Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Salary Catches Attention During NBA Free Agency originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The popularity of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is undeniable.
Opposing WNBA teams often move their home games against the Fever to larger arenas, as Clark constantly breaks viewership records. Further, one industry source told The Athletic that Clark is estimated to be worth around $1 billion to the WNBA.
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Clark’s popularity helped the league ink a media rights deal valued at about $2.2 billion, and it may also play a massive role in putting WNBA players in a prime position to earn higher salaries in the next CBA. WNBA players opted out of the current deal and may hold out if an agreement isn’t reached by the end of the 2025 season, according to ESPN.
While Clark and the rest of the WNBA are likely to receive salaries that exceed the current range of around $64,000-$250,000, it isn’t uncommon for posts online to generate buzz among fans.
On Tuesday, a comparison between the salaries of Clark ($78,000) and Phoenix Suns center Mason Plumlee ($3.6 million) sparked a significant discussion about the compensation of WNBA players.
“Pay those females what they’re worth Caitlin is 20x better then Manson Bumlee even on her worst days,” wrote one fan.
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“Simple economics here. @WNBA hasn’t a made a single penny, and relies on @NBA to fund everything,” suggested a second.
“Why do people act like the salary is decided by the government or something. The WNBA is growing. During the next CBA players have a chance to get a bigger revenue share because of that. They will make more money when happens. This isn’t that complicated lol,” added another.
“Just let me know where the wnba is going to get the money to pay more,” quipped another.
“Now do the comparisons of revenue for the leagues,” commented another.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.Grace Smith/INDIANAPOLIS STAR-Imagn Images
While Clark is one of the catalysts for WNBA players being paid more, her agent, Eric Kane, admitted to ESPN in February that he doesn’t think Clark can be paid her true value.
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With that being said, Kane did say he is “hopeful” for the CBA negotiations and how they’ll impact the league. Until then, fans will likely continue to get fooled into diving into the complicated situation that is bound to be settled.
Related: Paige Bueckers’ Girlfriend Left Speechless After WNBA All-Star Selection
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
