While it was very certain that Caitlin Clark was headed to the WNBA Draft after the NCAA Tournament, fans still loved speculating about her future. Ice Cube took it a notch further and even offered the Iowa basketball legend a contract to join his league. It was worth $5 million. Since the Indiana Fever picked her first overall, it was safe to assume that she'd earn more, right? Well, not really.
Fever star's salary raises eyebrows
Caitlin Clark's projected salary dropped after the Fever used their WNBA Draft pick on her. The star out of Iowa is expected to earn a meager $338,06 in her first four-year deal in the league, per Spotrac. When avid spectators noticed this, a ton of unhinged reactions plagued social media.
“One of the greatest scorers in College Hoops. She will earn just under the 25th Percentile of $47,900 in California for college grads. Compared to the NBA rookie minimum salary which has been set to $953,000 per year. Clark’s rookie contract is a joke,” a fan pointed out.
Some were even quick to compare a certain Spurs rookie's earnings to the new Fever star, “Wow. Compare Caitlin Clark’s rookie contract to the rookie contact Victor Wembanyama got to play in the NBA—four years for $55.2 million! An average of $13.8 million a year vs Clark’s average of $84.5 thousand a year. Just unbelievable”
While others were filled with dismay after seeing what the WNBA Draft's first overall pick has to go through, there was still some optimism.
“WUT. I understand it’s all about the revenue that the league makes, but Caitlin Clark is going to make the WNBA and Indiana Fever so much money… an unbelievable disparity in her contract value and the value she brings to that city and franchise. She’s gonna break records with merch,” a WNBA spectator wrote.
This fan even pointed out how the 2024 WNBA Draft's first overall pick might just fix her own destiny, “The WNBA’s CBA expires as Caitlin Clark’s rookie contract ends. Without adding too much pressure, if she is the ratings draw everyone hopes, she could rapidly shift the league contracts in an enormous way, just as she is eligible for a bigger deal.”
The production and figures
If you have not heard, Clark is the all-time leading scorer in all of college basketball. She did this by playing 34.8 minutes per contest at Iowa. Clark ravaged the Big Ten by recording a career field goal percentage of 46.2% with Coach Lisa Bluder. This netted her 28.4 points on a nightly basis which still remains an insane feat.
Moreover, the newly drafted star of the Fever has the most deadly outside shot in all of basketball. She knocks down shots from deep with a 37.7% percentage and it even reached a peak of 40.6% back in her freshman year.
With this, what will Clark earn with the WNBA? In her first year, she will only receive $76,535. In her second and third year in the league, her earnings will be $78,066 and $85,873 respectively. Clark's fourth year will see her earn the most money in her contract as she is slated to net $97,582.
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