evidence: TOPLINE Much like her college basketball career, Caitlin Clark began her days as a pro by shattering another record. The former University of Iowa standout—and the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history—signed with Nike for what is believed to be the most lucrative endorsement contract in women’s basketball, reportedly worth as much as $28 million over eight years. Yet even with her Nike deal, and other lucrative partnerships with Gatorade, State Farm and Gainbridge, Clark did not earn enough to be among the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes this year—in fact, no woman did. The highest-paid female athlete in 2023, Polish tennis sensation Iga Świątek, collected an estimated $23.9 million in total earnings, just over half of the $45.2 million it took to rank among 2024’s top 50 athletes overall. [...] WHY IT MATTERS "The gap may be steep, but the top-earning female athletes are making real progress," says Forbes staff writer Justin Birnbaum. "The median of last year’s top 20 rose to $8.5 million from $7.3 million in 2022, and eight athletes posted estimated total earnings of $10 million or greater, doubling the mark from three years ago. Plus, more brands are seeing the business case for endorsing female athletes, and in addition to Clark, there’s a slew of young, marketable stars coming up through the ranks, including Angel Reese and Cameron Brink in the WNBA, Nelly Korda and Rose Zhang in golf, and Świątek, Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka in tennis."