Caitlin Clark investing in team ownership bid despite 5-figure WNBA salary and turning down bigger offer
Caitlin Clark is investing in a bid for a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team based in Cincinnati, the investment group for FC Cincinnati announced.
"The NWSL Cincinnati bid team is thrilled that Caitlin Clark has joined our ownership group in pursuit of bringing women’s professional soccer to our city," a team statement said.
"Her passion for the sport, commitment to elevating women’s sports in and around the Greater Cincinnati region and influence as an athlete and a role model for women and girls around the world make her a vital part of our compelling bid to become the 16th team in the NWSL."
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Cincinnati is one of three finalists for an expansion bid, joining Cleveland and Denver.
Clark's contribution to the bid has not been revealed publicly.
Sportico data from 2024 puts the average value of an NWSL franchise at $104 million. Angel City FC in Los Angeles is the league's most valuable franchise at $250 million, while the Chicago Red Stars are the lowest valued team at $53 million.
If Clark's investment is anywhere close to 1% of a typical franchise's total value, it would be an investment that easily eclipses her entire annual WNBA salary.
INSIDE CAITLIN CLARK'S IMPACT ON MEN'S BASKETBALL
Clark made $76,535 in the first year of her WNBA rookie contract. Next year she will make $78,066.
Clark had a chance to supplement her basketball income by joining the new Unrivaled 3-on-3 league, which will be played in the WNBA offseason. Unrivaled was reportedly offering Clark north of $1 million. But Clark turned it down. She also turned down opportunities to play pro basketball in Europe like other WNBA players.
Clark participated in a brief amateur golf stint this offseason but has otherwise focused on attending Taylor Swift concerts or other sporting events like college basketball games coached by her boyfriend at Butler University.
She won't report to training camp for her second WNBA season until April 2025.
However, Clark is believed to have plenty of other income streams in endorsement deals.
Clark has an endorsement deal with Nike valued at about $28 million over eight years. This agreement includes promotional appearances, product endorsement and Nike marketing campaigns.
She has additional deals with Gatorade, Wilson Sporting Goods, Bose, State Farm, Buick, H&R Block, Topps, Shoot-A-Way and Goldman Sachs.
She even has her own cereal with Hy-Vee, "Caitlin's Crunch Time."
Not much else is known about Clark's lifestyle because she keeps a low profile on her spending habits. However, everyone will know if she's on the hook for her investment in the Cincinnati FC bid if the city ends up winning the expansion franchise. Clark's presence as an investor could sway the decision.
Clark was recently pictured next to Swift on the cover of Time magazine's Inspiring Women special edition issue that featured eight women in positions of leadership, including multiple athletes.
The 15 most-watched WNBA games last season all included Clark.
So, if that earns her investment group the NWSL team, then her financial future could depend heavily on the willingness of the people of Cincinnati to embrace a pro women's soccer franchise.
The median household income in Cincinnati was $54,314 in 2023. In the Cincinnati metro area, the median household income was $75,062 in 2022, which is slightly higher than the national median. More than half of Cincinnati residents are women.
Cincinnati does not have a WNBA team. However, it does have a men's pro soccer team, Major League Soccer's FC Cincinnati. The only pro sports teams in the city are the NFL's Bengals and MLB's Reds.
Clark's biggest rival in the WNBA has already admitted to struggling with personal finances since becoming a professional.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese admitted in an October social media post she can't afford to pay her rent on her WNBA salary. Reese's rookie salary with the Sky was $73,439, while her $8,000-a-month rent costs her $96,000 a year.
"I just hope y'all know," Reese told her audience, "the WNBA don't pay my bills at all. I don't even think that pays one of my bills. Literally. I'm trying to think of my rent for where I stay at. Let me do the math real quick."
Once Reese figured out her salary and what she was paying, she laughed, adding, "I'm living beyond my means!"
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