Caitlin Clark attracted significant attention to the WNBA during the recent season, turning out to be financially beneficial for the star of the Indiana Fever. This week, Sportico unveiled its Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2024 list, which assessed total earnings over the 12 months concluding on Dec. 31. This accounted for both salary or winnings and […]
Caitlin Clark attracted significant attention to the WNBA during the recent season, turning out to be financially beneficial for the star of the Indiana Fever.
This week, Sportico unveiled its Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2024 list, which assessed total earnings over the 12 months concluding on Dec. 31. This accounted for both salary or winnings and endorsements. Clark was the sole basketball player featured on the list.
According to Sportico, Clark’s total earnings for 2024 reached $11.1 million. The publication noted that her WNBA salary represented approximately $100,000 of that amount. This included a base salary of $76,535 along with several performance bonuses, which included $10,300 for her All-WNBA first team selection.
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The balance of $11 million in her 2024 earnings came from endorsement deals. According to the report, her most valuable endorsement was with Nike.
In April, The Wall Street Journal reported that the agreement with Nike for Clark could be valued at up to $28 million over an eight-year period. The Swoosh allegedly outbid several competing brands, including Puma, Adidas, and Under Armour.
This deal, as reported by NBA insider Shams Charania via Twitter at the time, would also feature a signature shoe.
Clark has had a long-standing partnership with Nike, initially entering into a name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreement with the brand in October 2022. The athlete wore several Nike models during her time with the Iowa Hawkeyes, predominantly from the beloved Kobe line.
While Nike has yet to introduce a Clark signature shoe, she has continued to generate excitement around the Kobe line with striking player editions (PEs) and wearing popular colorways. For example, she showcased her inaugural Nike Kobe PE in late July during a practice with the Indiana Fever, a Nike Kobe 5 Protro adorned in the black and gold colors of her alma mater.
In addition to footwear, Nike honored Clark in October with a T-shirt to celebrate her Rookie of the Year distinction. The shirt, which is available on Nike.com for $40, features many of her rookie achievements, including the most points in a rookie season (769), most assists in a season (337), and others.
In addition to footwear deals, Clark secured several other notable partnerships in 2024, including with Wilson Sporting Goods Co. (which highlighted multiple signature basketball collections), along with Gatorade, State Farm, and others.
As for viewership, the WNBA disclosed in October that the entire season — which incorporated the regular season, playoffs, and finals — averaged 1.2 million viewers, marking it the most-watched full season on ESPN channels to date.
Moreover, ESPN featured the most-watched game of the regular season, a clash between the Fever and the Chicago Sky in June, averaging 2.3 million viewers.
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He supervises coverage of these dynamic and highly competitive markets, which involves conducting detailed interviews with industry leaders and writing stories related to sneakers and outdoor footwear. A lifelong sneaker enthusiast, he shares his latest acquisitions via @peterverry on Instagram, and dedicates much of his leisure time to hiking. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be contacted at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
