Sportico’s latest ranking of the Highest Paid Female Athletes brought another reminder of how dramatically Caitlin Clark‘s profile has grown.
The outlet released its 2025 list on December 3, and Clark made one of the biggest jumps among returning names. After finishing tenth a year ago with $11 million in total earnings, she moved up to sixth this time around, with her number climbing to $16 million. It was a notable rise, but not an unexpected one for someone whose reach continues to expand beyond basketball.
She once again stood as the only women’s basketball player inside the top fifteen. Kurt Badenhausen, who compiled the list, noted that New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu narrowly missed making the cut, a sign of how tight the field has become.
Nearly all of Clark‘s earnings came through endorsements and corporate partnerships rather than her WNBA paycheck. Her salary for 2025 was $78,066, the fixed amount tied to her rookie deal.
That contract runs through 2027, which means her league income will remain modest for now, even though veteran players could soon see major increases depending on how negotiations unfold. Clark‘s off-court portfolio is expected to keep growing regardless, especially if she can stay healthy and settle into a more stable rhythm next season.
A tense negotiating landscape adds uncertainty for players and teams
While Clark‘s earning power rises, the WNBA finds itself stuck in a difficult stretch of labor negotiations. The collective bargaining agreement has expired, and a 30-day extension brought little progress.
Talks remain largely frozen, leaving players and teams in an awkward holding pattern and raising questions about how the league will structure salaries for its biggest stars.
The league floated a proposal that included maximum compensation levels above one point one million dollars for elite players such as Clark, A’ja Wilson, and Napheesa Collier. On its surface, the offer appeared to mark a major turning point.
The Players Association, however, focused on the composition of that figure. Reports suggested that only about eight hundred thousand to eight hundred fifty thousand represented true base salary, with the remainder drawn from incentives and other mechanisms. The WNBPA has been clear that any new CBA must include a revenue-sharing model that offers players a more direct stake in the sport’s financial growth.
With both sides far apart, they agreed to add six more weeks to the talks, pushing the deadline to January 6. If no agreement is reached, the league faces a genuine risk of losing top talent to overseas opportunities.
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