Angel Reese is not the only WNBA player who will keep the checks coming in if the 2026 WNBA season suffers from a player’s strike. Caitlin Clark also has a brand that can command top dollar.
Caitlin Clark Charges $100K Per Speaking Session
While Reese is more geared towards entertainment and high-fashion, for speaking engagements, Clark can get a quick bag through speaking engagements, which she charges a virtual fee of $100,000 per session. She is booked for both virtual and in-person events, such as the one she has scheduled at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts as part of the Florida Forum Speaker Series on October 29, 2025. She also did two other notable live events; University of the Cumberlands leadership event (March 25, 2025) and a panel discussion with Serena Williams and Eli Manning at the NFL Annual Meeting (March 30, 2025). Excel Sports Management and Athlete Speakers has her booked and busy.
Pretty big company for a pro who’s only played a season and some change in the WNBA. But also very indicative of how impactful Clark’s rise has been despite her highly-anticipated second WNBA season getting cut short due to various lower body injuries. She did travel with the team and was very vocal and demonstrative at the games
Social Media Reacts To Caitlin Clark News
While most people understand the power of Clark’s brand, some took issues with her massive payout for motivational speaking. Especially while her WNBA sisters fight for peanuts.
“She hasn’t done a damn thing to earn this. Just be white and sit the bench,” said one netizen.
“Last person I would want speaking to kids,” said another. “She needs mental health help. Constantly playing a privileged victim is a gross look.”
WNBA Commissioner Took Shots At Clark’s $16M Endorsement Bag
Caitlin Clark makes roughly $16M in off the court endorsements, according to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who divulged the information in a private conversation with WNBA star and player’s union representative Napheesa Collier.
The league is embroiled in a heated Collective Bargaining Agreement that is scheduled to end at the conclusion of this month. The players and the league are reportedly far apart on several issues, most glaringly, the cut of revenue that the players get, which is reportedly around 9 percent. The players feel a 50-50 cut is most fair and they have not released any financial numbers concerning their demands to the league. Any number will be significantly more than what they are getting under the current CBA. What is fair pay, considering all of the league’s financial challenges in the past and its recent exploding success?
Back in February Clark’s lawyer, Erin Case, said the WNBA simply couldn’t afford to pay her client what her actual value to the league is. So who’s doing who the solid here?
Engelbert Denies Comments: Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese Not In Same Financial Position As Other Players
Only time will tell how that works out, but there is a reason why Clark and Reese have not been very vocal concerning the CBA negotiations. Both have expressed their support for the players, but are not at the negotiating table. Back in July, Reese didn’t mince words when she said the players won’t back down in negotiations until they get what they deserve.
Reese: “It’s bigger than me. … We’re not gonna stop until we get what we want, and yesterday’s meeting really woke me up to the fact that we aren’t getting what we deserve.”
Cathy Engelbert Denies Dissing Caitlin Clark‘s Value To WNBA
Last week, Clark supported Collier’s scathing indictment that their league “has the worst leadership” in sports. Collier also accused Engelbert of throwing shade at Clark’s endorsements, claiming that the 2024 Rookie of the Year should be “grateful” to the WNBA.
Allegations which Engelbert flat-out denied, prior to Collier canceling a meeting the two had scheduled to hash out differences.
“Obviously, I did not make those comments,” Engelbert said. “Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game. She’s brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game … But again, I’m not going to get into every point, counterpoint. It’s not productive here. We’re here to celebrate the WNBA Finals.”
Caitlin Clark Makes More In One Speaking Engagement Than WNBA Salary
Clark makes more in one motivational speaking engagement than she does in yearly WNBA salary. Increasing player salaries is reportedly also one of the sticking points in these negotiations. The Team Nike member’s WNBA rookie contract started at $76,535 in 2024 and will increase to $97,582 by 2027 as currently constructed. Clark supports the players but the money she’s raking in doesn’t make the salary issue a personal one. She does, however, understand the power she wields and the fact that she has to speak for generations that will follow and make sure they are set up to keep growing the league.
At 100K per session, Clark could probably solve the WNBA salary problem by herself.
