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Clark should stay another year at Iowa.

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mpfeiler

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Iowa needs to convince Caitlin Clark to stay for another year! It would be smart for her and the University. Clark gets way more press coverage as a NCAA WBB player in the BIGTEN than she will in the WNBA. She will make more money with endorsements and NIL as a college player. WNBA on a national level gets truly little coverage.

2023 average attendance the average attendance for WNBA games was about 6,700 fans. Their season is thirty-six games with a 12-team league. Iowa was 31-7 last year with eighteen home games. Their home attendance was 11,500 fans per game (total 200K). This year is a complete sell-out of 15,400 per game (total 277K). I know people hope she will change things if she joins the WNBA in 2024. Remember WNBA is a summer sport from May to September. Most teams are in large metro areas. They are up against MLB and many other summertime events.

These ladies are great athletes in WNBA. But to really get paid, they need to go overseas to play. The WNBA salary cap is $1,420,500 with a roster size of twelve players (144 total in the league). The highest paid player salary is $242,000.

Caitlin is bringing more eyes to women's college basketball. Smart for both parties to keep it rolling. Caitlin will be lost quickly in the WNBA. Who remembers last year’s #1 pick? Alllyah Boston - How about 2022? Rhyne Howard – But we all know Griner. But do we remember she was the #1 pick in 2013? Nope - Or do we know her from being busted with dope in Russia? yep
But it is Caitlin's choice.
Here is hoping she will stay!
 
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mpfeiler said:
Iowa needs to convince Caitlin Clark to stay for another year! It would be smart for her and the University. Clark gets way more press coverage as a NCAA WBB player in the BIGTEN than she will in the WNBA. She will make more money with endorsements and NIL as a college player. WNBA on a national level gets truly little coverage.

2023 average attendance the average attendance for WNBA games was about 6,700 fans. Their season is thirty-six games with a 12-team league. Iowa was 31-7 last year with eighteen home games. Their home attendance was 11,500 fans per game (total 200K). This year is a complete sell-out of 15,400 per game (total 277K). I know people hope she will change things if she joins the WNBA in 2024. Remember WNBA is a summer sport from May to September. Most teams are in large metro areas. They are up against MLB and many other summertime events.

These ladies are great athletes in WNBA. But to really get paid, they need to go overseas to play. The WNBA salary cap is $1,420,500 with a roster size of twelve players (144 total in the league). The highest paid player salary is $242,000.

Caitlin is bringing more eyes to women's college basketball. Smart for both parties to keep it rolling. Caitlin will be lost quickly in the WNBA. Who remembers last year’s #1 pick? Alllyah Boston - How about 2022? Rhyne Howard – But we all know Griner. But do we remember she was the #1 pick in 2013? Nope - Or do we know her from being busted with dope in Russia? yep
But it is Caitlin's choice.
Here is hoping she will stay!
Click to expand...
I get the attraction of keeping Clark, as well as the fact the actual WNBA salary doesn't seem like it would be unreplaceable with NIL with as much attention as Clark draws. However, many WNBA players play both in the WNBA and overseas, thus have multiple salaries in one year. Additionally, WNBA players are in more major markets and several have well paying commercial endorsements as well. My only point being Clark might still be able to make much more money as a pro than as a college player for another year.
 
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CyberJJ said:
I get the attraction of keeping Clark, as well as the fact the actual WNBA salary doesn't seem like it would be unreplaceable with NIL with as much attention as Clark draws. However, many WNBA players play both in the WNBA and overseas, thus have multiple salaries in one year. Additionally, WNBA players are in more major markets and several have well paying commercial endorsements as well. My only point being Clark might still be able to make much more money as a pro than as a college player for another year.
Click to expand...
The Fever got #1 pick. They play in Indianapolis. More money in Indy? LA, Chicago or NYC maybe. How many Iowa fans driving to Indy to watch CC in Summer?
 
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VodkaSam said:
Yeah, Brittany Griner made some good money playing for a Russian team.
Click to expand...
A bunch of them did. Pretty sure Sue Bird, Taurissi from UConn as well. Think they were making over a million a year in Russia. That’s obviously gone.
 
Indianna seems like a good fit, her family can make some games, she gets to play with Boston and Berger. If she waits a year it's probably an expansion team.
 
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ICWestfan said:
Maybe she wants to transform the WNBA like she has women's college basketball. She is the one and only player that would be able to do it.
Click to expand...
She probably is the only player who could pull it off, but I just don't see it happening. The WNBA season is in the heart of summer and there is just too much competition for eyeballs that time of year (baseball, vacations, outdoor activities, youth sports, concerts, etc).....
 
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mpfeiler said:
The Fever got #1 pick. They play in Indianapolis. More money in Indy? LA, Chicago or NYC maybe. How many Iowa fans driving to Indy to watch CC in Summer?
Click to expand...
She would also be on the same team as Aliyah Boston. Those two could dominate the league for years. It's actually a great set up for her to leave after this season because going to Indy to play with last year's rookie of the year in a place that isn't too far from home is about as good of a situation as she was ever going to get. I guess the financial ability of the club to pay both Boston and Clark the money they deserve is something that would need to be considered.

