Caitlin Clark doesn’t earn a CENT on the court despite her record-breaking college career at Iowa… but thanks to big-money NIL deals with Nike, Gatorade and State Farm, she’s raking in the cash off it

On Thursday night, Iowa‘s Caitlin Clark became NCAA women’s basketball’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Kelsey Plum’s total of 3,527 in the first quarter of a Hawkeyes game against Michigan.  

Clark earns exactly zero cents per game at Iowa, making her grand total from the university, $0, the exact amount Plum made at Washington before her WNBA stardom. 

Clark is under the NCAA’s thumb now as name, image, and likeness bills have been passed, and has an NIL value of $818,000 according to On3Sports. 

The Hawkeyes phenom has signed NIL deals with companies that include Gatorade, Nike, Buick, and State Farm. 

Nike released a poster after Clark broke the record against Michigan with the tagline ‘you break it, you own it.’ 

Clark is beloved by Iowa fans and she has reportedly made more than $800K in NIL deals

One of Clark’s most recognizable NIL deals is with insurance company, State Farm

By graduating from high school in 2020, Clark’s first full season as a college athlete occurred before a single NIL law was passed.  

Clark’s first reported NIL deal was with grocery store Hy-Vee, which the Iowa star agreed to in January 2022. 

The big name brands have surrounded Clark since as her stardom has climbed to one of college athletics biggest stars, regardless of sport or gender. 

Clark’s star power exploded during the last year, corresponding with the interest in college women’s basketball overall. 

Last year’s title game, featuring Clark and Iowa against the Angel Reese-led LSU Tigers smashed the previous ratings record of 5.7million viewers with 9.9million tuning in. That record will likely fall again in less than two months. 

Clark has also partnered with Gatorade for a multiple-year NIL deal, she announced last year

Nike released a poster of Clark after she broke Plum’s all-time scoring record on Thursday

Clark will likely be the No 1 overall pick in this summer’s WNBA Draft, but she would likely earn more is she stayed at Iowa. 

The WNBA’s average annual salary for the 2023 season was $147,745, per the Sporting News.  

Clark is the fourth-highest earning women’s basketball player in NIL deals, per On3, and is first among active hoopers that do not play for LSU. 

Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson play for Kim Mulkey, while Haley Cavinder, one half of the social-media famous twin Cavinder sisters, will not suit up for TCU for her final year of eligibility until next season. 

Clark is the No 5-earning female overall, with LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne besting every other female in NIL value at $3.5million. 

She is one of the best college basketball has ever seen, but without NIL, Clark would be making her university money, while raking in none of it herself.