Since her arrival, Caitlin Clark has had a massive impact on the WNBA from an economic standpoint. As she continues her path of superstardom, one insider made a shocking statement on just how valuable she is.
Coming off a dominant career in college, Clark brought a massive following with her to the WNBA. This brought a large number of new eyes to a league that was already in the midst of a strong period. Clark becoming a mainstream star in sports has yielded big dividends for the league, as fans tune in at extremely high rates to catch her in action.
While speaking anonymously to The Athletic, one industry insider gave their thoughts on Caitlin Clark's value to the WNBA. They stated that the Indiana Fever guard could be worth close to a billion dollars.
“It’s hard to believe she’s not worth close to a billion to the league,” said one industry source.
Remarks like this only reignite the debate about WNBA players and their salaries. Though Clark has brought in a massive amount of revenue for the league, it is not reflected in her contract. This season, the star guard is set to make $78,066 from the Fever. Her salary steadily increases over the next two years, but she won't break $100,000 annually on her rookie deal.
Caitlin Clark makes history again following All-Star voting results
When it comes to the outreach Caitlin Clark has, look no further than WNBA All-Star fan voting. For the second straight season, the Indiana Fever star has made history.
As a rookie, Clark received a record-setting 700,735 votes to land her first All-Star nod. Despite battling injury to start this season, fans still poured in to support the rising star. Caitlin Clark will not only be an All-Star this time around but has been named captain of her respective team.
On top of this, she set another new record with nearly 1.3 million fan votes.
Napheesa Collier was a fellow top vote-getter and will captain the other All-Star team. The Minnesota Lynx star wasn't too far behind Clark, finishing with 1.17 million fan votes.
In less than two years, Clark has become the most notable name in the WNBA. As she continues to grow within the mainstream, it should only help uplift the league as a whole. Her drastic impact on and off the court will certainly make things interesting when it's time to work out a new contract.