Caitlin Clark, Other Players’ Salaries in the WNBA Revealed
The WNBA Draft took place on Monday evening (April 15), and it was a historic event. So, what will Caitlin Clark and other players make as far as salaries in the WNBA? By the way, tickets for this year’s draft sold out within 15 minutes for the first time in the history of the association. There were 1,000 tickets available, and they went in a flash. If that’s any indication of increased interest in the WNBA, then it can only mean good things for the future of the sport.
Rookie Salaries in the WNBA Revealed
Let’s get into the salaries in the WNBA in 2024. During the WNBA Draft, basketball star Caitlin Clark was selected as the No. 1 pick and went to the Indiana Fever. Everyone pretty much knew that Clark would be drafted first, as she’s broken a bunch of records and ended her career as college basketball’s all-time leading scorer. But, her rookie salary is surprising a lot of people. According to a report by the experts at Spotrac, Clark will sign a four-year contract with the Fever worth $338,056. That doesn’t seem like much, especially considering that according to On3.com, Clark’s NIL valuation was $3.5 million. She was also ranked fourth in college sports when it came to her NIL totals. But, the WNBA just doesn’t have the resources of the NBA. Of course, in the latter, stars can make as much as $50 million or more. According to ESPN.com, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is the highest-paid NBA basketball star at $51,915,615. In comparison, for salaries in the WNBA, Arike Ogunbowale, Kahleah Copper and Jewell Loyd are the highest-paid WNBA players at $241,984 each, according to Spotrac (via Dispatch.com). That’s a big discrepancy, but remember that the viewership and attendance for the WNBA is so much lower than for NBA basketball. Maybe that will change with stars like Clark joining the fold.
The Los Angeles Sparks picked Cameron Brink as No. 2 in the draft. As far as salaries in the WNBA, her final deal is for $85,873 with a fourth-year option at $97,582, according to Heavy.com. The Chicago Sky picked South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso as their No. 3 pick; the Los Angeles Sparks went with Rickea Jackson of Tennessee with their No. 4 pick; and the Dallas Wings went with Jacy Sheldon of Ohio State with their fifth pick. Further down, another social media and sports star, Angel Reese, was drafted No. 7 overall by the Chicago Sky in the draft, and — Spotrac (@spotrac) April 16, 2024">according to Spotrac, she’ll make $324,383 over the next four seasons. Reese was also one of the highest-paid athletes in college sports.
