Caitlin Clark swapped her Prada fit, worth $17,000, for a laidback $220 Nike look after the Indiana Fever selected her with the first pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft on Monday night.
The former Iowa star point guard sported a light-colored sweatshirt and beige Nike joggers while leaving an interview at “Good Morning America” studios in New York City, as seen in new photos Tuesday.
Clark, 22, who was holding a white box, stepped out in a pair of Nike Dunk Low Retro Panda sneakers, while her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, walked behind her.
The two-time Naismith Award winner opted for a more casual outfit after she wore a navy blue and white striped dress and heels while on “GMA.”
The night before, she nearly broke the internet when she wore head-to-toe Prada on the orange carpet at the draft, which took place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Clark’s $17,000 ensemble featured a rhinestone mesh crop top ($3,750) under a satin collared shirt ($5,500) and a matching miniskirt ($1,750), as well as pointed leather pumps ($1,200), according to Business Insider.
She accessorized with a Prada Galleria patent leather mini bag ($4,100) and a pair of acetate sunglasses ($575).
After she joined the Fever, Clark traded her designer heels for a pair of UGG clogs.
Clark, who has an estimated NIL of $3 million, said this was the first time Prada has ever dressed a male or female for the WNBA or NBA draft.
McCaffrey, who currently works as an assistant for the Indiana Pacers, was a big fan of Clark’s Prada outfit, as the former Iowa basketball player shared a few flirty emojis about it on X.
Here's everything to know about Caitlin Clark and her surprising WNBA salary
Caitlin Clark, college basketball’s all-time leading scorer and new face of the organization unsurprisingly went No. 1 in the WNBA draft to the Indiana Fever.
She hasn’t even played a game yet, but Clark has already become one of the biggest names in the WNBA.
Her first-round pick helped to drive a 304% increase in viewership for the WNBA draft this week. But the conversation around Clark certainly didn’t stop after she signed for 4-year deal with the Indiana Fever.
Clark will earn $338,056 over four years, per the league’s collective bargaining agreement, with the Indiana Fever.
In comparison, the top pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Victor Wembanyama, landed a $55 million deal.
Clark then signed a $28 million, eight-year contract with Nike, which David Portnoy called “STEALING” on Twitter.
“8 years 80 million min is her worth and that’s still prob too cheap,” Portnoy continued. “Hope she has an early opt out if they don’t pay up when she blows through this deal.”
Despite the relatively low numbers, the deal is the largest sponsorship contract for a female basketball player on record.
Television personality Hoda Kotb was noticeably distraught about the pay gap during the “Today” show Tuesday.
“For somebody who is now the face of women’s basketball, it seemed kind of ridiculous,” Kotb said.
Kotb called it “disturbing” and brought it up multiple times throughout the morning.
Former ESPN journalist and current contributor to The Atlantic Jemele Hill was displeased with the discourse surrounding WNBA salaries and posted a lengthy X post on the subject.
“I’m already annoyed by this conversation because for years, WNBA players have fought for more money. And when they were outspoken, so many of y’all told them to shut up or reminded them how they had no value The NBA has had 50+ years of investment, media coverage, etc. After 27 years, the WNBA will not be the current NBA. So stop comparing them,” Hill wrote on social media.
“Weaponizing this information against WNBA players is another form of misogyny. These women have been dreaming of playing professionally in front of American audiences their whole lives,” Hill continued. “Instead of clowning and reminding them of what they’re not — buy the merchandise, go to the games, and watch the games on television.
Clark’s “GMA” appearance came hours after the couple celebrated her big night at The Fleur Room on Moxy Chelsea’s 35th floor with some of her former Iowa teammates — Kate Martin, Jada Gyamfi and Gabbie Marshall as well as Raina Harmon, an assistant coach for the Hawkeyes.
Clark — the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader, for men’s and women’s — played a major role in the dominance of women’s college basketball in the 2023-24 season and throughout March Madness.
The NCAA women’s title game between Clark’s Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks surpassed the men’s UConn-Purdue championship matchup by millions.
Her presence helped ticket sales and TV ratings skyrocket.
Two hours after joining the Fever, Clark became Fanatics’ top-selling draft pick in any draft night history, according to Darren Rovell, founder of Cllct Media.
The WNBA will begin training camps on April 28 and the season starts May 14.
