be renegotiating as soon as contractually possible) she would be making A LOT more. Recently, Panini Trading Cards signed an exclusive deal with Clark - the first female athlete they've worked with –  for her trading cards and sports memorabilia rights. Those limited trading cards have since skyrocketed in value.

"Clark has the potential to not only attract female buyers, but also to attract a portion of the male collecting community which has historically shied away from almost all female athlete collectibles," Ken Goldin of Goldin Collectibles and Netflix's "King of Collectibles" told OutKick. "The interest in her cards and memorabilia is certainly at an all-time high right now and in unprecedented territory for any prior female at any time." 

"With men's basketball, typically their value only goes up when they enter the pros," Goldin explained. However, "because the WNBA historically has not had close to the following that women's college sports has, I believe the peak of interest in her collectibles likely will be over the next year to 18 months."

Goldin adds that this timetable is what "Panini (and perhaps other brands) are expecting to capitalize on."   

CLARK'S WNBA MONEY

Clark has already committed to entering this year's WNBA Draft. The first pick will go to the Indiana Fever who, at a dismal 13-27 last year, ended up finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference.

According to the current WNBA collective bargaining agreement, there is a maximum rookie contract a player can sign and it's not great. 

Based on being the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, she can sign a three-year deal with a fourth-year option that the team can pick up, which in total would only bring in a total base salary of less than $400,000.

Max Rookie Contract Figures Allowed:

Rookie year: $76,535
Second year: $78,066
Third year: $85,873
Fourth year (Option): $97,582

Total Base Salary for all four years: $338,056

Rookie contracts are also NOT guaranteed; Clark will only get paid for the games she dresses for. 

She is also eligible to make up to the league maximum $250,000 in a league marketing deal as well as $100,000 in a team marketing contract. 

Of course, she can also play overseas during the off-season to make more money, something many WNBA players do. Just don't go and pull a Brittney Griner on us, alright Caitlin? That's the last thing America needs to happen again. 

TV RATINGS

Clark's star power also has the powers-that-be salivating over their favorite thing: TV ratings.

This past weekend's Iowa vs LSU Elite 8 matchup was the most-watched women's college basketball game ever, bringing in 12.3 million viewers according to the overnight ratings. 

With the WNBA's primary television rights deal with ESPN coming to an end at the end of the 2025 season, you can be sure that the league is clamoring and willing to do anything they can to profit off of the Clark frenzy that is currently going on. They are going to leverage her, while at the same time Caitlin can leverage the WNBA and big brands because of her sheer star power, following, and influence she has on the sport and, most importantly - the younger generation (who will tell their parents to buy them things Caitlin endorses.)

There's a reason that Clark is being likened to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson when they helped bring the NBA into its dominant era after they left college basketball.

HERE COMES ICE CUBE

That's why it was a no-brainer when Ice Cube offered Clark $5 million to play in his Big 3 Tournament.

The 3-on-3 league has been gaining in popularity and is a guaranteed way to bring in eyeballs this summer with its national CBS broadcast deal - as well as even more major endorsement deals for Clark. It also allows for the female superstar to be seen by many casual viewers who aren't going to go out of their way to find a random Indiana Fever game on a Tuesday night in August - that's if it's even on their TV.  

The Big 3 is only 10 games - much easier to consume in this nobody-can-pay-attention world. Should Clark choose to play in the Big 3 AND the WNBA, only two WNBA games would overlap - meaning if she wanted to, she could easily play in both. 

The bottom line is that the WNBA needs Caitlin Clark more than Caitlin Clark needs the WNBA and you can be sure that she is going to take it all the way to the bank.

THOUGHTS? OPINIONS? HOW BIG DOES CAITLIN CLARK GET? Email me: Michael.Gunzelman@OutKick.com or tweet me: @TheGunzShow