In your twenties and dreaming of becoming a millionaire? Well, Caitlin Clark is living that dream already. The Iowa Hawkeyes graduate was always a cut above the rest since her college days and carried the same energy in the W. The NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer across men’s and women’s basketball has mesmerized the hoop world since her freshman year. So, to officially give Clark her flowers along with other women in sports, Forbes has rolled out its inaugural list of America’s Most Powerful Women.

The top three are all businesswomen operating in the billions. New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans Gayle Benson is at No.1, the CEO of FanDuel Amy Howe stands second, while the president of the Nike brand Amy Montagne is at third. Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark came fourth, way above any of her fellow WNBA players!

Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart came in at No.9 as WNBA stars and Unrivaled Cofounders, while 2025 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson came in at No.15. 3 times WNBA champion, Aces coach Becky Hammon completed the list at No.22. To jump ahead of such veterans in the league raises some eyebrows with Clark, but Forbes had solid reasoning. 

“Her estimated $8.1 million in income from her rookie season with the Indiana Fever was bolstered by big deals with Nike, Wilson, and Gatorade and signals a shift in how female athletes are being valued in the world of professional sports.” Forbes wrote. This recognition comes despite Clark being limited to just 13 games in the 2025 season, courtesy of her injuries. 

The Forbes list further highlights: “but the injury doesn’t change the fact that Clark has, in the last two years, been the spark that lit the match that set women’s sports on fire.” The list immediately sent waves across the WNBA community, with Caitlin Clark fans congratulating the Fever star on this achievement. 

Fans Laud Caitlin Clark’s Superstar Status After Forbes Announcement

There hasn’t been a shadow of doubt that Clark was the “needle mover” of the WNBA. “I love when people state the facts without qualifying. She is the spark. It’s okay to say it. ✨” One fan explained. Clark alone managed to generate 26.5% of WNBA economic activity for the 2024 season, according to reports. The most-watched games of the WNBA involve Clark, and the Forbes announcement just put a pin in that position. 

Now, there are many fans, allegedly including the WNBA commissioner, who underestimate just how much Clark has contributed to the league’s growth. “Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t be making anything.” Engelbert allegedly said. While she has refuted those allegations later on, theories continue swirling in the fan forum and the media that the commissioner doesn’t particularly like Clark’s stature in the league.

“The whole world sees how important Caitlin Clark is, but her haters on Twitter dot com continue to delude themselves into thinking she’s a nobody,” wrote another fan. Well, that’s just the rivalries that bring out some not-so-true opinions. Numbers tell the tale in black and white. The Iowa Hawkeyes didn’t retire the No.22 jersey for fun.

Another fan wrote, “After missing basically an entire year, her influence and star power didn’t diminish at all. Haters mad af 🤣” Even when Clark was off the court, most of the headlines included Clark. Like her coach Stephanie White recently said, “It literally is like Taylor Swift 2.0, and because of that, her name gets thrown into a lot of conversations that have absolutely nothing to do with her, or her interests, and or our team or sport, or whatever.” That’s the unfortunate side effect of being as big as Clark is.

“Caitlin Clark is an A-list celebrity – the only A-lister in the WNBA,” announced another fan. We have already established that Clark is the biggest superstar in the league, but is she the only one? Not so much. Angel Reese recently became the first athlete-model to walk on the prestigious Victoria’s Secret runway. She has had massive success in the fashion industry and is featured on the NBA 2k26 cover. But need to understand that CC is more of basketball, but our Chi Town Barbie doesn’t mind popularity beyond the court, too.

A’ja Wilson is another player who could be considered A-List, with the 4-time MVP already being in the Goat conversations. Her signature shoe, the A’One, has been flying off the shelves after Nike released it earlier this year. Then you have the merging Paige Bueckers, who has formed a fan base of her own. But no one matches Caitlin Clark when it comes to leading the new generation into the spotlight. 

“I’m sure she’ll be moving up in the future,” predicted another fan. This list was divided into five categories: owners/investors, business executives, front office leaders, athletes, and amplifiers. They did rigorous research and determined a “weighted formula that puts a premium on financial control and influence.”

They tried to give each sport some representation. The final list contains five people per category and no more than two people from the same league in any category. Considering this methodology, it’s hard for Clark to move further up. The CEOs will always count more money than a player will. It’s possible if Clark starts her own business in some sense or buys a sports team in the future. But even if she doesn’t, Clark has been breaking expectations from her Iowa days. So this would just be another instance of the same.