Caitlin Clark makes WNBA off-season decision to land her easy $100,000

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is set to be interviewed by comedy legend David Letterman at Ball State University, which could land the star guard a hefty payday of over $100,000

Caitlin Clark could be in line for an easy payday thanks to famous comedian David Letterman.

It was announced that Letterman would be interviewing the Indiana Fever star at Ball State University on Dec. 2. Clark will be the latest guest of Letterman’s series, aptly named the David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series, which was established in 2008.

Letterman graduated from the university, which is located in Muncie, Indiana, in 1969, and since then, he has been one of the college’s most prominent figures, having interviewed Oprah Winfrey and Rachel Maddow, among others, as part of the series. Considering Clark’s status in women’s basketball and Indiana, it stands to reason why the 77-year-old elected to interview the star.

David Letterman is our University’s most famous graduate,” Geoffrey S. Mearns, the president of Ball State University, said in a statement. “He is a native Hoosier and a national icon, and Caitlin Clark has quickly become a beloved Hoosier and national star. I anticipate their conversation will be very special. On behalf of Ball State, we are honored to host them.”

Along with having an opportunity to sit down with a comedy legend like Letterman, Clark will also be given an opportunity to add to her earnings by speaking with the former late-night television host. A post during the WNBA season went viral on social media, outlining how much Clark charges for a speaking engagement.

During the WNBA season, Don A. Steinbrugge – the founder and CEO at Agecroft Partners, a consulting and marketing firm – posted on LinkedIn his experience attempting to have Clark appear for a speaking engagement. “We contacted her organization to speak for 30 minutes virtually as part of our GAINING THE EDGE Global Cap Intro 2024,” Steinbrugge’s post read.

David Letterman will interview Caitlin Clark in early December at Ball State University ( 
Image:
Instagram: @rllracing / letterman)
“We said she could speak any business day over a 6-week period and pick any time between 9 AM and 5 PM. We were told her virtual speaking fee started at $100,000, which was over our budget. She makes more in a 30-minute virtual meeting than she does over a 40-game WNBA season with her team.”

Though Steinbrugge explained that Clark was only expected to speak virtually for 30 minutes, it could be assumed that the 22-year-old’s rate for an in-person talk would cost more. It must be noted that Clark’s rate for a virtual 30-minute appearance is more than what she made in her entire rookie year.

In Clark’s first year in the league, she earned $76,535, with her total rookie contract amounting to $338,056. That averages out to $84,514 per year, meaning she will have earned more in one 30-minute virtual session than her entire season.

Still, Clark has various deals that are just as lucrative. Currently, the 22-year-old has endorsement deals with Nike, Gatorade and State Farm, with Clark signing an eight-year, $28 million deal with the sportswear giant which includes a signature sneaker in the near future.

Additionally, Clark is being recruited to play in Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 women’s basketball league. The league reportedly has offered Clark a massive deal, with the star guard set to earn over $1 million along with equity in the league, should she join.

So far, Clark’s teammates Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull, along with former Iowa teammate Kate Martin, have been recruited to play, in hopes of steering the star to a decision. However, Clark explained she was in no rush to make decision, stating: “We’ll see, I don’t know. Just taking it as it goes, see if I want to play eventually.”

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