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Travis
You're listening to the Travis Makes Money podcast, presented by GoHighLevel.com for a free 30 day trial of the best all in one digital marketing software tool on the planet, just go to gohighlevel.com travis. What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to the Travis Makes Money podcast, where it's a mission to help you make more money. On this episode, my producer Eric is in studio. What's up, man?
Eric
Hey, Travis.
Travis
Hey.
Eric
So we. We recently talked about Shohei Ohtani.
Travis
We did.
Eric
And he's one of the best baseball players around right now.
Travis
Thank you for doing that.
Eric
Incredibly popular in the US and number one in Japan.
Travis
Incredibly popular.
Eric
Absolutely incredible, Travis. And today I want to talk to you about another athlete who has immense pull within their field pole. Immense pull.
Travis
Pull.
Eric
Immense star power.
Travis
Men's pole.
Eric
Immense power. Travis, stop fooling around. Today I'm going to be talking about someone who has risen to superstardom within their respective sport. Okay, that figure is Caitlin Clark. Do you know who Caitlin Clark is?
Travis
I do.
Eric
I'm going to stop talking like that now. It's hurting my throat.
Travis
Yes. Yes. She's great.
Eric
Okay. Well, yeah, apparently so. Travis. I don't know. It went back to him. Some say she's the best.
Travis
Some say the best.
Eric
No. Caitlin Clark. How much do you think Caitlin Clark made last year? Let's start there.
Travis
From her salary?
Eric
Yeah, from the gas. From her salary.
Travis
Okay, don't look at me like that.
Eric
You're acting like. Last question. You're talking like I usually bring up endorsement deals and all that stuff, especially
Travis
because the WNBA is not paying very well.
Eric
Well, we'll see about that. Now listen, how much did Caitlin Clark make last year from the wnba?
Travis
From her salary, I would say you're gonna throw.
Eric
I almost threw up when I read this.
Travis
Like a quarter million dollars. Half a million dollars, Travis.
Eric
I'm going to throw up. I'm actually going to throw up on my computer. What? Get ready to throw up. Hold your hand over your mouth.
Travis
$112,000.
Eric
Lower.
Travis
$85,000.
Eric
Yeah, that's like. That's not that much.
Travis
Yeah, it was less than 100 grand.
Eric
Yeah. $85,000 last year. That's less than a mid level Google engineer. According to this perplexity when I asked him about it.
Travis
Less than a lot of people. Yeah.
Eric
That's crazy. But she did just get a 521% raise for this year.
Travis
Yeah, but I was gonna say she was still a part of that early contract.
Eric
Yeah. So here's what's going on with the WNBA right now. Well, first and foremost, Caitlin Clark should be making so much money because, well,
Travis
she is now not, not from the salary, I'm saying, from endorsements and stuff like that. She.
Eric
Because I. Because I can really only name. I don't watch a lot. I don't watch a lot of sports. I can name two.
Travis
Who's the second one?
Eric
Angel Reese.
Travis
Angel Reese. I figured that before.
Eric
Okay, so. But I'm saying those two are basically like raising the sport to like the next level.
Travis
Like Caitlin Clark than Angel Reese.
Eric
Mainly. Mainly. Well, that's debatable. I'm actually an Angel Reese, super fan and we're about to debate this on the show. But no. So here's what happened. So honestly, this is all good things. It was funny. I was trying to be. So I think it's dumb. There's a lot of people that go like, oh, wnba, why would I watch that? I'm like, well, shut up, you know, stupid. But I was like, because I don't watch the regular NBA so I'm not going to be the guy that's like wnba.
Travis
But that's the whole problem is. That's the problem. That's the whole problem. In a nutshell, mind you.
Eric
I don't like when you point at me and say that's the whole problem.
Travis
Everybody advocates for the WNBA and then none of them go watch it.
Eric
Yes. So can I. Let me tell you this story. So I've been to a couple NBA games and I like going to any kind of sporting man. I do think it's fun and you know, and I have a daughter and I was like, it would be cool for my daughter to see like pro female players.
