- Caitlin Clark, 21, is a junior making basketball history at the University of Iowa.
- Clark scored 41 points in the March Madness semifinal win over defending champs South Carolina.
The University of Iowa's Caitlin Clark has led her team to the national championship round of college basketball's biggest stage — while also starting conversations about women's sports viewership and future brand deals.
The 21-year-old combination guard has made headlines during March Madness for her 40-point games and being part of the most-watched women's semifinal on Friday, Front Office Sports reported.
With her increased online popularity among basketball fanatics and casual March Madness viewers alike, one might assume Clark's Name-Image-Likeness marketability is through the roof right now. But, according to On3.com, she narrowly cracks the top 10 highest NIL valuation for women's college basketball players.
The junior scored 41 points against the defending champions in the Hawkeyes' 77-73 win against the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Friday game peaked at 6.6 million viewers — nearly two million more viewers than 2022's national championship game between South Carolina and Connecticut.
As of Sunday afternoon, Clark comes in at number nine on On3.com's college women's basketball NIL rankings with a valuation of $192,000. She trails the leading ca twins of Miami by nearly $700,000, according to the ranking.
Although NIL valuation factors in more than just skills on the court, Clark's abilities have grown her Instagram following from 315,000 on Saturday to 386,000 as of Sunday afternoon, and the upcoming championship is sure to boost her online audience.
Despite falling behind fellow NCAA athletes Paige Bueckers, Flau'jae Johnson, and Angel Reese in On3's NIL rankings, Clark has still managed to secure brand deals with some recognizable companies.
In October, she was among five young athletes — along with Bronny James — to ink a deal with Nike. According to her Instagram, Clark has also done paid posts for Buick, Bose, and supermarket company Hy-Vee.
—Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) October 10, 2022
On Thursday, Clark was named the women's college basketball's National Player of the Year after leading the country in both points and assists for the 2021-2022 season. She's been celebrated online for leading all players, men or women, in triple-doubles this season.
The Iowa Hawkeyes will face off against the LSU Tigers in the national championship on Sunday afternoon, and Clark is sure to profit from her meteoric rise to fame during this tournament.