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Caitlin Clark announced her decision to enter the 2024 WNBA Draft on Thursday. The Iowa Hawkeyes guard, who has received plenty of attention throughout her playing career, made the decision to forgo the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes who played in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sports business analyst Darren Rovell of The Action Network used the announcement as an opportunity to share that Clark will earn less money in the WNBA, tweeting:
"Headline: Caitlin Clark chooses a $750,000 paycut."
Check out Darren Rovell's tweet below:
Rovell faced plenty of backlash from fans for the post. @JonDon07625944 responded:
"Seriously Darren? Is this really necessary? Maybe say this to Caitlin’s face. You are a bully."
@slmandel questioned how Rovell came to that conclusion:
"A) What on earth is that number based on? B) Is she going to stop getting endorsement (NIL) deals in the WNBA?"
@hughart_michael believes Clark's impact will be far greater than what she earns:
"She's literally going 1st overall and has a chance to change an entire franchise, cement herself as one of if not the best WNBA players ever, and possibly create an untouchable legacy and you boil this down to money? You're such a loser."
@itsCSB__ simply stated:
"what a clown lol"
@stewartflaherty labeled Rovell's prediction as wrong:
"She won’t have any marketing power as a pro? Iowa was the reason she made money? You’re gonna see that’s very wrong."
@ADSohn sarcastically claimed that Clark would be dropped by State Farm and Nike:
"yeah man I'm sure State Farm and Nike are going to drop her now"
@Beveraggi accused Rovell of being misogynistic:
"**chooses to grow the game of woman’s basketball and continue to add to her legacy. Your misogyny is corny"
@AdiJoseph noted that Clark's earning comes from endorsements:
"why do you think State Farm and other advertisers will not want to work with her as a pro? Her NIL is not recruiting inducements, as with a lot of football players, it's actual marketing opportunities and endorsements."
What did Caitlin Clark say about declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft?
Caitlin Clark took to Twitter on Thursday to announce that, after four seasons starring for the Iowa Hawkeyes, she will declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft. The all-time women's college basketball leading scorer tweeted:
"While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa. I am excited to be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft. It is impossible to fully express my gratitude to everyone who has supported me during my time at Iowa.
"[My] teammates, who made the last four years the best; my coaches, trainers, and staff who always let me be; Hawkeye fans who filled Carver every night; and everyone who came out to support us across the country, especially the young kids. Most importantly, none of this would have been possible without my family and friends who have been my side through it all. Because of all of you, my dreams came true."
Check out Caitlin Clark's announcement below:
Caitlin Clark is projected to be selected first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She has averaged 28.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field, 38.3% from three-point range and 85.6% from the free-throw line during her four-year college career.
