Clark Girl aesthetic

The GIST: Caitlin Clark continues to dominate headlines as she heads into her first WNBA season. While we wait for Clark to bring her game to the Indiana Fever’s court, here’s the latest on how she’s changing the women’s basketball (business) game.

💸 Clark can earn up to $500K in her rookie season. “Caitlin has the ability to make up to a half of a million dollars just in WNBA wages this year, so they’re just looking at a base, which is collectively bargained,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Thursday, adding context to the $76.5K base salary that’s been widely presented as Clark’s total first-year compensation.

• Clark’s rookie base and annual salary is limited by the WNBA collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which runs through 2027 but could end sooner, especially if the WNBA can land a new media rights deal thanks to a ratings assist from Clark.

👜 She’s setting trends in the fashion world. Wearing Prada for the WNBA Draft and Louis Vuitton for a presser is virtually unheard of, according to Clark’s personal stylist Adri Zgirdea. “It typically takes five years before a major fashion brand will [...] dress any athlete,” Zgirdea said, but noted that Clark’s first “could lead to more players collaborating with major fashion brands.”

2️⃣2️⃣ This season, Dick’s Sporting Goods will sell Fever t-shirts with Clark’s name and number in all 724 stores. The company — which has been an official WNBA retail partner since 2021 — sold W merch in only 160 locations last year and plans to sell league products in a similar footprint this season, with Clark’s t-shirts being the one exception to the rule.

• Some locations will also sell Clark’s Indiana Fever jerseys, which are already sold out and are on back-order as Nike rushes to meet market demand. The Clark Girl aesthetic.

The GIST: Canadian Women & Sport released its latest data on Canadian fans today: “It’s Time: Unlocking the Power of Pro Women’s Sports Fans.” While the initial “It’s Time” report in 2023 mapped out the Canadian landscape for women’s sports development, this edition presents insight into the unique attributes of women’s sports fans in Canada.

📣 Sixty-seven percent of Canadians are fans of women’s sport, 40% of Canadians are avid fans, and 25% are more casual. While 11% follow women’s sports regularly, 30% only watch during special events. Canadians also see women’s sports as 2.1x more empowering and 1.6x more inspirational than men’s sports, something marketers could lean into for campaigns.

👋 Fans of women’s sports are a desirable audience for brands and investors — they are more diverse, educated, and affluent than the general Canadian population. Plus, younger fans are more engaged with women’s sports by every metric, which includes attending games, streaming online, buying merch, seeking content and following on social media.

💰 Unlocking the power of fans requires investment. Before last year's WNBA Canada Game, one in 10 Canadian sports fans considered themselves WNBA fans, but this number rose to one in five following the game. Excitement for the 2024 season also increased among all WNBA fans, doubling for those who attended the Toronto game in person. Guess you had to be there.

Zooming out: Canada clearly presents a welcoming women’s sports environment primed for fandom. The WNBA is contemplating a Toronto expansion and Canadian women’s pro soccer league, Project 8, is set to kick off in 2025, but there’s also room for marketers to tap into the Canadian market.

• Tangerine Bank and Canadian Tire Corporation are early adopters on the Canadian side, but there’s real opportunity for American companies to appeal to Canada’s 39M citizens — 40% of its women’s sports fans are more likely to purchase from a brand that supports women’s sports. Time to double-double up.