Travis
And the Vegas Aces happen to be one of the best ones.
Eric
They're the Aces. Them's the Aces, baby. Yeah, that's what people say.
Travis
It doesn't tell you how good they are.
Eric
But anyway, so I was like, I was thinking, I was like, it'd be cool for her to see female athletes and all this sort of stuff. And so one time we went to go play basketball. We were down shooting hoops As I do.
Travis
As you do.
Eric
No, we really were. And I do do that. So I don't know.
Travis
You're a big hoop shooter.
Eric
Anyway, we were shooting hoops down at the park and we're walking back and I said, hey, I was thinking it would be really fun if I took you to like a WNBA game. I said, it's a basketball game, but it's all female players, plus it's only like $3. And I was not anymore. And I was telling you that. And then she's like, nah. And I was like, you wouldn't want to go. She's like, I wouldn't want to go to any kind of sports game. And I was like, well, I'm trying to support. Here's the thing.
Travis
So you just went by yourself or.
Eric
So I just bought two tickets and went alone. But no, but it was funny because I was just. I thought she'd be. You know when you tell your kids somewhere you're like, guess what?
Travis
Right, right.
Eric
It's like a girls basketball team. And she's like, can we just go to a movie? I don't know, you know, can we
Travis
just go to a regular NBA?
Eric
But that would have been crazy. She's like, your 8 year old year old's like, dad, I want to see a bunch of chicks play basketball. I'm like, what? Who taught you this? No, I really was. I was. Because I didn't want to be the guy that's like, whatever. Especially because I think it's weird when dads are like anything with girls and is stupid and like, well, dude, don't. What if your kid gets good at basketball? Yeah, whatever. So anyway, all that to say I tried to support the wnba. My daughter won't let me. Well, you know, women supporting women, right?
Travis
Anyway, that's why Bill Burr's bit about. I was like a tongue twister.
Eric
Bill Burr's bed.
Travis
Bill Burr's bit.
Eric
Don't talk to me about Bill Burr's bet.
Travis
Bill Burr's bit about basketball is, is spot on. Like, that's what I, that's, that's what I go to, to like show this is how I feel about this scenario. Is that the whole. I'm not going to say the whole thing because I'll butcher it.
Eric
You're gonna do Billboard's bet.
Travis
The premise is that it's a, it's saying that there's a lot of women who are pointing the finger at men and saying like, you should be watching wnba. Why don't you like, but this is your thing. You should be watching the BNBA and then points to how the Kardashians are billionaires and the WNBA can't afford to pay their players. And it's like, well, that's. That's on you guys, not on me. Yeah, but it's. It's a great. It's a great bit.
Eric
Yeah. And I do all that to say, you know, I kind of joke, obviously, you know, my daughter's not interested in going, but I joke about, like, I think it's cool that it exists. I definitely think that the people that go, it should all. Everybody should make the same amount of money for. Some man makes less money currently.
Travis
Yeah.
Eric
But that isn't me saying I hope they don't ever make the money to do it. It's just. And I feel like that's a weird thing.
Travis
You need the Caitlin Clarks to elevate the game.
Eric
And it's. What's frustrating is like, it's a minefield of a conversation because it's always like. It's always like, well, I. I don't think that, you know, so and so should make as much money as Michael Jordan, you know, and it's like, you know, Michael Jordan, who famously is currently playing as LeBron James, you know, and it's like, well, that's not the same thing as saying, like, women suck.
Travis
Well, it's. My. My question is just always like, I agree, and where's the money coming from?
Eric
Right. Like, so. Sure.
Travis
Like, do I think that professional athletes getting paid less than six figures. Do I think that's crazy? Yeah. Do I. I think that's crazy. But also, if they're losing money every year, how, like, who's going to pay them more money? And if they can convince, because I think they. The. The WNBA or the wn.
Eric
You're ahead of pa.
Travis
The Players Association.
Eric
You're ahead of me.
Travis
Okay. Sorry. Is that what you're about to say?
