Caitlin Clark’s marketability continues to rise

The GIST: Caitlin Clark continues to dominate headlines as she heads into her first WNBA season. While we wait for Clark to bring her game to the Indiana Fever’s court, here’s the latest on how she’s changing the women’s basketball (business) game.

💸 Clark can earn up to $500K in her rookie season. “Caitlin has the ability to make up to a half of a million dollars just in WNBA wages this year, so they’re just looking at a base, which is collectively bargained,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Thursday, adding context to the $76.5K base salary that’s been widely presented as Clark’s total first-year compensation.

• Clark’s rookie base and annual salary is limited by the WNBA collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which runs through 2027 but could end sooner, especially if the WNBA can land a new media rights deal thanks to a ratings assist from Clark.

👜 She’s setting trends in the fashion world. Wearing Prada for the WNBA Draft and Louis Vuitton for a presser is virtually unheard of, according to Clark’s personal stylist Adri Zgirdea. “It typically takes five years before a major fashion brand will [...] dress any athlete,” Zgirdea said, but noted that Clark’s first “could lead to more players collaborating with major fashion brands.”

2️⃣2️⃣ This season, Dick’s Sporting Goods will sell Fever t-shirts with Clark’s name and number in all 724 stores. The company — which has been an official WNBA retail partner since 2021 — sold W merch in only 160 locations last year and plans to sell league products in a similar footprint this season, with Clark’s t-shirts being the one exception to the rule.

• Some locations will also sell Clark’s Indiana Fever jerseys, which are already sold out and are on back-order as Nike rushes to meet market demand. The Clark Girl aesthetic.