Should she stay or should she go? The numbers behind Caitlin Clark’s WNBA decision
Should she stay or should she go?
An inevitable decision is approaching in the coming months for Caitlin Clark. Does she go to the WNBA where she is set to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and cross off another goal of hers?
Or, does she return to the Iowa Hawkeyes and leave her spot as the greatest collegiate basketball player ever in an untouchable spot?
While neither decision is right or wrong, it may not even be as black and white as it sounds. There is an undeniable financial piece that plays a part and absolutely should as Caitlin Clark deserves to take care of herself as well.
That could be sticking at Iowa and potentially getting some sort of deal from Iowa’s SWARM collective. It could also be securing her future in the WNBA.
Here is a look at both sides of the decision and why a return to the Iowa Hawkeyes could be lucrative for all parties involved.
Caitlin Clark's current NIL deals
Clark has a number of NIL deals. Here’s a look at some of the big names that have inked name, image and likeness deals with Clark.
Nike
Gatorade
Buick
Bose
Goldman Sachs
State Farm
Hy-Vee
H&R Block
Topps
Shoot-A-Way
Caitlin Clark's On3 NIL Valuation
Caitlin Clark has plenty of big NIL deals at Iowa. Per On3’s NIL Deal Tracker, Clark has inked deals with Nike, Buick and signed a multi-year deal with Gatorade. She also became the first collegiate athlete to sign with State Farm.
Clark’s deals and NIL valuation are among the top in all of women’s sports. Caitlin Clark’s On3 name, image and likeness valuation is $818,000, which puts her at No. 5 among all female collegiate athletes and No. 29 among all collegiate athletes.
Per the On3 Women’s name, image and likeness 100, Clark trails only Livvy Dunne, the gymnast from LSU, Angel Reese and Flau’Jae Johnson, the duo on the Tigers’ basketball team, and TCU’s Haley Cavinder, who has exploded on social media.
That is the background of Clark’s NIL valuation. If she goes to the WNBA, Clark will not lose those deals. Many of those companies would stay with her as a huge face of women’s sports.
WNBA Contract
Should Clark go to the WNBA, she is unanimously viewed as the No. 1 draft pick.
Per Spotrac, which analyzes and keeps records of all major sports contracts and draft slot values, Clark would lock into the top rookie contract slot. The contract escalates over the first three years with a fourth-year option.
Year 1 of Clark’s WNBA contract would be $76,535, Year 2 would be $78,066, Year 3 would be $85,873, and the fourth-year option would be $97,582 for a total contract value of $338,056.
Iowa SWARM Collective impact
So, let’s ask the question which is the elephant in the room. Does Iowa, the SWARM collective, local businesses and other sources of funding come together to offer Caitlin Clark a deal that proves to be more lucrative staying at Iowa for one final year?
Should they? Without a doubt. Caitlin Clark is selling out every arena she steps into and is the face of the sport right now. Barring incredibly unforeseen circumstances, she would still retain the top draft slot in the 2025 WNBA draft. But, Clark would have one more year to chase a title and check off nearly every record on the books.
Will they offer that deal is another question. If the SWARM collective and local businesses can come together for a one-year offer, they could equal the equivalent of three times the WNBA rookie contract with an offer of $1,014,168.
And with the right backing, it doesn’t have to stop there. Why not put together a multi-million dollar name, image and likeness deal for Clark? As we’ll discuss in a moment, Clark’s value to the University of Iowa would far exceed whatever final number the SWARM could slide across the desk to her.
The ROI is well worth it for Iowa
Seven figures can look a bit striking at first, but the On3 NIL 100 has 19 athletes valued at over $1 million dollars. Caitlin Clark has the brand, following, and ability to make that deal worth every penny and then some. She is worth every last piece of that to Iowa for the ticket sales, recruiting, merchandise and exposure that will continue to follow.
Caitlin Clark returning to Iowa doesn’t just set them up for the 2024-25 women’s college basketball season. Under the right circumstances, it potentially sets them up to be a national powerhouse for years to come. This decision could have a positive impact on Iowa for decades to come.
Iowa fans want her back. WNBA fans want her to join their roster. The inevitable decision awaits us and while it is one choice or the other, there is much more than just two factors at play here for Caitlin Clark.
Should she stay, or should she go?
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