Could Caitlin Clark follow Gabby Williams and leave the WNBA?

Former Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams has decided to take her talents overseas, turning down the option to continue her career in the WNBA. This might provide a playbook or plant a seed for Indiana Fever megastar Caitlin Clark to do the same at some point in the future. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

ESPN has followed Gabby Williams’ thought process on this matter for the last couple of years. It seemed like Williams has not been exactly thrilled with the WNBA’s rules and compensation structure.

Williams played 12 games for the Storm in 2024, which seemed like a longshot at the end of the 2023 campaign. She told ESPN in September 2023, “2024 looks like it’s not possible because of prioritization, and of course even if I were to come, it would be in August after the Olympics.”

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This is exactly what ended up happening, as Williams’ first game with Seattle didn’t come until August 26. Essentially Sports dug deeper into the prioritization rule, which basically states that WNBA players need to participate in offseason activities in order to be available for the regular season.

However, Williams is not planning to stick around in the WNBA in 2025. She took issue with comments made by commissioner Cathy Engelbert. According to Marca, Engelbert said that it will one day be possible for WNBA players to earn $700,000 annually as part of their contracts with the league.

Williams did not see it the same way. She said in a press conference, “Our commissioner talked about us being able to, you know, make $700,000. That’s actually not true at all. There’s not one player who makes that.”

According to Marca, Williams also didn’t like how the WNBA was branding itself. She said, “We were told there would be team and league marketing agreements, but they’ve fallen short.”

Williams signed with Fenerbache S.K. in Turkey to continue her basketball career after the 2024 WNBA season ended. During her criticism of the WNBA’s business practices, she addressed fans of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who Williams believed were misinformed.

Williams responded to one fan on social media who said that Caitlin Clark makes $700,000 per year. As captured by the Daily Mail, Williams said that Clark only makes just over $70,000 in the WNBA, and that the bulk of her earning power comes from endorsements.

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This discussion is not new, as WNBA players’ contract figures often shock fans with how low they seem. It might open the door for someone like Clark to ponder leaving the United States for greener (from a money perspective) pastures.

The potential for Caitlin Clark to earn significantly more money than she does now internationally would be tempting. Given her name recognition and brand value, teams overseas would likely move heaven and Earth to get Clark in their uniform.

Clark’s every move is dissected, analyzed, critiqued and discussed in the United States. It’s spun positively, negatively, and in ways that Clark herself likely is surprised at on a daily or weekly basis. While she would experience pressure to perform on the court abroad, the interest in her comments and mannerisms likely would not be as magnified overseas.

Of course, as the league’s most recognizable star, Clark would have all the power if she wanted to throw her weight around and consider leaving the WNBA for another league. It’s the last thing the WNBA would want to happen.

Cathy Engelbert would be widely ostracized if Clark left the WNBA before or during the prime of her career. She might be backed into a corner if this doom and gloom reality ever takes place.

Caitlin Clark is no stranger to raking in boatloads of cash off the court. According to Business Insider, her name, image and likeness value while she was in college was roughly $3.1 million.

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There is precedent for a competing sports league to lure talent away from the United States. Saudi Arabia funded the LIV golf tour in June 2021 as noted by Sports Illustrated, and was successful in attracting top talent for exorbitant amounts. LIV and the PGA Tour would eventually merge.