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The attention of basketball fans descended on Brooklyn to watch where Caitlin Clark will land in the 2024 WNBA Draft. To no one’s surprise, the former Iowa superstar was made the No. 1 pick by the Indiana Fever. The three-time John Wooden Award winner has now become the cornerstone of a franchise that last won the championship in 2012.
Indiana grabbing Clark right out of the bat was an open secret. She is arguably the best collegiate player ever and what she brings has transcended just women’s basketball. What shocked many was the contract she signed with the Fever.
Spotrac reported that Caitlin Clark agreed to a four-year, $338,056 deal with the Indiana Fever. She will get $76,535 as a rookie and $78,066 as a sophomore. Clark gets a bump in her third year, making $85,873 before finishing the deal with a $97,582 hit on the payroll.
Russell Wilson, one of the highest-paid NFL players of all time, reacted to the lowly figures:
“These ladies deserve so much more
“Praying for the day”
It’s no secret that there is a massive gap in the pay between the NBA and WNBA players. The San Antonio Spurs signed Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick of the 2023 draft, to a four-year, .1 million contract. He is in the books this season for .1 million. “Wemby” earns roughly 7K per game for the Spurs.
Caitlin Clark’s arrival could usher in a new era of salaries in the WNBA
“Clarkonomics” was on full display in her last three games in the NCAA. In a rematch with Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers in the Final Eight, viewership reached 12.3 million. When Caitlin Clark’s Hawkeyes moved to the Final Four against the UConn Huskies, the number rose to 14.2 million. In the championship game against the unbeaten South Carolina Gamecocks, it went to a staggering 18.7 million.
Clark hasn’t played one game yet but her generational effect is already in full swing. The Indiana Fever sold out her jersey regardless of size in just an hour.
The team also had a draft watch party at Gainbridge FieldHouse, the home of the Indiana Pacers. All 17,000 tickets were sold out in hours in anticipation of the Fever making her the No. 1 pick.
Caitlin Clark will make her debut against the Connecticut Sun next month. Some of the tickets have been sold for reportedly K. It wouldn’t be a surprise if 0 passes will also vanish. “Clarkonomics” could usher in the era Russell Wilson will be praying for.