Eric
I'm going to get into it.
Travis
Okay.
Eric
Oh, I. I was just going to say this. It is crazy that certain athletes don't make more than six figures. But also, I think it's good to remind people, too, There's a very small handful of sports where that is the case.
Travis
Yeah.
Eric
Like. Or. Or where it's the case they're making more than that. Like, if you. I mean, there's a bowling documentary that just came out where it's like, you only win prize money. You know, there's people that play, like, in volleyball leagues, like, that are not raking in, you know, so we happened. When we Think of sports contracts.
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Eric
Baseball, football, basketball. But it's like, that's because those are the three biggest sports in soccer. That was so American to me. You know, the biggest sports. American baseball and American football. I said football. You just didn't hear me enunciate it like that. I was talking about soccer. Anyway, so the wnbpa, first of all, too big an acronym. They have introduced a new revenue sharing system expected to deliver more than a billion dollars in player salaries and benefits over the life of the agreement. Thank you, Caitlin Clark. Fantastic. Salary cap is increasing nearly 5x set at 7 million for 2026, up from 1.5 million in 2025. That's crazy that the cap on salary was 1.5 million. Again, great. Good stuff. All this to say, this is why Caitlin Clark should deserve a good chunk of this, because this. So much of this is rooted on her.
Travis
Yeah. Yeah. And does that tell you what percentage we're getting there?
Eric
Historic salary growth across all contact levels, contract levels, year one maximum to rise to 1.4 million. Average salaries to exceed 583,000. That's a ginormous jump from Caitlin Clark making $85,000 last year to, like, the average salaries being 583,000 for even the big bump. Yeah, and then Rachel heard about $300,000 based on years of service. So that's. That's a couple pieces there. Now here's her contribution. Okay, you ready?
Travis
Mm. Do I. Do I get to guess?
Eric
Yes.
Travis
Sweet.
Eric
Well, actually, may read you. Let me. Let me tell you a couple.
Travis
Huh?
Eric
No, let me get to the. Yeah, keep.
Travis
I want to Go back, let's restart that.
Eric
Okay, so let's talk about the Caitlin Clark effect. All right, let me see if I can phrase these as questions to you. I don't think I can. Well, let me. Okay, let me. I'll ask you one question and then I'll read the rest. After Caitlin Clark's injury, in 2025, nationally televised WNBA games dropped what percent in viewership? Ooh, this blew my mind. I was like, give her half the money.
Travis
Yeah, I was gonna say it's gotta be a large amount. Over 50%.
Eric
Uh huh.
Travis
80%.
Eric
No. Okay, you went too high. You always do this. I hate doing guessing games with you. Cause you always go too low or too high or perfect. That's the options.
Travis
You're either under it, over it, or exactly on it.
Eric
You're either right or wrong. And I can't stand. No, I feel like whenever I say, okay, this. Every time, personal beef. Every time I say, hey, I just got this amazing opportunity. Guess what? You guess something that's like, like way too high, astronomically. And then I'm like, no, it's just a fun game I was supposed to play. No, it's just this. And then if I say, oh, for the show. Hey, guess the percentage. You're like, oh, is it exactly this? Oh, yeah, it's exactly that. That's not interesting. Or you guess like, oh, it's too low. I have to be like, higher, higher, higher. And then you're like, oh, okay, I wouldn't have thought that. And so this is boring. I'm not going to ask questions anymore. Okay, 65% anyway. No, she's at 55%. 55%, 55%. Did I not even give you the answer? After her injury, in 2025, nationally televised WNBA games dropped 55% on viewership.
Travis
That's.
Eric
Give Caitlin Clark all the money. Yeah, yeah, they should just have her shooting free throws.
Travis
Well, she. She's just.
Eric
The thing is, why is she so big? Is it just because she's crazy good
Travis
at my anecdotal experience or my anecdotal opinion, rather, is that people watch the NBA or the NFL or professional athletes in general? Because you're watching freak athletes do stuff that you can't comprehend being able to do yourself.
