While it was a very frustrating 2025 regular season on the court for Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark due to a series of injuries limiting her to just 13 games played, the Iowa women’s basketball legend still reeled in another record-setting estimated annual earnings figure.
According to Sportico, her estimated total earnings breakdown includes approximately $16 million from endorsements and $114,000 from her WNBA salary, for a total of $16.1 million accrued this year.
Clark’s 2025 figure breaks the WNBA record for the highest estimated annual income, set by her in 2024 at $11.1 million.
That staggering number placed the former Hawkeye at No. 6 in Sportico’s highest-paid female athletes of 2025 list, which saw her jump up four spots from her debut on the list in 2024.
Ahead of Clark are tennis star Zheng Qinwen ($20.6 million), freeskiier Eileen Gu ($23 million), and tennis icons Iga Swiatek ($23.1 million), Aryna Sabalenka ($30 million), and Coco Gauff ($31 million).
While the $16 million figure may seem mind-blowing, it is only from the first full year of endorsement contracts that she signed when she was drafted first overall by the Fever in the 2024 WNBA draft. This number will continue to rise exponentially when her 2025 endorsement deals begin, along with the potentially (should be eventual) impact from an increased WNBA monetary compensation.
Clark’s existing sponsors included Gatorade, State Farm, Wilson, Panini America, Hy-Vee, Xfinity, Gainbridge, Ascension St. Vincent, Stanley, and Lilly. In August, Nike announced Clark as its latest signature athlete, with a new signature logo, a collection of sportswear and apparel, and a signature sneaker set to debut in 2026.
Although Clark’s annual earnings figure is a direct beneficiary of her renowned global marketability, 0.7% of the total $16.1 million earned came from her 2025 WNBA salary, underscoring the gargantuan gap between on and off-court compensation.
This canyon-sized compensation gap is one of many well-documented focal points that the players’ union is determined to improve in a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) this offseason.
While the negotiations between the WNBA and the players’ union remain at a standstill, Clark’s bank account certainly won’t take a significant hit if the league somehow fails to reach an agreement with the talented professionals who have helped it achieve historic financial success in recent years.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Caitlin Clark enjoys lucrative year despite injury woes
Reporting by Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
