Angel Reese will always find her biggest competitor in Caitlin Clark, whether or not the two play basketball. Always in comparison with each other, they share a mostly healthy rivalry that pushes each other to do their best. But after recent revelations both on the business side of the W and the personal side of Reese, the reigning WNBA ROTY might just jump in to help her out.

Last week, Reese went viral after revealing that she did not know her WNBA salary, mainly because it did not help her pay her rent. Since then (and even before), Clark has often been lauded as the savior of the league who will help bridge the pay gap. While she might not be too directly involved yet, the W’s media agreement with Disney, NBC, and Amazon might help them out. Discussing this exact situation, Jonathan Hutton says on Hot Mic, “The players have a lot of leverage. They just haven’t leaned into the Caitlin Clark effect the way they should have.”

With rumors of an imminent lockout, because the W is not paying enough money, Hutton asked whether it was wise to stop playing after the W has already lost a substantial amount of money despite good viewership numbers in 2024. “They’re going to, when it comes to this negotiation…They were expected to lose $50 million as a league this year. Reports are $40 million, not $50, that they’re in the red.”

“I don’t think you see the losses moving forward once this new media money comes in. $2.2 billion; they’re going to make sure they cover their losses,” the Outkick analyst continues. “You don’t negotiate the way they have and try to build on the momentum that the players have and then say we’re gonna have a strike.”

With the new media deal, at least, Hutton believes, “The players are going to get a lot more than what they have. Maybe not exactly the pipe dream numbers that they expect but some will get a ton and minimum salaries will rise to 6 figures or so. That will cover Angel Reese’s rent.”

Reese had famously lamented on her Instagram Live that her $73,000 WNBA salary is measly. Even Napheesa Collier agreed that the Caitlin Clark effect on the league should be made full use of to distribute bigger paychecks. While the Fever star has yet to directly comment on this issue, her involvement would be key to solving the pay disparity, per Hutton.

Still, it is important to note that apart from ‘The Caitlin Clark Effect’, the first-overall pick even reached out to the league to financially aid her peers. In late September, the president and COO for Fever, Allison Barber, sat down with The Economic Club of Washington D.C. and divulged in what exactly Clark wants for her WNBA athletes. She said, “Here’s all you need to know about Caitlin Clark. When we would go to away games, they always sold out. Atlanta would normally have 3,000-4,000 people, now they have 17,000 people. … After a few away games, and all of the sellouts, Caitlin asked the WNBA if they would pay spot bonuses to the away team players.”

While WNBA did not give a green flag to this request due to the operating CBA. Still, this proved that not only is the ‘Iowa sensation’ bringing more eyes to the players of the WNBA but also wishing for their contracts to represent their talents.

However, if the league and its management cannot come to terms with their players, will Clark be tempted by other offers?

Unlike Angel Reese in Unrivaled, Caitlin Clark will either play in WNBA…or the LPGA

While Angel Reese will join the 3×3 league in January, the Des Moines native has made no such claims. In fact, she has stated that all she wants is a rest from basketball this offseason and maybe become “a professional golfer.” She’s going to play in The Annika in November, so what’s stopping her from playing in the PGA?! The WNBA, it seems.

“The only downside about the WNBA is [that it’s] during the summer. That’s when you golf,” Clark said at a Nike event on Monday. “So I’ve had my golf take a back seat to basketball.”

The Rookie of the Year guard is not interested in playing in foreign leagues and wants to devote herself 100% to the W. And she’s hoping that what 2024 brought was just the beginning of the expansion of the league. “The more people can get out and watch the W or the college game or whatever it is, the better it’s going to be for the future of the game,” Fever’s No. 22 said after the WNBA Finals.

After the success that 2024 brought, despite the $40 million loss, 2025 and the coming years are only expected to go upward. With Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the veterans are also in a good position to show off and get the attention they deserve. And maybe the league can slowly and finally be on par with the NBA someday!