Eric
You just described your time at the gym with me. Huh?
Travis
Yeah, totally.
Eric
Because I'm a freak athlete. You couldn't even understand it.
Travis
And so in the wnba, that doesn't exist as much because.
Eric
Do you see it?
Travis
Yeah. Do it one more time.
Eric
It hurts so much when I go up high. Anyway, go ahead.
Travis
But that just doesn't happen is because just from a pure athletic ability standpoint, you know what high school boys basketball is, is more athletically impossible to wrap your mind around than even watching wnba. But Caitlin Clark has brought so much viewership because she does stuff that is unbelievable to watch. Like she is such a, a incredible athlete. And beyond just being a great athlete, she's an incredible basketball player. She's. To me, she's the, she's the Steph Curry. And that's sort of the comparison that's made all the time. She's the Steph Curry of the wnba. Like she has like the shots that she makes from six feet behind the three point line. Like those are the things that again, like it hits that part of the br. Brain that makes you go like, wow, that's incredible.
Eric
You're super.
Travis
You have to watch it because what she's doing is so amazing and so far beyond what most people can do. And, and, and that. And that's true. Even if you are a good male basketball player, like you might be able to, you know, do a between the legs dunk or something like that, but be able to have that type of a three point percentage from six feet behind the arc in clutch moments of the game, like that's something that's still you. That those people can look at and be like, wow, that's incredible.
Eric
Yeah.
Travis
So I, I think it's just that. I think she's just. She's so good.
Eric
It's harder for the armchair guys. I want to be like, I could do exactly. I could beat them. If we're playing one on one in my gym and it's like, yeah, could you outshoot that?
Travis
Right, exactly. Which can't because she's very, very good.
Eric
So the here's.
Travis
I actually wanted to get her for dinner party. I have an email in my inbox
Eric
right now from or to back and
Travis
forth with her agent.
Eric
I'm trying to help grease the wheels.
Travis
It was way too tight of a timeline so we couldn't make it happen. But I'd love to get her on a future one. She's great.
Eric
So 2024 fever attendance average Was that the injury at a fever? I've got a fever. And the prescription is more funding for the WNBA and Caitlin Clark's rise. Anyway. 2024 fever attendance attended 2024 I do have a fever. I'm having trouble reading. 2024 fever attendance averaged 17,000 a game. Beat the Indiana Pacers who play in the same arena. That's crazy.
Travis
That is crazy. They're not like bad.
Eric
No, they're actually pretty good. Great salsa too. The pace, pace, pace picante.
Travis
I see.
Eric
I don't know. League attendance overall jumped to 9,807 a game from 6,615. Wow. 21 of 24.
Travis
50% increase in league attendance.
Eric
No.
Travis
6,000 to 9,000.
Eric
I guess it's close.
Travis
That's exactly 50%.
Eric
No, it's not.
Travis
Yes, it is. 50% increase of 6,000 is 9,000 because what's 50% of 6,000?
Eric
Oh, I understand what you said. 3,000. That's interesting. I feel like RFK right now. Have you seen that video with. Have you seen. Real quick. That's really interesting because that's not how I interpreted what you said. I thought you were saying that it's doubled.
Travis
That would be increased by a hundred percent.
Eric
Okay, I have to show you this RFK club. I'm so sorry. Okay. I have to show you this because this is literally.
Travis
Because he just did the same thing that you did.
Eric
This is. This is insane. This is insane. This is crazy, bro. Hold on. Here we go. So this is rfk.
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Travis
But I would say this. Senator, do you know what it at the President Trump has a different way of calculating. If there's two ways of calculating percentage. If you have a $600 drug and you reduce it to 10, that's a 600% reduction.
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Eric
That's not how math works. But anyway, that was a crazy. That was one where I watched. I was like I know that's not true.
Travis
Well, it's Trump math.