I still think a lot of this depends on how they do in the tournament this year. They have some young talent that are improving and there would be a lot to return to as well.
 
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ICWestfan said:
Maybe she wants to transform the WNBA like she has women's college basketball. She is the one and only player that would be able to do it.
Click to expand...
If that is true, the WNBA should move a team to Des Moines area immediately. Put Caitlin on that team. What would the attendance be in her home state? Year one? Year two? Year three? Year four? Remember, the WNBA season is in heart of the summer. The Iowa Cubs average about 6,000 fans per game. I love Caitlin Clark. I watch or listen to every game she plays.

I have a friend that is a sports marketing person. He states that colleges continue to make new fans by graduating 5,000 to 10,000 students every year. Most graduates become fans of their Alma Mater for life. Pro teams do not have that type of pipeline. We will pay attention to whatever WNBA team Caitlin plays. Will those fans be Indy Fever fans after Caitlin retires? likely not

Yes, she is changing college WBB. More people are paying attention to it than ever before. And it is about time! These ladies are great and deserve more national attention and more money. But the WNBA has never made money. Sponsors are fickle. You are hot and then you are not. Will WNBA it get more attention with Caitlin Clark? Yes, for sure. But for how long?

She can really impact NCAA WBB by staying another year and winning a NC at Iowa.
 
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Sh will take to her current NIL partners if the relationship will continue into the wnba and then make an educated decision.

She is likely set for life either way.
 
I bet she comes back.

The WNBA is junk.

images
 
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BioHawk said:
She would also be on the same team as Aliyah Boston. Those two could dominate the league for years. It's actually a great set up for her to leave after this season because going to Indy to play with last year's rookie of the year in a place that isn't too far from home is about as good of a situation as she was ever going to get. I guess the financial ability of the club to pay both Boston and Clark the money they deserve is something that would need to be considered.

I still think a lot of this depends on how they do in the tournament this year. They have some young talent that are improving and there would be a lot to return to as well.
Click to expand...

onlyTheObvious said:
Sh will take to her current NIL partners if the relationship will continue into the wnba and then make an educated decision.

She is likely set for life either way.
Click to expand...
The question that we SHOULD be asking is if Indy is going to be a big enough market for her and her sponsors?
 
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Menace Sockeyes said:
The question that we SHOULD be asking is if Indy is going to be a big enough market for her and her sponsors?
Click to expand...
Are there any WNBA teams that have their own TV deals? I'm not sure there are and if there aren't, it actually doesn't matter too much. Other than Indy isn't far from Chicago or really Iowa so there will be some fan travel to watch the games. Not as much as there would be if she ended up in Chicago or Minnesota though.
 
Menace Sockeyes said:
The question that we SHOULD be asking is if Indy is going to be a big enough market for her and her sponsors?
Click to expand...
I've wondered this myself. Not quite the same but TBH if I was her I'd be aiming to get out of the midwest and find my place in the wider world (at some point). She will never be waived at Indiana -- and life in Indiana isn't very different from life in Iowa.

I'd love to see her make her way somewhere like LA or NYC. She could position herself for success and build networks in a number of ways outside athletics in a major city. I also really hope she doesn't make the decision based on her boyfriend (as many say she is bound to do). Relationships don't last long when you're 21. I think she's smarter than that.
 
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San Francisco/ Golden State is getting a WNBA franchise in 2025 right? Good opportunity to play in a huge market and be the face of a franchise if she stays at Iowa another year
 
mpfeiler said:
Iowa needs to convince Caitlin Clark to stay for another year! It would be smart for her and the University. Clark gets way more press coverage as a NCAA WBB player in the BIGTEN than she will in the WNBA. She will make more money with endorsements and NIL as a college player. WNBA on a national level gets truly little coverage.

2023 average attendance the average attendance for WNBA games was about 6,700 fans. Their season is thirty-six games with a 12-team league. Iowa was 31-7 last year with eighteen home games. Their home attendance was 11,500 fans per game (total 200K). This year is a complete sell-out of 15,400 per game (total 277K). I know people hope she will change things if she joins the WNBA in 2024. Remember WNBA is a summer sport from May to September. Most teams are in large metro areas. They are up against MLB and many other summertime events.

These ladies are great athletes in WNBA. But to really get paid, they need to go overseas to play. The WNBA salary cap is $1,420,500 with a roster size of twelve players (144 total in the league). The highest paid player salary is $242,000.

Caitlin is bringing more eyes to women's college basketball. Smart for both parties to keep it rolling. Caitlin will be lost quickly in the WNBA. Who remembers last year’s #1 pick? Alllyah Boston - How about 2022? Rhyne Howard – But we all know Griner. But do we remember she was the #1 pick in 2013? Nope - Or do we know her from being busted with dope in Russia? yep
But it is Caitlin's choice.
Here is hoping she will stay!
Click to expand...
If Conner is still working for the Pacers (which I have no clue if he is) This would be perfect time for Caitlin to enter the draft.
 
