Throughout her WNBA debut season, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever has won over millions of hearts. Fans are in awe of the former Iowa Hawkeyes standout, both for her maturity off the court and her talent.
What about the other players in the league, though?
It’s undeniable that former NBA player Charles Barkley believes some WNBA players harbour “petty jealousy” towards Clark. Though from a somewhat different angle, Barkley’s co-analyst Shaquille O’Neal of “Inside the NBA” would concur.
Shaq discussed the WNBA’s jealously of Clark in an interview with USA Today, providing a similar scenario.
O’Neal remarked, “There’s professional jealousy and envious jealousy.” Yes, a lot of people experience professional jealousy. Yes, I am. Many people have made me jealous throughout my professional life. Steph Curry has me jealous in my work life. His net worth is $60 million. However, that’s just life.”
Guard for the Indiana Fever Caitlin Clark
Guard for the Indiana Fever Caitlin Clark
Clark was the first overall pick in the 2024 draft and signed a four-year, $338,056 deal. Her pay in her first year is $76,000; the WNBA salary average is $102,000. It can seem hard to agree with Shaq’s comparison to Curry at first, but you have to take sponsorship deals into account.
Clark agreed to the highest-paying endorsement contract ever signed by a female basketball player. The $28 million, or $3.5 million a year, arrangement is for eight years. That’s more money made in a single year than some of these WNBA players will make in a lifetime.
Clark has shown that she is worth every penny even in her first season. For the first time since 2016, she has guided the Fever to the postseason and smashed numerous WNBA records in the process.
During his 19 seasons in the NBA, O’Neal was a 15-time All-Star, four-time champion, MVP, and three-time NBA Finals MVP.