When Dave Portnoyrecently expressed outrage over Caitlin Clark’s eight-year, $28 million Nike contract, he wasn’t just criticizing a shoe deal.
He saw it as emblematic of a deeper structural issue: that the WNBA, and its leadership, is failing to fully capitalize on its brightest stars.
“This is now,” Portnoy said. “You have to take advantage of it now.”
He warned that “commissioners are always in the middle and commissioners are always going to take the brunt of what the owners don’t want to feel.”
Then he turned his attention to Clark‘s deal: “She got screwed. If you look back at it … they’re paying Devin Booker, I think, $40 million a year. So in what universe is Devin Booker worth $40 million a year and Caitlin’s worth eight? It’s insane.”
For context, Clark signed that agreement with Nike just days after the Indiana Fever selected her first overall in 2024.
Commanding millions but only making five figures
It was the largest sponsorship deal ever for a women’s basketball player. Analysts point out, though, that her rookie salary in the WNBA remains in the five figures, something that starkly contrasts the millions she commands off the court.
Yet Portnoy places the blame squarely on Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, suggesting that her approach to the league’s finances and her relationships with star players have contributed to what he views as undervaluing one of the game’s most marketable talents.
He challenged the transparency of WNBA accounts, saying the league’s profit and loss are “super convoluted” and hinting they may be obscured by NBA accounting practices.
That said, the backlash isn’t one-sided. Minnesota Lynx forward and players’ union vice president Napheesa Collier recently revealed that during a private conversation with Engelbert, the commissioner allegedly remarked that Clark “should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”
Collier also claims Engelbert told her players should be “on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.”
Engelbert has denied making those statements, saying via media that she was “disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership” and that she holds “the utmost respect for the players.”
Despite the controversy, Clark has not publicly contradicted Collier. During her exit interview, she said she hadn’t heard the specific remark attributed to Engelbert but voiced strong alignment:
“Phee made a lot of very valid points. I have great respect for Phee … This is the most important moment in this league’s history, and we have to capitalize on it.”
She also noted she hadn’t heard directly from Engelbert since the allegations surfaced.
This clash comes at a pivotal moment. The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on October 31, and players are pushing hard for greater revenue sharing, better salaries, and more protection.
Read the full article here
