Caitlin Clark is coming off an injury-riddled 2025 WNBA campaign, which saw the Indiana Fever star point guard miss 31 games of the entire regular season and all of the playoffs. Even with her limited availability, Clark was still in a class of her own in the league when it came to earnings, albeit most of it was off the court.
Caitlin Clark Was One Of The Highest Paid Female Athletes In The World This Year
The former Iowa superstar has been critical to the WNBA’s rise in popularity over the past few years. With this additional fan interest, the league secured a new media rights deal valued at approximately $2.2 billion over 11 years.
This new deal has raised the possibility of a future lockout as the players and the WNBA negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. These athletes currently receive roughly 9.3 percent of the league’s total revenue through their base salary structure.
By contrast, NBA players, by comparison, receive roughly 49 to 51 percent of basketball-related income every year as a guaranteed cut. While Clark made $16.1 million in earnings during 2025, the amount the star point guard earned for her on-court play illustrates how underpaid WNBA players are.
Caitlin Clark may have struggled on-court this season but off-court she crushed it 💰
Clark has more than 10 sponsors that made up 99% of her total 2025 earnings of $16.1 million. Her WNBA salary and bonuses totaled $114,000.
Full story: https://t.co/hlDMdB3tSh pic.twitter.com/b2ddEXNRdP
— Sportico (@Sportico) December 4, 2025
Regarding on-court earnings, Clark made $78,066 in base salary, $30,000 in a bonus from the Commissioner’s Cup championship, $3,435 for making the semifinals of the playoffs, and $2,575 for being selected to the 2025 All-Star team.
The 23-year-old’s existing partnerships with the likes of Gatorade, State Farm, Wilson, Panini America, Hy-Vee, Xfinity, Gainbridge, and Lilly have ultimately done most of the heavy lifting this year. In all, Clark is currently the sixth-highest-paid female athlete in the world.
The WNBA recently announced proposed new measures for its CBA, including the possibility of seven-figure salaries for players. Clark would certainly be one of the premier players to benefit from that change, but the league is expecting certain concessions in return that would likely come at the expense of some of her teammates.
Time will tell whether a lockout is inevitable. Meanwhile, Clark will prep for her third WNBA season with a team ready to compete for a championship. The Fever pushed the defending champion Las Vegas Aces to five games despite several key players being out injured, losing Game 5 in overtime. It certainly feels like championship-or-bust for this franchise in 2025, health permitted.
