Caitlin Clark, the record-breaking NCAA basketball star, was selected first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever. However, her rookie salary with the professional league has sparked outrage over pay disparity in women's basketball. ... She will earn $76,535 in her rookie season this summer, and is projected to earn an annual salary of $97,582 by the end of her four-year contract.
Will be an interesting comparison...
UConn center Donovan Clingan entering NBA draft
www.espn.com
... The NBA draft will be June 26-27 in New York City. ...
OT
Caitlin Clark Drives Indiana Fever Tickets To WNBA HighLet me give you an example of just how insane all this is: Right NOW you can go to the Indiana Fever's website and purchase a non-secondary upper deck ticket for a Fever game for $55. Same ticket for a preseason game is $5.
All of the WNBA's top 10 most expensive regular season games this year belong to the Indiana Fever, according to secondary ticket data released Wednesday, after the Fever drafted Iowa phenom Caitlin Clark this week as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Indiana's July 14 game against the Minnesota Lynx is the most expensive WNBA game on the secondary market, according to data from ticket site Gametime, with a median ticket price of $615.
That game narrowly beats the Fever's June 23 away game against the Chicago Sky ($600), as well as its May 24 away match against the Los Angeles Sparks ($583), and its June 7 away game against the Washington Mystics ($530).
The Fever round out the top 10 most expensive games on the secondary market this year, with median ticket prices ranging from $233 to $354, according to Gametime, including away games against the Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, Connecticut Sun and Phoenix Mercury.
OT
Is Caitlin Clark's star power strong enough to spike WNBA fandom?
The WNBA, which relies on its partnerships as a large source of revenue, could see an influx of new companies interested in working with the league to be tied to Clark, and the Fever could see a boom. Clark's effect on television ratings could have even more significant implications for the future of the WNBA. Ratings for the WNBA increased last season. The finals averaged 728,000 viewers across ABC and ESPN - the highest in 20 years. Yet Clark's presence is likely to make the league more bullish as it enters those discussions.
South Carolina's win over Iowa in the title game was seen on ABC by 18.9 million viewers, with a peak audience of 24.1 million - a 90 percent increase from the 2023 title game and a 289 percent increase from 2022. ESPN said it was the most-watched non-football or Olympics sporting event (men's or women's, college or pro) since 2019. The game broke viewership records that were just set days before in the national semifinal and Iowa's Elite Eight matchup against LSU. All told, women's college basketball viewership records were shattered across seven different networks in 2023-24, with Iowa taking part in each game.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told CNBC she hopes to "at least double" the WNBA's current fees, reportedly about $60 million annually, on its next deal.
Clark's popularity also has impacted the sports gambling market, which could be a way to bring in viewers and consumers. The Iowa-South Carolina championship game was the biggest women's single betting event of all time on FanDuel, breaking the handle record set in Iowa's Final Four matchup against UConn. The title game also featured a 155 percent increase in handle on FanDuel over the 2023 Iowa-LSU championship game, the company said.
@#34 ... Who actually watches the WNBA? ...
There seems to be a growing interest of late...
One example...
2024 WNBA draft, headlined by No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark, shatters TV viewership record
www.usatoday.com
... Women's sports, particularly women's basketball, continues to grow. So do the viewership numbers.
A record 2.45 million viewers tuned in to the 2024 WNBA draft on ESPN to witness the Indiana Fever select Caitlin Clark with the first overall pick on Monday, demolishing the previous record. Clark was apart of the superb 2024 draft class that included No. 2 pick Cameron Brink (Los Angeles Sparks), No. 3 pick Kamilla Cardoso (Chicago Sky), No. 4 pick Rickea Jackson (Sparks) and No. 7 pick Angel Reese (Sky).
"This is generational class," Jackson said. "Viewership is peaking. Women's basketball is on an uproar. Everybody is tuning in. ... I'm grateful to be a part of this draft class. I feel like we're just trending in the right direction." ...
Will the excitement last?
I've not a clue.
The NBA record attendance is 100k. They just move them to a stadium.
www.youtube.com">Women Failed the WNBA/a> - Bill Burr
#62 | POSTED BY TONYROMA AT 2024-04-18 10:11 AM | FLAG: (CHOOSE) | FUNNY: 1
I love it when I present people with accurate information and then they want to make that presentation about me. I'm not "invested" in anything but gathering and analyzing information as it's presented to me.
Caitlin Clark's Impact: Iowa's economy soars by $82.5 million thanks to star athlete
According to Iowa City mayor Bruce Teague, Clark and her teammates contributed a staggering $82.5 million to the local economy during their time at the University of Iowa.
The economic impact of Clark and the Iowa women's basketball team cannot be overstated. The team's success led to sold-out arenas and a surge in attendance at games. Local businesses, particularly restaurants and bars, benefited greatly from the increased foot traffic on game days.And it seems I'm not the only one seeing the coming 360 degree impact of Catlin Clark:
Caitlin Clark Projected Net Worth 2024: How Rich Will The WNBA Star Be?Some of the same factors at play in Tiger's ascent to becoming a billionaire are in play for Caitlin Clark, as highlighted by the bullet points above. It's completely fair to view both of them at the earliest stages of their professional careers to draw on apt contrasts as well as comparisons.
*Monumental Earnings Potential: Caitlin Clark's trajectory in financial gains is shaped by her historic achievements in NCAA basketball and high-profile endorsements.
*Wealth from Diverse Sources: Her income stems from her athletic prowess to earn a WNBA salary and significantly from endorsements with leading brands, illustrating the multifaceted nature of income for elite athletes.
*Marketing Magnet: Caitlin's partnerships with global corporations underscore her appeal as a marketing powerhouse, which bolsters her overall financial portfolio.
*Bright Financial Future: Given her success and marketability, Caitlin's economic prospects in the sports industry look exceedingly favorable.
*Broader Impact: Beyond earnings, Caitlin's influence extends to societal contributions and role modeling, enhancing her value beyond just sports.
Conclusion
Caitlin Clark's ascent in women's basketball is not merely a narrative of sports success but a testament to the evolving dynamics of athlete earnings and influence. Her current path shows the potential for substantial wealth accumulation through strategic endorsements and professional basketball contracts against her groundbreaking athletic achievements.
It's stupid to ignore that Clark has already been responsible for well over $100 million of economic impact generated from simply playing her scheduled games. And that impact will be spread amongst 11 other WNBA cities as people travel there to see her play and end up spending millions in local businesses that otherwise wouldn't be spent there. This has already happened, it's not a guess of what might occur.
The only unknown is just how much total revenue she and her fellow W players will end up generating especially as new doors open for marketing opportunities for all teams and franchises that heretofore haven't existed.
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