Who knew Cheryl Reeve’s star player Napheesa Collier would be the next in line to extend a friendly hand to Caitlin Clark? With the recent discussions about the salary disparity in the W, Angel Reese revealed that her big numbers aren’t as big at all. Instead, she cannot even afford her rent with what the league of her dreams is paying her. But now, Napheesa Collier has a suggestion for the W to bridge that gap. However, it only focuses on the Rookie of the Year.

When the Indiana Fever guard’s first-year salary was revealed in April, it caused an outcry because the numbers were too low for the attention that she brought to the sport. Collier agrees, who recently spoke to Run It Back on FanDuel TV. “It’s just so crazy because the growth that Caitlin has brought to the game—the sheer amount of money that she’s making these teams, people are having to move their venues for when she comes to play,” the Lynx star said.

“And she’s getting paid like $75,000 a year… she should be one of the (top-paid) players in the world just for the sheer numbers she’s bringing.” Near the Olympic break, the Fever led the league in attendance for both home and away games with more than 186,000 fans attending. Clark’s first playoff game vs. the Connecticut Sun was also historic and drew in 1.8 million viewers despite it being an NFL Sunday. Surely these numbers should translate to zeroes on paychecks?

Collier agrees with the Caitlin Clark Effect, who’s currently playing against Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart’s New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals. She’s among the long list of players who have called out the pay discrepancy, with the latest being Angel Reese. The Sky player had revealed, “I just hope you know the WNBA don’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think that pays one of my bills. Literally, I’m trying to think of my rent for where I stay at [in Chicago].”

While Caitlin Clark has not outwardly joined the narrative yet like Angel Reese, her fans have stood up for her in her stead. If CC does decide to speak out, she will have her fellow players’ support.

Where A’ja Wilson took LeBron’s example, Collier spoke against coach salaries. What about Caitlin Clark?

In her own rookie year, A’ja Wilson famously saw her brother LeBron James break the ceiling with his contract extension with the LA Lakers and spoke up for equality in pay. Last year, Napheesa Collier did the same when it was revealed that Pheonix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts would become the highest-paid coach in the organization’s history.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad coaches are getting paid, but it’s kinda crazy they’re making 4 times more than the highest paid players 🥴” she wrote on X. According to reports, Tibbets made over $1 million in 2024 despite being inexperienced in women’s basketball compared to other coaches.

On the other hand, Caitlin Clark, who has essentially revolutionized the sport in the last few years, received a 5-figure rookie salary. While some players opt to play in other countries or even other leagues in the offseason, the No. 22 is taking a break from basketball after a hectic year of transition from college to pro play. While she may or may not choose to do it again in the next offseason, Napheesa Collier, like the rest of us, will be hoping that the W makes an example out of her with increased pay.