Caitlin Clark is fired up to get started with the Indiana Fever after being the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. Clark took to X to share her first social media message on being a member of the Fever.
“INDIANA LETS GOOOOO!!!! @IndianaFever,” Clark noted in the April 15, 2024 message.
Earlier in the night, Clark labeled the Fever as a “hot ticket” encouraging fans to pack Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the coming months. Indiana tips off the WNBA regular season against Connecticut on May 14 as Clark is expected to make her professional debut.
“I’m excited to get there,” Clark noted in an April 15 draft night interview with ESPN. “I’m excited to get to Indianapolis. … I know there’s a lot of people at Gainbridge [Fieldhouse] tonight supporting us and the picks that we’re going to make.
“So, I know they’ll be supporting all summer long. You got to buy your tickets now. I know it’ll be a hot ticket, but I think the biggest thing is just do me, have fun, smile. I’ve loved playing basketball since I was a young girl and that’s not going to change.”
Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Salary: How Much Money Will the Star Make With the Indiana Fever?
There has been a lot of discussion about WNBA salaries given the league is on the lower end in professional sports. Clark will make the majority of her earnings through endorsement deals.
The star previously had NIL deals with a number of brands including Nike, State Farm and Gatorade. Clark will ink a three-year contract with the Fever that includes a team option for a fourth season.
According to the WNBA collective bargaining agreement, Clark’s base salary will be $76,535 in her rookie season for the Fever. Clark’s salary is projected to go up to $78,066 for 2025 and increase to $85,873 in 2026.
Assuming the Fever exercise Clark’s fourth-year option (a safe assumption), the star will have a $97,582 salary in 2027. There is a reason for optimism that Clark and other WNBA players will be making significantly more money in the future. The current WNBA television deal expires after the 2025 season, and with the rising star power entering the league, the next deal could be much more lucrative.
Caitlin Clark on Skeptics as She Heads to WNBA: ‘I’ve Never Been One to Weigh the Opinions of Haters’
Despite back-to-back appearances in the national title game, there have been vocal critics about just how well Clark will transition to the WNBA. Clark emphasized she is giving zero thought to the skeptics as she turns pro.
“I’ve never been one to weigh the opinions of haters too much,” Clark told ESPN’s Holly Rowe during an April 14 interview. “I was told at the level you feel all the praise, that’s going to be the same level you feel all the hate. So, I feel like I just try to stay right in the middle and everybody’s entitled to their own opinions.
“But I think the biggest thing for myself is just having confidence in who I am, and what I’ve been able to do with my career. And by no means do I think I’m going to go in there and score 30 points a game, but I think I’m confident in my abilities.”
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