Caitlin Clark Takes a Subtle Dig at WNBA Salaries While Discussing ‘Season Ticket Cost’

Caitlin Clark led the Indiana Fever to yet another victory yesterday as the Fever registered a dominant 92-75 win over the Seattle Storm. Clark scored 23 points, five rebounds, and nine assists to strengthen her team’s chances of making it to the playoffs. Apart from winning on the court, the Fever franchise has also been winning off the court.

The Indiana franchise has realized that they can bank on Caitlin Clark’s unprecedented popularity to make money. As a result, their ticket prices for regular games as well as the prices for season tickets have skyrocketed. Therefore, Clark decided to take a playful jab at the rising ticket prices compared to the players’ stagnant salaries.

Lexie Hull and Clark were in a conversation with the media after the game. The Fever #10 was asked, “Are you gonna get those relatives season tickets now?”

Before Lexie could finish her answer, CC jumped in to say, “Those are pretty expensive…It’s like our entire salaries to get those. I’m not kidding.”

Although Clark was joking here, it’s no secret that the ticket prices in the WNBA have gone through the roof. In comparison, the salaries of WNBA athletes are still not proportional. A full season courtside (rows 2-5) ticket costs between $4400 to $5000. The regular game ticket prices have gone up as well.

According to Forbes, the median price for the Fever’s 14th July game against the Minnesota Lynx was $615. The ticket prices for games against the Sparks, the Sky, and the Mystics have been sold between $530 to $600. This is a good sign for the league as it shows people are willing to pay to watch women’s basketball, but the athletes are still waiting to get paid what they deserve.

Caitlin Clark’s rookie year salary

Clark has been in the league for only a few months now, however, she is arguably one of the biggest names in women’s basketball already. Her rookie year salary is $76,535, which is a part of her four-year salary total of $338,056 with the Indiana Fever. The top four picks in this year’s WNBA Draft were guaranteed a base salary of $76,535.

A few months ago, NBC reported that in contrast to the $338,056 that Clark will make in the next four years, last year’s NBA number one pick, Victor Wembanyama will make $55 million in four years with the Spurs. According to Spotrac, his first year NBA salary was $12.1 million.

Caitlin’s comment on the season tickets costing as much as her salary is not true, but it speaks to the salary issue that has existed in the WNBA for a long time. In a tier-based salary structure, the fourth-tier players make around $56,000 annually in comparison to the core players, who make around $240,000 a year.

Although it’ll take some time for CC to climb up the ranks in her WNBA salary bracket, she is minting good money from her endorsement deals. Her Nike deal alone has set her up for $28 million over the next eight years, where she will also create her signature shoes with the footwear giant.