Indiana Fever basketball sensation Caitlin Clark has reportedly secured a staggering $16.1 million (approximately £12.8 million) in total earnings for 2025, a remarkable feat achieved despite a season severely limited by injury.
Injury Curtains Rookie Follow-Up Season
The 23-year-old guard, who took the sporting world by storm during her emphatic rookie year, managed to appear in only 13 games for the 2025 WNBA season. This equated to just 30 per cent of the campaign before she was officially ruled out for the remainder of the year on September 4 due to a persistent groin injury.
Her on-court salary from the WNBA remained at a modest $114,000, highlighting the vast disparity between league pay and the earning potential generated by a player's brand and marketability.
Off-Court Ventures Fuel Financial Boom
The colossal sum was overwhelmingly supplemented by an estimated $16 million from off-court ventures and endorsement deals. Clark's portfolio of major sponsors includes powerhouse brands such as Gatorade, State Farm, Wilson, Xfinity, and Hy-Vee.
In a significant coup, she was also selected in August to become Nike's latest signature athlete. This prestigious deal grants Clark her own custom logo, an apparel line, and a signature shoe scheduled to launch in 2026.
A Lone WNBA Star in Elite Earnings List
Clark's financial success placed her as the only WNBA player to feature in Sportico's 2025 list of the world's 15 best-paid female athletes. This elite group collectively raked in an eye-watering $249 million from salaries, bonuses, prize money, and endorsements.
The report noted a dramatic increase in the earnings threshold, with the lowest earner in the top 15 making $10.1 million, up from $6.7 million the previous year.
Tennis continues to dominate the upper echelons, claiming 10 of the 15 spots, a position bolstered by pay parity with male players at major tournaments. Two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff topped the overall list, ahead of rivals Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
Freestyle skier Eileen Gu secured fourth place, thanks entirely to $23 million in endorsement deals. Aside from Clark, the only other non-tennis players in the top 15 were golfers Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul, and gymnastics icon Simone Biles.
Clark's extraordinary earnings underscore a shifting landscape in women's sports, where superstar appeal and commercial partnerships can far outstrip traditional professional salaries, even when athletic participation is curtailed.
