There is no historical precedent for the year Caitlin Clark just completed.
Clark bridged her final college season at Iowa and her WNBA rookie year with the Fever, setting numerous on-court records while carrying both leagues to new heights. She had the world on her shoulders throughout as her impact transcended sport—to business, culture, and politics.
Here’s a look back at the year of Caitin Clark, from the awards and milestones to the numerous headlines.
On the Court
Clark led the Iowa Hawkeyes to the women’s NCAA championship for the second year in a row, ultimately losing to South Carolina. She set NCAA Division I records for scoring and three-pointers for both men’s and women’s basketball. She also swept all major national player of the year awards.
She was selected No. 1 in the 2024 draft by Indiana. She led the Fever back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Clark finished one shy of a unanimous Rookie of the Year, fourth in MVP voting, and was named an All-Star. She also led the league in assists at 8.4 per game.
Viewership
The NCAA women’s championship game eclipsed the men’s game for the first time, averaging 18.9 million viewers, the most in history, and four million more than the men’s championship. Iowa’s Final Four game against UConn and Elite Eight game against LSU also drew more than 10 million viewers—which is more than the 9.9 million viewers from the 2023 championship game, the previous tournament record.
The regular season averaged 1.2 million viewers on ESPN, the league’s biggest broadcaster. That’s the league’s most-watched regular season and up 170% from last year. There were 30 total games between the regular season and playoffs that averaged more than one million viewers, with 21 involving the Fever.
Attendance
WNBA attendance was up 48% for the season, led by the Fever who drew 17,036 fans per game—up 418% from 2023. Every other team saw double-digit percentage growth in attendance. The Las Vegas Aces, Washington Mystics, and Atlanta Dream all moved their home games against the Fever to arenas with larger capacities.
Endorsements
Clark signed an eight-year deal with Nike worth $28 million—the biggest shoe deal for a women’s basketball player—before she joined the WNBA. She has yet to receive a signature shoe—the brand is releasing one for A’ja Wilson next year—but that will likely come soon. She also has major deals with Gatorade and has been featured in several State Farm commercials.
Salary Spotlight
Despite all the attention Clark brought to the WNBA, she was paid only about $76,000 in the first year of a four-year, $338,056 deal. This sparked the conversation about whether her decision to go pro instead of utilizing her extra year in college was actually going to lose her money because of the NCAA’s new rules on name, image, and likeness (NIL).
There had already been several calls from WNBA players to raise salaries—which start at about $64,000 and only go as high as around $250,000 per year. This will likely change once the next CBA kicks in by the 2026 season, and it could even include stipulations that would increase the salaries of players already under contract like Clark.
Renewed Rivalry
Clark faced Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers in the NCAA tournament two years in a row, with each getting a win. While they play different positions, the two stars became rivals. They were both part of the 2024 WNBA draft class and became teammates for the first time as the only two rookies to make the All-Star Game. The two most-watched WNBA regular-season games of the year were between Reese’s Chicago Sky and Clark’s Fever.
While Clark and Reese have constantly shown respect for each other, the narrative quickly developed into one about race. Even WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert compared the two to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the 1980s, two stars who eventually became great friends. Engelbert received widespread criticism because the conversation has led to hate speech and racist comments from fans. During the Fever’s playoff series against the Connecticut Sun, players said they experienced “racial” comments by fans and even death threats online. While Clark tried to remain ho-hum about the discussions for most of the season, she referred to the racist comments as “toxic” and “gross” in an interview with Time earlier this month as the magazine’s Athlete of the Year.
Olympics Snub
The story of the summer was Clark’s exclusion from Team USA. The team announced its selections for the 2024 Paris Olympics team in June and prioritized veterans over the young rookie. Many argued Clark would attract an unprecedented audience to the women’s team, as she has in the NCAA and WNBA. Team USA ultimately won its eighth straight gold medal, and its final game against France drew 7.8 million viewers.
Coveted by All
Clark has been such a massive draw that other leagues, old and new, have attempted to latch on to her fame. The NBA is attempting to bring in Clark as a participant at the 2025 All-Star weekend, according to ESPN. She also participated at the LPGA event The Annika driven by Gainbridge and brought large crowds to the golf event last month. A “Lionel Messi–like” offer worth $1 million for just 10 weeks of service was offered to Clark to join Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Naphessa Collier, which tips off in January. She declined the offer last month.
