Caitlin Clark could break the WNBA's bank on her next contract

Money moves

WNBA compensation is a topic that has once again risen to the forefront, and the conversation is likely to remain consistent for the next several months.

Simple messaging

“Pay us what you owe us” was the statement on each and every WNBA All-Star's warm-up shirt. The message became a popular discussion point in the aftermath of the All-Star Game.

Fever finances

As compensation issues continue to play out behind closed doors and even on the court now, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are the WNBA's most popular player and team, respectively. Even though she's still in the first half of her rookie deal, there's been a lot of speculation about what Clark might earn on her next contract with the league's next collective bargaining agreement.

Counting Clark’s money

With all of that in mind, we’ll take a guess at what Clark’s second WNBA contract might look like when her rookie deal expires.

Raises

Clark’s Fever compensation will jump in year three, where she’ll make over $85,000. In the fourth and final season of the contract, she’s set to make over $97,000.

Disbelief

Many people are surprised when they learn about the Indiana superstar’s WNBA paycheck, thinking that it is extremely low for a player of her caliber. Former Today show host Hoda Kotb said, “This can’t be right. I was imagining the little girls with the signs who were filling the stadium, who are now obsessed with basketball, with signs that say Caitlin, and society, I guess is saying well, this is what that’s worth.”

Support

Current New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson took to social media shortly after Clark was drafted in 2024. He posted, “These ladies deserve so much more… praying for the day.”

Looking to the future

After the fourth year of her deal, Clark’s salary will be revisited. It’s going to be fascinating to see just how much she’ll earn after the rookie contract, given the immense impact she’s had on the Fever and the WNBA as a whole.

Timeline

Clark is a restricted free agent in 2028, which means that the Fever will have the right to match any offer she receives from another team. Would Indiana try to sign her to an extension before she ever reaches restricted or unrestricted free agency? Or Would Clark and her representatives push to enter free agency, where they could start a bidding war?

Impossible negotiation

Erin Kane is Clark’s agent, and she made some interesting comments to ESPN in February 2025. She said, “Will Caitlin Clark ever be paid by the WNBA what she’s really worth to that league? I don’t think that’s possible. She’s part of a larger player body. They all need to be paid more.”

2025 high earners

As listed on Spotrac, the highest paid player during the 2025 WNBA season is Clark’s Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell will earn $249,244. Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd and Kahleah Copper are right behind her.

Making cents

While it seems likely that Clark could be the first player to sign a $1 million total value contract in the WNBA, Indiana is going to have to think long and hard about offering it. The WNBA has a salary cap, and it would be tricky to give one player so much of the team’s allocated resources. With that being said, it would seem to be an easy decision for the franchise.

Changing landscape

With the collective bargaining agreement set to be revisited soon, the economics of the league are bound to change soon. A report from ESPN said, “One team source said it’s possible max salaries could reach $1 million, which would be an increase of approximately 300% from the current $249,244 supermax and would imply a salary cap in the range of $4 million to $5 million per team.”

Holding steady

While Clark’s WNBA salary is stunningly low for a star of her magnitude, she has made money in other ways. Yahoo Sports reported that the Fever star made $11 million in endorsements in 2024.

Records

Caitlin Clark was a force to be reckoned with in her rookie WNBA season. As noted by Sports Illustrated, she scored the most points and dished out the most assists of any rookie in league history.

Other marks

She was also front and center with other staggering numbers related to the WNBA. As Yahoo Sports’ Jack Baer noted, the WNBA had 23 games during the 2024 season that attracted over one million viewers. Clark and the Indiana Fever played in 20 of those contests.