Two days before what could be one of the most pivotal days in the history of the WNBA, the league’s most pivotal player was on Long Island Wednesday speaking at the bi-annual luncheon of the Long Island Association.
Caitlin Clark is the most recent heavy hitter to be featured at the fundraiser for Long Island’s leading business organization. Past speakers have included former presidents George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, former vice presidents Mike Pence, Al Gore and Dick Cheney, and athletes David Beckham, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Eli and Peyton Manning.
The WNBA star spoke just two days before the players’ collective bargaining agreement is set to expire.
Clark, 23, is the youngest guest speaker ever at the event, and perhaps because of that the format of her appearance was tightly scripted. She did not entertain questions from the audience or reporters and the questions she was asked by Matt Cohen, the president of the Long Island Association, steered away from the controversial, focusing on her upbringing, love of basketball and how being a marketing major had impacted her career.
“Honestly, a lot of my professors I had throughout college were very curious and asking me questions,” said Clark, who signed her first endorsement deal the summer before her sophomore year at Iowa.
That’s not hard to believe, because Clark is the first women’s basketball player to figure out how to make superstar money. This was underscored by the fact that she made more for her 30-minute appearance Wednesday than her $78,066 she earned playing for the Indiana Fever this season. It has been widely reported that Clark charges $100,000 for a 30-minute zoom appearance and it can be assumed the figure is higher for an in-person event.
Clark, however, is just one of the many WNBA players who is vastly underpaid, which is a key reason that players are renegotiating their collective bargaining agreement tying it to a larger percentage of league revenue. Clark, who made $11 million last year in endorsements, has repeatedly supported her fellow players in their bid for better pay.
Her support has been key in that she has been major driving in the increased interest in the women’s game, drawing huge crowds in almost every arena she plays. According to Forbes, the franchise evaluation of the Fever has increased from $90 million before Clark was drafted two years ago to $370 million this season.
Clark was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2025. Her style of play and the fact that she can nail three-pointers from halfcourt has brought in all kinds of fans to the WNBA. It also served as an inspiration to younger athletes, some of whom were in attendance Wednesday.
Sadie Hess, a point guard at Rocky Point High School, said that until Clark came along most of her heroes were NBA players.
“I’m a huge Sixers fan,” she said. “I love Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The first time I started watching the WNBA was because of Caitlin. She totally changed things for me. It was so cool to get to see her today.”
Maya Albertina, a shooting guard at Rocky Point, called Clark a huge inspiration.
“No one in my family has played basketball, and she’s showed me what’s possible,” Albertina said. “She’s changed the sport. I’m a three-point shooter. When I have an open shot, I like to take it. Seeing that she’s made shots from anywhere has given me the confidence.”
And that might be the most important takeaway from Clark’s appearance. She knows how important it is to be a role model, to inspire the generations to come. Wednesday, she listed former Minnesota player Maya Moore and tennis player Serena Williams as her heroes. She also had a piece of advice for the young players in attendance.
“Just enjoy it. It goes so fast,” she said. “I’m only 23 but I feel I was just in high school. Some of my best memories are from playing sports from when I was in middle school and high school. Just enjoy it.”
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.