Caitlin Clarks agent lays into WNBA as | NBA News

Caitlin Clark‘s consultant, Erin Kane, has voiced considerations that the WNBA won’t ever have the ability to adequately compensate her shopper resulting from her skyrocketing fame.

Clark, who’s extensively regarded as one of essentially the most thrilling athletes in American sports activities following an excellent faculty stint with Iowa and a sensational debut season with the Indiana Fever, was honoured as TIME Athlete of the Year and WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2024.

Despite her spectacular accolades, Clark is set to earn simply over $78,000 for the 2025 WNBA season, a determine that Kane believes falls short of her true worth to the league. “Will Caitlin Clark ever be paid by the WNBA what she’s really worth to that league? ” Kane questioned in an interview with ESPN. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

Clark’s impression on girls’s basketball within the US is plain; she led Iowa to consecutive national championship finals and have become the NCAA Division I’s all-time main scorer earlier than turning professional. Her transition to the WNBA was seamless, as she established a new league report for assists in a single season and shattered the rookie scoring report.

The All-WNBA First Team sensation has additionally secured quite a few endorsement offers and amassed a following of 3.1 million on Instagram, additional cementing her standing as a marquee participant.

Kane, who additionally represents different WNBA stars, confused the need for higher pay throughout the board: “She’s part of a larger player body. They all need to be paid more. She should be recognized for what she has done and what she’s brought to the league from an economic standpoint. It’s as simple as that.”

Angel Reese, the Chicago Sky sensation, has been vocal concerning the challenge of WNBA salaries since final October. “Hating pays my bills, baby,” declared Reese, who wrapped up her rookie yr in 2024. “The WNBA doesn’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think that pays one of my bills.”

She additional highlighted the financial struggles confronted by gamers: “Literally, I’m trying to think of my rent for where I stay at. I’m gonna do the math real quick. I don’t even know my salary. I’m living beyond my means. My rent is more than that, it’s $8,000 per month ($96,000 per year).”

Meanwhile, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has dedicated to collaborating with the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) to barter a new collective bargaining settlement (CBA). Last October, Engelbert acknowledged: “With the historic 2024 WNBA season now in the books, we look forward to working together with the players and the WNBPA on a new CBA that is fair for all and lays the foundation for growth and success for years to come.”

Nneka Ogwumike, the WNBPA’s president, has made a highly effective assertion concerning the long run of the WNBA and its gamers: “This is a defining moment, not just for the WNBA, but for all of us who believe in progress. The world has evolved since 2020, and we cannot afford to stand still. If we stay in the current agreement, we fall behind.”

She additional emphasised the importance of this juncture by saying: “This is a new era, and we are ready to lead transformational change – change that goes beyond women’s sports and sets a precedent for something greater.”

Ogwumike additionally clarified the broader implications of opting out of the present settlement: “Opting out isn’t just about bigger paychecks – it’s about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today’s players and the generations to come. We’re not just asking for a CBA that reflects our value; we’re demanding it, because we’ve earned it.”

This article initially appeared on Mirror US