Eric
After CNN told me what to think. I don't know why I did a cons my conservative voice. I'm making fun of my sound like a Baptist preacher. Anyway, okay. So anyway. So when 21 of 24 WNBA broadcast hit a million viewers in 2024 and the 21 or I'm sorry I'm sorry, Senator, you're struggling. 21 of 24 WNBA broadcasts that hit a million viewers plus in 2024 featured Clark. When the Fever play on the road, average ticket prices rise. What percent.
Travis
So when they go play at other people's places.
Eric
Yeah. How much average ticket prices rise. What percentage?
Travis
I would say close to double.
Eric
Because they're not. That I hate you as a student is about 100%. It's 140%.
Travis
Yeah. I mean, like, that to me makes sense because it's not a dig. It's just. They're not that expensive.
Eric
Yeah.
Travis
So if you go from 14 to $30, like.
Eric
Excuse me.
Travis
Reasonable jump.
Eric
Their average road ticket is $312.
Travis
Seriously?
Eric
Yeah, dude, that actually.
Travis
That surprises me a lot, actually.
Eric
Suck on that. Fantastic.
Travis
So then the average ticket then would be like 150 bucks or something?
Eric
Yeah.
Travis
Before they got there. That's definitely higher than I. Than I would have thought.
Eric
Fanatics. Merch. WNBA sales up 500% in 504%. That's high. Damn, that's high. I'm no Elizabeth Warren, but I know that's increase. Clark personally is top 20 selling athlete across all sports.
Travis
Wow.
Eric
That's nuts.
Travis
Good for her.
Eric
So, yeah. So that's all pretty crazy.
Travis
She's a phenom.
Eric
But all this to say she's still. I think you could say underpaid because she's been making $528,000. She's still making less than the NBA rookie minimum, which is $1.2 million and a fraction of NBA top stars. $60 million. But she has endorsement incomes like Nike with a $28 million deal. Gatorade, state Farm, Wilson. It's multiple times her salary and her shoe deal. A little
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Eric
Her shoe deal alone is bigger than her team's old payroll. So why isn't she paying? Is it.
Travis
Is it Nike?
Eric
I believe that's Nike. Yeah. Yeah. The $28 million shoe deal. So pretty crazy, dude.
Travis
Yeah, that's one. It's another one of those problems that I look at and I go like, I don't know what the solution is because like, again, theoretically, sure, like I would love to see all of those women get paid a lot more money. But then it's. I just, I just go like, okay, great. On the same page, who's footing that bill? Like, who is going to. Where is the money going to come from? It's gotta come from somewhere. So that's why I love what Caitlin Clark is doing because it's elevating the entire league and putting even. Even putting the players association in a position to be able to go negotiate those types of things.
Eric
Well, it's the, it's the quote I told you years ago. It's that quote I told you years ago from Steve Martin. It's be so good they can't ignore you. That's what it is though.
Travis
It is, it is.
Eric
It really is.
Travis
Yeah. Anyway, well, the main solution, and then if you're a female basketball player, then I think the lesson is get really good at shooting.
Eric
Yeah.
Travis
Because that's ultimately what. Like, that's, that's the difference. Right. Is like you're, you're. Even. Even if a female basketball player can dunk, it's never going to be the same energy. That energy pop that you get when you see someone like LeBron jump free throw line and you know what I mean? It's just crazy athleticism that you're watching. So I've been a proponent of like some people have floated the idea of making the hoops shorter for wnba. It's like to me, start putting on my Jesse Cole hat for the wnba where you know, he was just like, yeah, I love baseball. I'm a huge baseball fan. But the game as sits is kind of boring and there's lulls and it doesn't appeal to this audience. So let's do all this cra. What if the picture was on stilts and like came. You know what I mean? Like, so there's something to that. I'm not saying to turn it into like a circus show, but I am saying like, you know, that's why I think that they're so connected. Something about the. Yeah, the circus eight foot hoop or something like that to allow some more crazy dunks and things. But that's, that's why Caitlin Clark is so unique, is that she brings that to the table. Without having this, like, peak athleticism. LeBron.
Eric
They don't have to change the scenario around her.
