Fever Coach Still In Awe of $16 Million Earning Caitlin Clark’s Work Ethic: “She’s Like Taylor Swift 2.0”

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark is continuing to work on her craft as she racks up more endorsement money off the court.

Fever Coach Still In Awe of $16 Million Earning Caitlin Clark’s Work Ethic: “She’s Like Taylor Swift 2.0”

Fever head coach Stephanie White and Caitlin Clark (Image via FirstSportz)

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Caitlin Clark could not play much in her 2nd season in the WNBA. After months of offseason workouts to improve her strength and conditioning, the superstar was let down by her legs.

At first, it was a quad strain, then a groin injury in each of her thighs that eventually saw her end her season a few games before the playoffs started. Even though she was working out with her team, Clark could not find the rhythm she had in her rookie season, which meant risking her career was too much for the Fever to allow.

Despite that setback, her team managed to reach the semi-finals, but ultimately could not progress. After their season ended, the 23-year-old reiterated that she would not be playing basketball. Instead, she was going to focus on complete recovery and then prepare for the upcoming Team USA tryouts. For someone who could just rest, Stephanie White has seen her best player put in the work.

With Caitlin, you know she’s a hard worker because of what she has been able to accomplish. But until you see that there is no wasted movements, no wasted reps, no wasted anything, you just have such a level of respect for how she goes about her work every day… She’s literally like Taylor Swift 2.0.

Stephanie White said on Bird’s Eye View

The Fever head coach has seen firsthand how her star point guard does all the off-court events. But then she has also seen Caitlin Clark putting in the work whenever she is in their practice facilities. That is similar to pop star Taylor Swift, who is known for her hard work ethic.

Caitlin Clark earned $16 million outside the WNBA

Caitlin Clark’s salary is a running joke in the sports world. This past season, her salary was a mere $78K. Next year, her paycheck will increase to nearly $86K. Many have criticized the league for paying her that low, especially when she has brought immense growth in both fan following and revenue to the WNBA.

Thankfully, her sponsors know her worth and have been a lot more generous while parting with their money. As per Sportico, the Iowa native earned $114K in salary and bonuses from the Indiana Fever. In contrast, her 10+ sponsors paid her a whopping $16 million this year. Her endorsement deals are behind top earners, tennis stars Coco Gauff and Zheng Qinwen, and skier Eileen Gu.

But it is still more than other women superstars, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Simone Biles, and golfer Nelly Korda, with whom she has golfed at The Annika these past two years.

Last season, she was ranked 10th on their list after earning $11 million in endorsement money. This season, that additional $5 million moves her up to 6th.

Caitlin Clark and her peers might have to depend on outside income for a while

If the next CBA turns out to be a good deal for players, Caitlin Clark could finally see her salary surge past $1 million in the next 3 years. Then, her work will start to impact her total earnings.

Caitlin Clark and her peers want WNBA to pay players what they deserve
Caitlin Clark and her peers want WNBA to pay players what they deserve (Image via Chris/X)

However, the decision to finally implement that CBA has been taking a bit longer than anticipated. Not only is the WNBA still not ready to give its players the revenue share they deserve.

But they have also tried to balance the expenses owners incur, after proposing that players would no longer be able to avail in-season housing to offset the increasing salaries.

The standoff between players, their union, and the league could extend further, especially if they cannot agree on the terms. In the event a strike does come about, Caitlin Clark and her peers will have to hold on to whatever they earn outside the WNBA.

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