Despite $76,535 Salary, Caitlin Clark Still Could Bag More in WNBA Than 9 NBA Players in 2024

Caitlin Clark is the talk of the town. After capping off a historic NCAA career, the all-time leading scorer now sets herself to conquer the professional realm of the sport. The start of which has been phenomenal with her being the first overall pick in the recently concluded WNBA draft.

However, this is not all. Apart from receiving a thunderous welcome into the league, the 6 ft guard is headlining the salaries chart as well. So much so that some of the current NBA stars are falling behind.

The two-time national player of the year has grabbed quite a package for herself. The four-year rookie contract that she has been offered comprises a whopping figure of $338, 056. This number is divided into an escalating order which provides Clark $76,535 in her first year with the Indiana Fever. Subsequently, this amount will keep climbing to $78,066 and $85,873 in the next two years. Eventually, the 22-year-old will have the option of drawing $97,582 in 2027.

Now, these figures pose the question of whether this stalwart athlete is getting paid more than some of the NBA players. To answer that in layman’s terms, yes, she is. Anyhow, those NBA names occupy the bottom positions in that list. The player who earns the least in the men’s professional league is the latest addition to the New York Knicks Dmytro Skapintsev. The 7 ft 1 in center currently gets $26,322 annually. Above him are small forward Kaiser Gates and former Indiana Pacers guard Edmond Sumner who are promised $35,389 and $40,459 as per their respective contracts.

Still, there are 6 more players who will be below the two-time John R. Wooden Award winner.

Caitlin Clark clocking above some NBA stars

Surprisingly, there are 6 NBA ballers who got the exact same salary in the 2023-24 season. These are Taevion Kinsey, Malik Williams, Taze Moore, Jalen Crutcher, Izaiah Brockington and Timmy Allen. These 6 current NBA stars received $64,343 annually. Although Clark’s current earnings are considered meager by many, it is still north of what these players are getting in their professional careers. Plus, she will also get a chance to get a hold of some lucrative endorsement deals as she sets foot on the hardwood.

In the eyes of many, Clark’s initial salary is a worrying sign for the overall commercial aspect of women’s basketball. Moreover, popular names from other sports like Russell Wilson think that such exceptional talents deserve more. Hopefully, her numbers will take a hike in the future.

Do you also believe that Clark is getting less than what she deserves?