Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese Are the Stars the WNBA Needs
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are both declaring for the WNBA draft this year, and the WNBA needs them. Both could bring much needed attention, and ratings, to the WNBA. In fact, I can’t imagine a scenario where WNBA ratings don’t go up next season with these two superstars in the fold.
The WNBA Needs Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese
Reese broke the news of going to the WNBA to Vogue. In an exclusive interview, she told the publication that she’s done everything she wanted to in college, including winning a national championship, getting the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and being an All-American. “My ultimate goal is to be a pro—and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever,” she said. “I feel like I’m ready.”
Meanwhile, Clark took to social media to break the news, writing, “While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa. I am excited to be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft.”
Both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are among the most high-profile college female basketball players. They’re also among the top-paid college athletes in sports. According to Business Insider, Reese has a NIL Valuation of $1.8 million. For Clark, her NIL Valuation is $3.1 million. They also both have the kind of star power that could draw interest and viewers to the WNBA. If both can bring their college fan base to the WNBA, it could be a game-changer, and that’s something the WNBA needs.
Just look at the recent Iowa vs. LSU March Madness game that saw both Clark and Reese on the court. The game aired on ESPN, and the network reports that it drew a record-breaking 16.1 million viewers. They add that the matchup garnered the second-highest audience for any basketball game on the network since 2012. The next most-watched game was Game 7 of the 2018 Eastern Conference finals between LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics.
Now, what kind of salaries will these ladies earn in the WNBA? It won’t be as much as NBA players, of course. The top salaries for WNBA players are significantly less than the minimum salary for NBA players, excluding those on two-way contracts, which is around $1,119,563, according to SportsBusinessClassroom.com. The top pick in the WNBA, which will likely be Clark, usually makes around $76,000 in base salary. But, both Clark and Reese could benefit greatly from endorsements and sponsorships.
I think it’s great that the stars that the WNBA needs are finally here. Both Clark and Reese are role models for women who are pursuing their dreams and working hard for it. If their addition to the WNBA does cause popularity to increase, maybe the WNBA salaries will increase, too. The WNBA needs this exposure if they’re going to attract the kind of numbers that the NBA does.
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