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

The No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft has become the face of women’s basketball — and sport — after a record-breaking Rookie of the Year campaign in the WNBA.

Clark is already one of the biggest names in sportsGetty

The Indiana Fever phenom’s popularity has skyrocketed over the last six months, leading to to record WNBA attendances and TV viewing figures as well as lucrative endorsement deals with the likes of Gatorade, State Farm, and Wilson.

Her historic endorsement deal with Nike is worth $28 million over eight years, and is the largest shoe deal ever for a women’s basketball player.

All this makes her a marketer’s dream. According to SportsPro, the 22-year-hooper is the fourth most marketable athlete in the world in 2024, behind only Olympics sensation Simone Biles, Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr, and NBA legend LeBron James.

SportsPro explains the methodology for their rankings as follows: “We have blended extensive data analysis, advanced social media monitoring, economic valuations, expert and consumer insights to bring you this definitive 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) athletes is a who’s who of sporting greats, many of whom Clark allegedly trumps in terms of marketability.

She’s ahead of soccer greats Lionel Messi in fifth, Kylian Mbappe in seventh, and Cristiano Ronaldo in ninth — not bad for someone who only turned professional in April.

The achievement is all the more stunning given the enormous pay disparity that exists between Clark and many of her contemporaries.

Clark made just $76,535 for her first pro season. The four-year rookie contract she signed in April is worth $338,000 — just over half of what Ronaldo reportedly earns in a single day.

The Portuguese icon is being paid around $213 million a year by Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr. 

That works out at around $17.75 million a month, $4.42 million a week, and $633,928 a day.

Women’s pay in the WNBA has been an issue for some time now.

“Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all,” US President Joe Biden said when the details of Clark’s rookie contract first emerge. “But right now we’re seeing that even if you’re the best, women are not paid their fair share.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the highest-earning footballer over the last 12 monthsGetty

LeBron was third on the list and is the only active NBA player worth $1 billionGetty

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

More recently, Clark’s fierce rival Angel Reese revealed her $73k salary isn’t enough to cover her rent.

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

The union is widely expected to campaign for a 50 per cent overall split of revenues, which also includes ticket sales, merchandise and media rights, bringing them in line with the NBA‘s top stars.

Salaries are also expected to go up in line with the league’s growing financial might, although nowhere near the mind-boggling numbers associated with stars like Ronaldo.

Women’s basketball in the US is at a fascinating juncture, made all the more interesting by the emergence of rival basketball league called Unrivaled.

Reese has already signed up for Unrivaled while Clark could still join herGetty

Clark is understandably in high-demand and is reportedly being touted to play in the new 3-vs-3 basketball league which is set to debut in Miami in January.

The $100 million TNT Sports-backed league, which has already recruited a bevvy of WNBA All-Stars, is rumored to be all in for Clark.

According to reports, league bosses are preparing a ‘Messi–like’ deal to get Clark on board, which could see Clark earn more than $1 million, more than 13 times her current WNBA rookie wage, and receive equity in the league.

As yet, Clark has given no indication as to whether she’ll play in the league, which will be contested by six teams across eight weeks, including the playoffs.

However, given the money being floated around, it may prove too attractive a proposition to turn down.