A sellout crowd. A heart-stopping finish. A confounding fact.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese helped generate bundles of money through ticket sales alone last month in Chicago for the showdown between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky. But the rookies made less than $2,000 apiece in base salary for their part in the most-watched WNBA game in 23 years.
Clark still stands to earn up to $500,000 this season, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said, mostly through team and league marketing deals that could be available to Reese, too. Both also are eligible for a $2,575 bonus awarded to players who make the All-Star team, which will be announced Tuesday night.
It’s all part of a financial system that could test the power and loyalty of the emerging stars as a potential battle looms.
