Clark has shaken the world of sports in the USA.
The phenomenon that Caitlin Clark has become and her impact on women’s basketball is reaching beyond what happens on the court. For at least two decades, a figure with the popular impact of Caitlin Clark had not arrived in the WNBA, surpassing even stars from other sports.
Before her, the great star of the WNBA was Diana Taurasi, the legendary player who won three championships and is the all-time leading scorer in the league’s history, with 10,108 points scored throughout a career that paved the way for the arrival of new stars like Clark or Angel Reese.
However, Caitlin’s impact has also been reflected in the economic field, so recently some comments comparing what Taurasi has earned in her career and what Clark is currently earning have emerged on social media.
Days ago, a scandal arose due to the disparity in salaries between a player like Clark, who will earn less than $400,000 annually in her first year, and NBA players who earn millions. However, Clark is leveraging her popularity to make money through NIL (name, image, and likeness), which allows college athletes to earn money through external sponsorships.
Too much disparity among stars?
In Taurasi’s case, still active with the Phoenix Mercury, she has a total net worth of $3.5 million earned over 20 years of career. Considered as the White Mamba, Taurasi is still considered by many to date as the GOAT of women’s basketball.
But that figure pales in comparison to the $28 million that Caitlin Clark will earn over 8 years solely for her association with Nike, who will launch a shoe inspired by her. In other words, only for that single sponsorship, Clark will earn $3.5 million in a year, the same amount that Taurasi has earned in two decades.
Is it unfair? Many could say yes, but the reality is that both lived in different times. Until three years ago, there was no NIL, which allows NCAA athletes to earn money that they may not be able to earn in professionalism. Clark is simply taking advantage of the current rules to ensure her economic well-being, although there will always be the debate of whether Taurasi (and other players) should have earned more money for their sacrifice on the court. The answer is yes, but Caitlin is not to blame for that.