Travis
Yeah, exactly. She can still do stuff that you look at.
Eric
It's just hard to populate the rest of the league with. Because she is a freak. Well.
Travis
And that's a very, very difficult skill. You know, that's why Steph is Steph and Caitlin Clark is Caitlin Clark. It's like, it's very. But Steph has also changed the entire face of the NBA to also be moving more in the direction of getting really good at shooting. Or like the total volume of three point shots that are put up now versus before Steph became Steph Curry.
Eric
Wait, Steph Curry, the producer of the kids animated film Go. I know that guy.
Travis
That's Steph Curry?
Eric
Yeah. Okay. Interesting. Yeah, I didn't know he also played. I just knew him as a producer.
Travis
Funny thing is that I actually probably would believe that.
Eric
Okay, while we close out, ask me anything about sports and I'll know.
Travis
You won't.
Eric
No, I'm just kidding. I know Steph Curry. I know Aisha Curry. That's his wife. I know Angel Reese. I know Caitlin Clark. I know Kobe. I know Shaq. I know.
Travis
You're just naming all athletes that you know of.
Eric
Yeah, I know. Tiger Woods.
Travis
What's funny is that if we sat here long enough, like, a couple minutes later, you'd be out.
Eric
Phil Mickelson.
Travis
Yeah.
Eric
That's a guy in the Advil commercial. I know. Here, I'll just keep doing slow lowball.
Travis
Can you name any current golfers?
Eric
Just Phil Mickelson. Not play anymore?
Travis
No. Well, I mean, kind of, but not.
Eric
Oops.
Travis
Not as good. Not.
Eric
Not in the name a current golfer
Travis
in the current races.
Eric
Tiger Woods.
Travis
He's not.
Eric
He's a. He doesn't golf.
Travis
Not after this last dui.
Eric
Paige Spiranack. I only know that because of you.
Travis
Yeah, but she's also not a golfer.
Eric
That. Really, I'm flummoxed.
Travis
She's a golf influencer, not a professional golfer. Did you watch Happy Gilmore, too?
Eric
No.
Travis
Okay, well, Happy Gilmore. I was gonna.
Eric
Is active.
Travis
I was gonna try to.
Eric
Ask me. Ask me a basketball. Ask me a basketball. One movie that you might ask me a basketball one.
Travis
What do you mean, any?
Eric
Last question. Yeah. Yao Ming.
Travis
What team does Steph Curry play for?
Eric
Oh, that's easy. It's the. Hold on. Wait, don't tell me. It's the yellow and the blue. Hold on, hold on, hold on. No, no, no, no, no, no. Hold on. It's yellow. And blue. It's the Golden State Warriors.
Travis
That's right.
Eric
Do another one.
Travis
Great.
Eric
One more.
Travis
What about what team does Kawhi Leonard play for? Since you referenced him?
Eric
Different.
Travis
Different one.
Eric
Ask me a different one that I know.
Travis
All right. What team is home to New York?
Eric
Madison Square Garden home to New York. Or do you mean that New York is their home?
Travis
New York is where they play. What team is that?
Eric
Oh, that would be the New York. Okay, hold on. The New York Knicks. See, good job, because I was cycling through. The jets is football. The New York Knicks is the New York place. And then they have the New York Yankees is baseball.
Travis
That's correct.
Eric
New York has two baseball teams.
Travis
Right?
Eric
Or is that just San Diego has two San Diego. Or, I mean, California has, like, a bunch.
Travis
LA has the Angels.
Eric
We have the Angels. We have the Dodgers. Yeah. The Padres.
Travis
But it's the LA Angels now instead of the Anaheim Angels.
Eric
They got to stop changing. I can't even catch up. It's like, stop adjusting your speed. I'm trying to get on the bus.
Travis
Yeah, totally.
Eric
Okay, here's one.
Travis
That's how I'd describe you.
Eric
Okay, Stephanie, I'm trying to get on
Travis
the bus of professional football.
Eric
Wait a minute. LeBron James.
