Despite a $214 million wage differential, Caitlin Clark leads Cristiano Ronaldo on the athlete power rankings

Caitlin Clark has taken the US by storm, and now she’s ready to take on the world.

Following a record-breaking Rookie of the Year season in the WNBA, the No. 1 choice in the 2024 WNBA Draft has emerged as the face of women’s basketball — and the sport.

The Indiana Fever phenom’s popularity has exploded in the previous six months, resulting in record WNBA attendance and TV viewership, as well as lucrative endorsement deals with Gatorade, State Farm, and Wilson.

Her record endorsement deal with Nike, at $28 million over eight years, is the largest shoe deal ever for a female basketball player.

All of this makes her an ideal marketer. According to SportsPro, the 22-year-old basketball player is the fourth most marketable athlete in the world in 2024, trailing only Olympic wonder Simone Biles, Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr., and NBA great LeBron James.

Caitlin Clark: Breaking Barriers in Sports

SportsPro’s methodology for its rankings is as follows: “We have combined extensive data research, advanced social media monitoring, economic appraisals, expert and consumer insights to bring you this ultimate list.

“Once again sophisticated qualitative research was integrated with quantitative marketability measurements, while comprehensive mathematical and statistical formulas from multiple data sources were then applied to determine the final rankings according to each athlete’s Total Marketability Score.”

The annual list of the world’s 50 Most Marketable (50MM) sportsmen include a who’s who of sporting legends, many of whom Clark allegedly outperforms in terms of marketability.

She’s ahead of soccer legends Lionel Messi in sixth, Kylian Mbappe in seventh, and Cristiano Ronaldo in ninth — not bad for someone who only started professionally in April.

The achievement is all the more impressive given the massive pay difference between Clark and many of her peers.

Clark earned just $76,535 in her first professional season. The four-year rookie contract she signed in April is approximately $338,000, or just more than half of what Ronaldo reportedly earns in a single day.

Al Nassr, the Saudi Pro League club, pays the Portuguese icon around $213 million per year.

That works up to almost $17.75 million each month, $4.42 million per week, and $633,928 per day.

Women’s salary in the WNBA has been a long-standing concern.

“Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all,” US President Joe Biden stated when the details of Clark’s rookie deal became public. “But right now, we’re seeing that even if you’re the best, women don’t get compensated fairly.

“It’s time that we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women are paid what they deserve,” the vice president said.

More recently, Clark’s formidable opponent Angel Reese disclosed that her $73k salary is insufficient to support her rent.

Impact of Popularity and Media Presence

Fortunately for the WNBA’s stars, the players’ union just opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), giving them a year to renegotiate player contracts, salary, and revenue distribution before facing a league-wide lockout.

The union is widely expected to advocate for a 50 percent overall revenue split, which includes ticket sales, merchandise, and media rights, putting them on par with the NBA’s top stars.

Salaries are also projected to rise in tandem with the league’s expanding financial might, though not to the mind-boggling levels associated with stars such of Ronaldo.

Women’s basketball in the United States is at a fascinating juncture, made even more so by the advent of a rival basketball league named Unrivaled.

Clark is naturally in high demand, and he is apparently being courted to play in the new 3-vs-3 basketball league, which will debut in Miami in January.

The $100 million TNT Sports-backed league, which has already signed a number of WNBA All-Stars, is reported to go all in on Clark.

According to rumors, league executives are planning a ‘Messi-like’ contract to bring Clark on board, which could pay Clark more than $1 million, more than 13 times her current WNBA rookie salary, and include equity in the league.

Clark has yet to confirm if she will play in the league, which will be contested by six teams over eight weeks, including playoffs.

However, considering the money floating around, it may be too appealing a deal to pass up.