Caitlin Clark is the most popular female athlete on the planet - and it's not particularly close.
The WNBA star, taken No. 1 overall in the 2024 Draft, has a long list of impressive endorsements. She has national deals with Nike, Gatorade, State Farm and others. However, don't expect to see Clark going all-out for endorsement money in 2026.
Clark could likely seek millions - maybe in the eight figures - in endorsements moving forward. However, on Wednesday, she announced that she won't be doing that. Instead, she's putting basketball first.
© John Jones-Imagn Images.
Clark told Yahoo! Sports that she'll likely be passing on several endorsement opportunities, so she can put basketball first.
“Your brand will continue to grow. You’ll have other opportunities,” she said. “But I need to take care of things on the court first. And winning a championship is my main goal right now.”
It's a perfect mindset.
Clark shows what she really values
Clark knows that if she plays well on the court, everything else will take care of itself. That can be hard, especially for young athletes who haven't made generational wealth yet. Not everyone can set the right priorities.
But clearly, Clark knows what she is doing.
WNBA fans can appreciate it. Clark is making it clear that she values what's most important - winning - above all else.
"At least she speaks the truth, according to her fans all she needs to do is put people in the seats and increase viewership, they are more worried about her popularity than ever winning anything," one fan wrote.
"WNBA should make her the logo like Jerry West," another shared.
"That's what I'm talking about. Well said, CC," one shared.
Clark and the Indiana Fever are getting ready to start the 2026 WNBA season later this month.