Travis
Yeah. That's a guy.
Eric
And where does he play? He plays for. Well, he used to play for Cleveland. Yeah. But he doesn't now. Now he plays for Lakers and what else?
Travis
What other team?
Eric
He plays for two teams at the same time.
Travis
No, no. What was the other team he played for?
Eric
Boston Celtics.
Travis
No, the Cleveland.
Eric
Wait, hold on. Cleveland. Cleveland Cavaliers. The Bulls. Nope, that was Jordan.
Travis
Yeah.
Eric
Do you know, are you surprised any of that Here, I'm gonna do that. I'll keep giving sports trivia as I lower my microphone volume down. And then you can just close this out.
Travis
Wait, but you didn't catch third team.
Eric
Bobby Knight used to throw chairs at people.
Travis
What was the third team? You know this one.
Eric
Oh, yeah. Third team from where?
Travis
Third team that LeBron played for.
Eric
No, I don't.
Travis
He went there after he left Cleveland the first time, and then he went back to Cleveland. It was like a big thing. It was called the Decision, where he famously did a press conference and left Cleveland to go to the Lakers.
Eric
No, no, he's already there.
Travis
He's there now.
Eric
The Celtics.
Travis
You already guessed that.
Eric
Okay, the Suns.
Travis
He said, I'm going to South Beach. That was the announcement. Who plays in South Beach? The Miami Heat.
Eric
Yeah, that's right. I knew that one. Totally. Yeah.
Travis
You definitely.
Eric
I wanted to say the Jazz. But that's Utah.
Travis
The Miami Jazz.
Eric
The Utah Heat. Can't beat the Utah Heat.
Travis
All right, whatever. Bottom line is, thank you, Caitlin Clark. You're awesome. Hopefully we can get you on a dinner party episode soon. Anyway, that's it for this episode of the show. Remember, money only solves your money problems. But it's easy to solve the rest of your problems. Money in the bank. So let's solve that one first here on the Travis Makes Money podcast. Thanks for tuning in. Catch you guys next time. Peace.
Eric
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Host: Travis Chappell
Guest/Co-Host: Eric (Producer)
Date: May 10, 2026
In this dynamic and humorous episode, Travis and his producer Eric dive into the meteoric rise of Caitlin Clark and the transformative financial impact her fame has had on women’s basketball, the WNBA, and sports business as a whole. The hosts explore athlete salaries, disparity in pay between men’s and women’s leagues, how star power can drive league-wide growth, and what it really takes to "make more money" in sports. Through banter, stats, anecdotes, and a bit of sports trivia, the episode reframes financial empowerment using Caitlin Clark’s story as a masterclass in value creation.
| Timestamp | Segment | Key Topic | |-----------|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 01:37 | Introducing Caitlin Clark | Caitlin Clark’s growing fame | | 02:39 | Salary Reality | $85k WNBA salary reveal | | 07:10 | Market Realities | Discussing where athlete salary comes from | | 10:31 | WNBA Raises & Revenue Sharing | Historic compensation changes | | 12:55 | Viewership Drop after Injury | 55% drop revealed | | 14:29 | Clark’s On-Court Talent | Steph Curry comparison | | 16:00 | Attendance Surges | Fever beating Pacers in ticket sales | | 19:23 | Ticket Prices | 140% rise; $312 away game average | | 19:54 | Merch and Athlete Ranking | 504% sales jump; top 20 in all sports | | 20:00 | Endorsement Breakdown | Nike, Gatorade, State Farm, etc. | | 21:13 | Endorsement Surpassing Salaries | Shoe deal > old payroll | | 22:04 | “Be so good…” | Steve Martin quote on talent and value | | 25:40 | Trivia & Comedic Wrap-Up | Sports banter, lighthearted close |
Memorable Final Words:
“Thank you, Caitlin Clark. You’re awesome. Hopefully we can get you on a dinner party episode soon.” — Travis ([28:29])
“Money only solves your money problems… so let’s solve that one first.” — Travis ([28:42])