Since her promotion in Iowa and subsequent debut in the WNBA, Kate Linklark has redefine the trajectory of women’s basketball nationally and internationally. Her arrival coincided with record attendance, rising television audiences, and a fresh economic narrative that could change player compensation in the coming years.
1. From university superstars to global phenomena
Caitlyn Clark ordered attention in Iowa like a few before her. Her third grade NCAA National Championship Game Drew 900,000 viewersrecords from that time, and the 2024 final were pretty much attracted. 18.9 million viewersThis is the first time in history that it has surpassed the men’s final. Iowa Set attendance record (55,646 for the exhibit game), 2023-24 ticket slates sold out, generating historic ticket sales revenue ($3.26 million).
Media and analysts coined the term “Caitlin Clark Effect,” describing their ability to promote ticket sales, television ratings and social media engagement. The BBC, Washington Post, USA Today, and others have repeatedly applied this period between 2023 and 24.
2. WNBA viewers before and after Clark
Compare WNBA viewers over five seasons before Clark’s arrival (2019–2023) with her newcomer and sophomore WNBA seasons (2024, 2025 so far).
| season | average. Viewers for each game (regular + postseason) |
|---|---|
| 2019–2023 (5 years ago) | Approximately 500,000 per television broadcast on major networks (ABC/ESPN/CBS/ESPN2) |
| 2024 | Approximately 19 million per game across the ESPN platform (approximately 170% since 2023), plus postseason and All-Star ratings (All-Star Game: 3.4m, draft: 2.4m) |
| 2025 (part) | The game featuring Clark averaged around 1.8m of viewers. Two heat games without her dropped from around 53% to around 847,000 viewers |
In short, the previous season of Clark had an average of about 500,000 viewers per national television broadcast. In 2024, it jumped to about 1.2 million. In early 2025, the game featuring Clark won ~1.8m. Even injuries-induced absenteeism brought those games back to under a million.
3. Economic impact and forecast of future salary
The direct economic consequences are clear.
- Surge in revenue: WNBA revenue reached approximately $180 million in 2023, up from approximately $102 million in 2019.
- TV trading: The league has secured a $2.2 billion media deal over 11 years, selling three new expanded franchises for $250 million each. All of this is attributed in part to Clark’s ability to attract national audiences.
- Team ratings will increase: Analysts estimate that Clark alone contributed up to $1.6 billion in increasing league or franchise valuations.
Historically, female professional basketball players have made ~$60-90,000 as rookies. That gap shows the mistake between player compensation and actual economic contributions.
Prospect:
- Viewers and revenues continue to rise, becoming more modest at 10% per year over the next five years, players will win similar TV contract revenue stocks to the NBA (currently players receive around 50% of national TV revenue), and pay can increase dramatically.
- Given the revenues of the WNBA today, it could increase by 10% per year to $322 million by 2030, and that pool could be five times as long as players access 20-25% of their TV contract value (currently ~ $200 million/$11/year).
- Therefore, individual salary caps and average salary could increase by 2030 from ~$120,000 to $200,000 today from ~500,000 to ~750,000. This is an increase of about 300-400%.
4. Caitlin Clark’s role as a catalyst
Kate Linklark is not just a coincidence with Surge. She is a catalyst.
“Clark’s presence has significantly improved WNBA audiences and ticket sales, and has been built by her considerable university supporters.”
– Players, fans and commentators acknowledge that the league’s expansion and media deals will follow her entry.
Caitlin has received over 1.29 million fan votes in the 2025 All-Star Game (the most in history). The Liberty coach called the season “Caitlyn Clark-equipped rating Bonanza” after her return brought on a peak of 2.8 million viewers.
Her influence expands internationally. As viewers escalate, youth participation in women’s basketball increases worldwide, with sponsors flocking to the sport. It cites teenage girls, particularly WNBA role models such as Clark and Angel Reese, as sources of empowerment.
Like this season, you can see the appeal of the fans when she hits three ridiculously deep three in a row. It’s like watching Steph Curry. You don’t want to turn your eyes off for a second at the risk of missing out on the next big play:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrc2lguxrok
5. Virtual pay forecast (2025–2030)
Put numbers into forecasts (assuming continuous upward momentum and TV deals where players earn around 25% of their rights fees):
| year | Expected league revenue | Player share from TV rights pool | average. Player salary EST. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $220 million | $20 million | $140,000 |
| 2026 | $242 million | $25 million | $175,000 |
| 2027 | $266 million | $30 million | $210,000 |
| 2028 | $293 million | $35 million | $245,000 |
| 2029 | $322 million | $40 million | $280,000 |
| 2030 | $354 million | $45 million | $315,000 |
These are conservative predictions. If players negotiate a higher share (~40-50%) or grow faster in revenue (15-20% per year), the average salary could exceed $500,000 by 2030.
6. Global impact
Clark’s university fame and WNBA success have created international interest. European social media metrics, international youth camps, and NCAA international audiences all show an increase in engagement in women’s basketball around the world. Although no accurate international television revenues have been made public, the branding boost and sponsorship growth is unmistakable.
According to two circles of sports marketing agencies, she became one of the most talked about female athletes around the world in 2024.
7. Conclusion: Why is Clark more important than his previous players?
If women’s salary does not rise dramatically over the next five years, something is wrong. The economic foundation is changing under them. Caitlin Clark proves that women’s basketball can offer key audiences, expanded levels of franchise value and emotional connections, all of the ingredients in the media and revenue division.
Without Clark, the WNBA may be in the previous plateau. Instead, she accelerated the conversion stage. Even if a future star appears, she is a bridge to a world of higher revenue and higher wages.
It gives weight to this argument:
- Without Clark, the average WNBA viewer would still hover at ~500,000.
- Along with her, the number skyrocketed to 1.2 million in 2024 and around 1.8 million in key games in 2025.
- This jump has enabled large media rights deals, franchise ratings to 5 times higher than per expansion slot, and increased revenue pool.
- She directly affects the speed and size of salary increases.
8. Reliability and Quotes
- “The WNBA has attracted the all-time record of over 54 million unique audiences from ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ION and NBA TV.” – A league press release summarizing viewers for the 2024 season.
- “The presence of Caitlin Clark has significantly boosted WNBA audiences and ticket sales, building her into a considerable university advocate.” -As commentators and league insiders pointed out.
- Fans won Clark with 1.29 million All-Star votes. This is the most in history – analysts have linked it to team attendance, television ratings and even improved charter flights.
9. Final thoughts
Female professional basketball stands at an inflection point. Kate Linklark didn’t create the WNBA, but she turned the ascent into a rocket launch. Continuing growth in viewership, new television deals awarding shares, and an expanding league footprint could accelerate salary growth. By 2030, the average salary will likely increase by 300-400%.
The next five years could be defined by the extent to which players build on Clark’s momentum: collective bargaining, approval leverage, and global branding. It’s plausible and exciting: what Clark has made possible.