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creslin_hawk said:
Indianna seems like a good fit, her family can make some games, she gets to play with Boston and Berger. If she waits a year it's probably an expansion team.
Click to expand...
Don't forget her paramour, Connor, works for the Pacers. It's all in the stars.
 
mpfeiler said:
She will make more money with endorsements and NIL as a college player.
Click to expand...

QChawks said:
I think a lot will depend on how far they make it this year

If they get bounced early I could totally see her coming back purely for redemption (and the money)
Click to expand...

mro1978 said:
she gets paid WAY more in college
Click to expand...

mpfeiler said:
The Fever got #1 pick. They play in Indianapolis. More money in Indy? LA, Chicago or NYC maybe. How many Iowa fans driving to Indy to watch CC in Summer?
Click to expand...

Menace Sockeyes said:
The question that we SHOULD be asking is if Indy is going to be a big enough market for her and her sponsors?
Click to expand...



This has been discussed many, many times over the last 10 months.

As you will read below, in an interview with Dan Patrick on Feb 27, Caitlin said people simply don't understand what she is making now vs what she would make in the WNBA. When Caitlin heads to the WNBA, she wouldn't be giving up endorsements and she wouldn't be taking a pay cut.

Some excerpts from that Feb 27 interview:


Q: Would you be taking a pay cut by heading to the WNBA?

“Not necessarily. I think that’s what gets lost sometimes. I think people don’t understand. NIL is still kind of a thing when you get into pro sports, too. You still have all those endorsements. You still have sponsorships and whatnot, so you’re basically just a professional athlete with that on top of it, too. So, it’s not really something that I would factor into my decision of staying or going too much.”


Caitlin, on how important the WNBA is to her:

“Very important. That’s where I want to be, but I have another year here and possibly one more after that just because of COVID, so probably will have to make a decision on that sometime next year. I really have no clue of what I’m going to do. Stay for an extra year or leave after next year, but I love watching the WNBA.

“I remember really vividly my dad taking me to my first ever WNBA game. Maya Moore was my favorite player growing up. She played for the Minnesota Lynx, so it was pretty convenient. That was only a four hour trip from where I grew up, and I really remember getting to watch her versus Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm. That was like my first ever experience with the WNBA when I was really young.”


Here’s the full 9 minute interview from the Dan Patrick Show:




hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com

Caitlin Clark considering two more seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes

Caitlin Clark revealed on the Dan Patrick Show that she’s mulling the possibility of two more seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com
 
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Some of her deals are regional, hyvee for example would probably be less likely to use her as heavily for promotion if she ends up on a coast. She could also sign with companies in whatever city she ends up in. The bigger issue is star power, she's a superstar in iowa right now. In 2 or 3 years will she still have the same draw as a wnba player? It depends on where she goes, if they play to a system that utilizes her in a way she can shine. That being said. If at the end of the year it looks like she goes to indy, I think it's gonna be really hard to pass up. They have a young big in Boston that allows her to play her style of basketball. She would be close enough to retain regional deals. She would be close enough for family to make some games easily. The market probably fits her branding pretty well. Staying another year puts all of that at risk, and the only real reason to stay would be to chase a title. That would require drastic improvements from post players, confidence that the kate/gabby replacements would be upgrades, or that iowa gets some big time transfers committed before she has to declare.
 
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mpfeiler said:
Iowa needs to convince Caitlin Clark to stay for another year! It would be smart for her and the University. Clark gets way more press coverage as a NCAA WBB player in the BIGTEN than she will in the WNBA. She will make more money with endorsements and NIL as a college player. WNBA on a national level gets truly little coverage.

2023 average attendance the average attendance for WNBA games was about 6,700 fans. Their season is thirty-six games with a 12-team league. Iowa was 31-7 last year with eighteen home games. Their home attendance was 11,500 fans per game (total 200K). This year is a complete sell-out of 15,400 per game (total 277K). I know people hope she will change things if she joins the WNBA in 2024. Remember WNBA is a summer sport from May to September. Most teams are in large metro areas. They are up against MLB and many other summertime events.

These ladies are great athletes in WNBA. But to really get paid, they need to go overseas to play. The WNBA salary cap is $1,420,500 with a roster size of twelve players (144 total in the league). The highest paid player salary is $242,000.

Caitlin is bringing more eyes to women's college basketball. Smart for both parties to keep it rolling. Caitlin will be lost quickly in the WNBA. Who remembers last year’s #1 pick? Alllyah Boston - How about 2022? Rhyne Howard – But we all know Griner. But do we remember she was the #1 pick in 2013? Nope - Or do we know her from being busted with dope in Russia? yep
But it is Caitlin's choice.
Here is hoping she will stay!
Click to expand...
I'd say there's a 25% chance she returns - been there, done that, time to move on to next level.
 
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