Caitlin Clark Gets Forbes Nod as No. 4 Most Powerful Female Athlete

When Caitlin Clark became the most-watched female athlete in the country, many wondered if the hype and fan following would continue to help women’s sports grow.

For instance, the 45.2 million viewers during her final run in the NCAA Tournament still stands as the most fans who tuned in to watch women’s college basketball for a long time. Then there were the million average fans who would tune in whenever the Indiana Fever played during her rookie season. Then, when she was injured this past campaign, viewership dropped initially by 50%.

But then, the WNBA registered some of its highest ratings during the Finals. That indicated that women’s basketball was growing, and that Caitlin Clark, cheering on her team from the sidelines, was enough to continue the growth.

The WNBA has become a billion-dollar organization, and Forbes believes the Fever guard is the reason for this surge in women’s basketball. That is why they ranked her 4th on their 2025 list of America’s Most Powerful Women in Sports.

They believe the 23-year-old, with a mix of her on-court savvy competitiveness and her humble everyday-girl persona off the court, is helping draw fans who want to stay for everything else.

The publication believes Clark is not a viral trend that could fade away. They ranked her that high, above Unrivaled co-founders Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, as they believe she is moving the goal posts when it comes to women’s sports as a whole.

Caitlin Clark recruiting Hornets star’s brother to boyfriend’s college program

Other than being mentioned in some of the leading publications, news channels, and sports organizations, Caitlin Clark also likes to spend some time with what she holds dearly to her heart.

For instance, she is a massive supporter of Butler University’s Men’s Basketball program, where her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, is an assistant coach.

She makes it a point to cheer for them whenever she can. Now, as she has a lot of time on her hands, decided to help them with recruiting a certain NBA star’s brother.

The Charlotte Hornets selected Kon Knueppel with the 4th overall pick this past draft. As a former teammate of the No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, he and his family know a thing or two about blending with superstars.

The Butler Bulldogs hosted the Knueppels to pitch their program to Kager Knueppel, the younger brother of the Hornets star. In pictures shared by his mother, Chari Nordgaard Knueppel, they show the family at the university and at Hinckley Fieldhouse.

Great visit with @KnueppelKager at Butler University today! pic.twitter.com/XmUlBiEdNJ

— Chari Nordgaard Knueppel (@ChariNKnueppel) November 9, 2025

The last picture shows Caitlin Clark with Kager Knueppel and his parents. The Indiana Fever star wore a Bulldogs hoodie and was proudly beaming, presumably after helping with the recruiting pitch.

Next year’s rookie will earn 4 times as much as Caitlin Clark

For all the fan following Caitlin Clark garners, not just individually, but also for the Indiana Fever and the WNBA, she will earn a paltry $85,873 next season.

Her endorsements rake in $11 million or more, but many have voiced frustrations over the Iowa native not being paid what she deserves. Next season, the disparity will be even larger.

Currently, All-Star teammate Kelsey Mitchell earns the most at roughly $241K. That number will quadruple, if not more, once the new CBA is approved by both the players’ union and the league. What will be surprising is that Mitchell will be earning $1 million, whereas her superstar point guard will be stuck with a paycheck that will be 8.5% of what she earns.

It will also be a subject of jokes when the Fever’s 2026 draft selection signs a contract that will pay her a lot more than Clark, maybe even 4 times more in her rookie contract.

Also Read:

• Tom Brady’s ‘Weird Rich People’ Behavior Called Out by Sophie Cunningham
• Flau’jae Johnson Questions Louisiana Governor’s Demand for Charlie Kirk Statue at LSU