Current:Home > NewsCaitlin Clark set to make $338K in WNBA. How much do No. 1 picks in other sports make? -FinanceMind
Caitlin Clark set to make $338K in WNBA. How much do No. 1 picks in other sports make?
View
Date:2025-04-18 16:05:38
A lot of eyes will be on Indiana Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark this season as she makes her professional debut in the WNBA next month.
In the meantime, other aspects of Clark's life have been picked apart, mainly how much money she will make on and off the court as the No. 1 overall selection in the WNBA draft.
While her endorsements, such as Nike, State Farm, Gatorade, Xfinity, and Panini, will net her millions of dollars, her WNBA salary will be a fraction of that because of the terms set in the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Clark will be making a total of $338,056 in her first four years in the league, which includes a fourth-year option.
Here is how much compensation other No. 1 overall picks in other sports earned during their rookie campaign:
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Wembanyama signed a four-year, $55.17 million deal after being taken No. 1 overall in the 2023 NBA draft. Wembanyama made $12.2 million during his rookie season and is the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers took Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He signed a four-year deal worth $38 million and got $24.6 million immediately after he signed his contract. Young had a rough rookie season, going 2–14 as a starter and throwing for 2,877 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles
Because 2023 No. 1 pick Paul Skenes has not made his debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Holliday will be the focus here, as the 2022's top selection was recently called up by the Orioles. He signed a $8.19 million signing bonus after he was drafted and will make $740,000 as a rookie this season. Holliday went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his MLB debut on April 10 and has one hit in his first 25 at-bats.
Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks
The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL draft signed a three-year, $13.35 million deal with the Blackhawks and made $855,000 in base salary his rookie season. The 18-year-old Bedard had 22 goals and 39 assists this season for Chicago.
Ally Sentnor, Utah Royals
While the National Women's Soccer League increased its salary cap to $2.75 million in 2024, some of the top players are starting to receive a share of the pie.
Racheal Kundananji signed with Bay FC on a four-year, $2 million contract extension, while the Chicago Red Stars reportedly signed striker Mallory Swanson to a four-year, $2 million contract with a fifth-year option, and Houston Dash signed forward María Sánchez to a three-year, $1.5 million contract with an option for 2027.
Sentnor, the No. 1 pick by the Royals, signed a three-year deal with the team, and financial terms were not disclosed.
Taylor Heise, PWHL Minnesota
The Minnesota franchise selected Heise as its No. 1 pick in the Professional Women's Hockey League.
Her salary was not disclosed, but according to the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement, three players on each team's roster must make at least $80,000 a year, and the bottom nine players must make at least $35,000. The compensation also features a monthly $1,500 housing stipend and money for relocation costs.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- The science that spawned fungal fears in HBO's 'The Last of Us'
- Global Warming Was Already Fueling Droughts in Early 1900s, Study Shows
- How seniors could lose in the Medicare political wars
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- See RHOBH's Kyle Richards and Kathy Hilton's Sweet Family Reunion Amid Ongoing Feud
- Benzene Emissions on the Perimeters of Ten Refineries Exceed EPA Limits
- The Democrats Miss Another Chance to Actually Debate Their Positions on Climate Change
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- Himalayan Glaciers on Pace for Catastrophic Meltdown This Century, Report Warns
Ranking
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- 2018’s Hemispheric Heat Wave Wasn’t Possible Without Climate Change, Scientists Say
- The Impossibly Cute Pika’s Survival May Say Something About Our Own Future
- Dear Life Kit: My husband is living under COVID lockdown. I'm ready to move on
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Her husband died after stay at Montana State Hospital. She wants answers.
- The glam makeovers of Pakistan's tractors show how much farmers cherish them
- Woman, 28, arrested for posing as 17-year-old student at Louisiana high school
Recommendation
2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
Fate of The Kardashians Revealed on Hulu Before Season 3 Premiere
Ukrainian soldiers benefit from U.S. prosthetics expertise but their war is different
Woman, 28, arrested for posing as 17-year-old student at Louisiana high school
Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
All 5 meerkats at Philadelphia Zoo died within days; officials suspect accidental poisoning
New EPA Rule Change Saves Industry Money but Exacts a Climate Cost
A Longchamp Resurgence Is Upon Us: Shop the Iconic Le Pliage Tote Bags Without Paying Full Price