Caitlin Clark has had a monumental impact on women’s basketball, serving as the biggest driving force behind the WNBA’s surge in popularity.

A recent report highlighted her significant economic influence, both in Indiana and across the league.

However, despite her contributions, Clark is set to earn just $78,000 in salary for the 2025 season—a figure that has left fans seemingly outraged at her agent and the league’s pay structure.

ESPN’s Michele Steele quoted an economist at Indiana University Columbus in her report, who claimed the Fever guard has generated a staggering $36 million for Indianapolis alone.

Additionally, Clark is reportedly responsible for nearly 27% of the WNBA’s total economic activity in 2024. Despite being the league’s most valuable asset, she only ranked as the 93rd highest-paid player in 2025.

This statistic has ignited debate on social media regarding player compensation in the WNBA. Fans strongly believe that Caitlin Clark and other players deserve higher pay.

Simultaneously, many users have criticized Clark’s agent, Erin Kane, accusing her of inadequate representation.

Kane also faced backlash for her handling of Napheesa Collier’s contract, despite Collier being the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

“This is such a good point. Phee should be a well known superstar. Top 3 player in the league and has garbage for endorsements and publicity. Erin Kane seems to be a terrible agent,” a user wrote on Reddit.

“I found out Erin Kane is also Phee’s agent and the lack of endorsement love that Phee gets has always been crazy to me.. she’s a nike athlete and gets like zero love other than some tweets,” another user criticized Kane.

“Companies don’t invest heavily in little known athletes. Phee is a star but she’s not a household name. Outside of fans who watch the WNBA; how much of the general public knows her?” a user questioned.

“That’s how most of these agencies and companies work. Many companies wait for the player to get popular, then they start promoting them or for the agencies, they wait for companies to reach out for a particular player instead of actively hunting for brand deals on their behalf. They’re very lazy,” another user chimed in.

“Most of the league was unknown before last season. A whole lot more people know her now than ever before. In a year or two, she’ll likely have a ton of endorsements. It doesn’t happen instantly,” TooManyCatS1210 argued.

“If you had a company and wanted to reach a large audience… are you using the lesser known person or the more popular one with a huge following ? Easy decision,” @fieldsports202 argued against the idea of Collier deserving more endorsements.

The WNBPA opted out of the CBA in hopes that players would be compensated more fairly.

If their demand for a revenue-sharing model were implemented, Caitlin Clark could see a significant increase in her salary.

Taking a look at the “Caitlin Clark effect”

Caitlin Clark’s incredible college career with the Iowa Hawkeyes made it inevitable for a surge in WNBA viewership.

Since her arrival, both the league and the Indiana Fever have benefitted massively.

In 2024, the WNBA recorded its highest-ever attendance, surpassing 2 million fans.

The Fever was the biggest beneficiary, experiencing a 1,300% increase in ticket sales.

Merchandise sales also skyrocketed across the league, with a 500% overall increase, while player-specific apparel sales surged 1,000%.

The Fever saw an astounding 1,193% jump in jersey sales.

On television, Caitlin Clark drew an average of 1.17 million viewers per game, nearly three times the viewership of other WNBA matchups.

Her impact on ratings and revenue strengthens the argument that she deserves a larger share of earnings if the league manages to adopt a revenue-sharing model.