College Basketball Star Caitlin Clark Reportedly Earns Hefty Paychecks
Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark's on-court moves helped her become one of the most recognizable names in college sports, but the game completely changed for her once players were allowed to sign Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deals. "When I was getting recruited here, that was never a discussion," she said on the "Real Success" podcast in October 2022. Clark and her family had to learn how to navigate these sponsorship opportunities on the fly. "The number one thing we did was set up a business email," she said. The sharpshooting guard said she received hundreds of proposals from companies hoping to sign her to a deal.
Clark's star continued to rise as she became the 2023 Associated Press women's basketball Player of the Year, but the fame was somewhat surprising and challenging to her. "You have a lot to balance as a women's basketball player, whether it's school, whether it's NIL, whether it's basketball, whether it's your personal life," she said during Big 10 media day in October 2023 (via Hawk Central). Later in the season, Clark announced it would be her last year playing college ball as she declared for the WNBA draft.
That meant Clark would officially be turning pro, but she was already making a killing through NIL deals while in college. According to On3, she topped the women's college basketball NIL rankings, edging out Angel Reese, with whom Clark had rumored beef. Clark makes $3.1 million annually on NIL deals, as she has signed with some giant brands.
Caitlin Clark's historic State Farm commercial
In October 2022, Caitlin Clark was among the five NCAA athletes Nike signed to NIL deals. "I'm pretty selective about who I work with," she told the press at the time, according to Hawk Central. "I think that's probably a no-brainer for just about anybody in the world," the Iowa Hawkeyes guard added. Teaming up with Nike may seem an obvious choice, but earlier that year, Clark inked a deal with a blue chip company that may not have appeared to be a perfect fit — H&R Block. The tax preparation company was able to woo Clark by pledging a $1 million NIL initiative to NCAA women's athletics called "A Fair Shot." "They approached me with their campaign and what they were looking to do, and it was an easy yes for me to be a part of it," Clark told ESPN at the time.
Clark made headlines once again in October 2023 by signing a lucrative NIL deal when she agreed to star in a State Farm commercial. This was notable, as Clark was the first college athlete signed by the prominent insurance company.
A couple of months later, the Hawkeyes star added to her impressive NIL stable by signing with Gatorade in December 2023. Clark told ESPN she was impressed with how Gatorade was focused on helping college athletes in their post-playing careers. As her own college career came to an end, some speculated that Clark would have to take a pay cut when she turned pro.
Why the WNBA will be profitable for Caitlin Clark
As one of the best college players, Angel Reese was already pulling in hefty paychecks thanks to her NIL deals. "The money I'm making is more than some of the people that are in the league that might be top players," Reese said on the "I Am Athlete" podcast in April 2024 while discussing the possibility of jumping to the WNBA. This started speculation that Caitlin Clark was leaving money on the table by exiting college a year early. "The spotlight will be even bigger for her coming back and her NIL deals will be larger, especially if she wins the championship," Tim Derdenger, a marketing professor, told MarketWatch in March 2023. He argued that this visibility would lead to Clark earning more money in the NCAA than in the WNBA.
Meanwhile, former NCAA players who went on to play in the WNBA strongly refuted those claims. "The money does not stop brands from continuing to want to support you," Aliyah Boston, the number one pick in the 2023 WNBA draft, told CBS Sports in March. "Those deals are going to just carry over and then you get to add on your yearly salary," WNBA player Haley Jones said.
Clark may not be missing out on money by turning pro, but Fox was eager for her to stay in college. The network reportedly considered creating a NIL with other networks as a means to sweeten the pot for Clark.