Why Caitlin Clark will earn in one year the same amount that Diana Taurasi has earned in her entire career?

The phenomenon that Caitlin Clark has become and her impact on women’s basketball is reaching beyond what happens on the court. For at least two decades, a figure with the popular impact of Caitlin Clark had not arrived in the WNBA, surpassing even stars from other sports.

Before her, the great star of the WNBA was Diana Taurasi, the legendary player who won three championships and is the all-time leading scorer in the league’s history, with 10,108 points scored throughout a career that paved the way for the arrival of new stars like Clark or Angel Reese.

However, Caitlin’s impact has also been reflected in the economic field, so recently some comments comparing what Taurasi has earned in her career and what Clark is currently earning have emerged on social media.

Days ago, a scandal arose due to the disparity in salaries between a player like Clark, who will earn less than $400,000 annually in her first year, and NBA players who earn millions. However, Clark is leveraging her popularity to make money through NIL (name, image, and likeness), which allows college athletes to earn money through external sponsorships.

Too much disparity among stars?

In Taurasi’s case, still active with the Phoenix Mercury, she has a total net worth of $3.5 million earned over 20 years of career. Considered as the White Mamba, Taurasi is still considered by many to date as the GOAT of women’s basketball.

But that figure pales in comparison to the $28 million that Caitlin Clark will earn over 8 years solely for her association with Nike, who will launch a shoe inspired by her. In other words, only for that single sponsorship, Clark will earn $3.5 million in a year, the same amount that Taurasi has earned in two decades.

Is it unfair? Many could say yes, but the reality is that both lived in different times. Until three years ago, there was no NIL, which allows NCAA athletes to earn money that they may not be able to earn in professionalism. Clark is simply taking advantage of the current rules to ensure her economic well-being, although there will always be the debate of whether Taurasi (and other players) should have earned more money for their sacrifice on the court. The answer is yes, but Caitlin is not to blame for that.

The Indiana Fever are coming off a win against the Atlanta Dream and will look to continue that momentum on Sunday against the Chicago Sky.

Indiana is 4-10 and Chicago sits at 4-8. The Fever beat the Sky 71-70 on June 1. Chicago’s Chennedy Carter and Indiana’s Caitlin Clark traded pleasantries on a couple of occasions, with Clark saying something toward Carter on one play and Carter hip-checking Clark before an inbound pass a little later.

Final: Indiana Fever pick up fifth win of the season

With 18 seconds left, Caitlin Clark hit back-to-back free throws to give the Fever a seven-point lead. Kelsey Mitchell also hit a free throw for Indiana.

Clark led the Fever with 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Aliyah Boston put up 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Angel Reese commits flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark in Sky vs. Fever rematch

Watch as one of the WNBA’s biggest rivalries continues to burn, as Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is whistled for a flagrant foul after making contact with Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark’s head while contesting a shot.

In the first matchup between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever since Chennedy Carter’s now infamous shove of Caitlin Clark, there was even more drama.

Towards the third quarter of a tightly contested ball game, Sky rookie Angel Reese went up to contest a layup and ended up striking Clark across the head.

Officials immediately reviewed the play and upgraded the fall to a flagrant one on Reese. There was no immediate retaliation or response by either team.

Going back to their first matchup, a game the Fever won 71-70, all anyone could talk about after was Carter’s foul on Clark that many considered a “non-basketball” play.

The discourse that followed for days was whether or not WNBA players were targeting the rookie sensation for the level of attention she has garnered.

And although Carter and others have denied any intent outside of the desire to compete and win, it hasn’t stopped supporters of Clark from seeing things differently.

The latest incident in a well-documented rivalry between Reese and Clark is sure to add more fuel to that fire. We’ll have to wait and see how WNBA fans react this time around.

Angel Reese smacks Caitlin Clark in the head after more fouls by her Chicago Sky teammates as Dave Portnoy hits out at their brutal treatment of WNBA’s No. 1 pick

Caitlin Clark was struck on the head by Angel Reese and subjected to more rough treatment by the Chicago Sky on Sunday, causing Dave Portnoy to hit out at the WNBA team.

Clark and the Indiana Fever took on Chicago for the first time on Sunday since the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft was brutally bodychecked by Chennedy Carter earlier this month.

The Fever won the first meeting 71-70 at home on June 1 but the game was overshadowed by Sky guard Carter’s hip-check foul on Clark before an inbounds play.

It was ruled a common foul, only to be upgraded to a flagrant-one foul the day after the game.

But, on Sunday, it didn’t take long for Clark to be targeted by Reese, Carter and their Sky teammate Dana Evans again.

Angel Reese smacked Caitlin Clark in the head as she was targeted by more rough play

Earlier, Chennedy Carter and her Sky teammate Dana Evans combined to foul Clark

Evans pinned back Clark’s arm as she tried to shoot while Carter held onto her after releasing

Reverse angle clearly shows Clark being fouled as she dribbled towards the hoop early on

Carter refused to let go of Clark’s arm and threw it up in the air before saying something to her

Barstool chief Dave Portnoy took to X to accuse the Chicago Sky of ‘doing Chicago Sky stuff’

As Clark drove towards the basket in the first quarter, Evans snuck her arm through Clark’s and hooked and held her to stop her momentum.

But when Clark gestured to the referee for a foul, Evans threw her arm away from Clark and appeared to say something before smiling in the Fever star’s direction.

It promoted Barstool Sports chief Portnoy to post a clip of the play on X and write: ‘Chicago Sky doing Chicago Sky stuff’.

After the Reese foul, Portnoy posted: ‘Shocker. Angelo Reese and the Sky doing Angel Reese and Sky stuff. By the way Caitlin is cooking them.’

Then, in the third quarter, Clark was jumping for the basket when Reese smashed her in the side of the head.

The ball had already clearly gone beyond the former LSU player, who continued to hit Clark on the head with her forearm.

The bodycheck earlier this month, and Carter’s stated lack of regret for it, ignited several days of social media controversy that divided fans and led to accusations of racism from both sides.

Portnoy is a huge fan of Clark and recently ranted about her snub from the Olympics roster

Speaking before Sunday’s game, Carter said: ‘I’m just ready to play today’s game.

‘I don’t care what people are saying. I don’t care what they’re talking about. I’m locked in.’

Clark has aimed to stay above the fray, but recently she made clear she did not want her name to be used to push political agendas. She also said she did not need Carter to apologize for the foul.

‘Basketball’s competitive. I get it,’ Clark said. ‘Sometimes your emotions get the best of you – it happened to me multiple times throughout the course of my career. People are competitive.

‘(Carter is) having a tremendous season. She’s played great basketball – in my eyes, probably in first place for Sixth Player of the Year.’