World's highest-paid female athletes in 2024

As women's sports continue to gain momentum and popularity, so too do the incomes of their female participants.

Take Caitlin Clark for example. Nike, Gatorade, State Farm and Panini have continued their relationships with the Indiana Fever star since she was drafted No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft earlier this year.

“Nike is Clark’s most valuable endorsement deal. In April, the Swoosh signed the future WNBA Rookie of the Year to an eight-year agreement worth more than $3 million a year on average. Other brand partners include Wilson, Hy Vee, Xfinity, Gainbridge and Lilly,” Sportico reports.

Clark, who has become the biggest name in women’s basketball, can earn roughly $100,000 per year from her WNBA contract if she cashes in her bonuses.

Her base salary in 2024 was $76,535, so that $11 million she made this year is almost entirely from NIL money and endorsements.

Remarkably, she ranks only 10th on the list of highest-paid women athletes in 2024. The totals are from salary/winnings plus endorsements.

Coco Gauff ranks No. 1 for the second straight year with $30.4 million from prize money and endorsements. She is just the third woman in sports to earn more than $30 million in a given year, after Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams.

Overall, athletes from five different sports made the cut, led by tennis with nine entries. Golf had three players in the top 15, while skiing (Eileen Gu), basketball (Caitlin Clark) and gymnastics (Simone Biles) each had one athlete represented.

Here are the top 10:

1. Coco Gauff ($30.4 million)

Coco Gauff hits to Emma Navarro at the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament on Sep 1, 2024 at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

2. Eileen Gu ($22.1 million)

Eileen Gu celebrates her gold medal after winning the women's freestyle ski halfpipe event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. / Jack Gruber-Imagn Images

3. Iga Swiatek ($21.4 million)

Iga Swiatek serves against Jessica Pegula at the U.S. Open on Sept. 4, 2024. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

4. Zheng Qinwen ($20.6 million)

Qinwen Zheng of China plays against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the U.S. Open on Sept. 3, 2024. / Mike Frey-Imagn Images

5. Aryna Sabalenka ($17.7 million)

Aryna Sabalenka hits to Jessica Pegula in the women's U.S. Open singles final on Sept. 7, 2024. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

6. Naomi Osaka ($15.9 million)

Naomi Osaka hits to Karolina Muchova at the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament on Aug. 29, 2024. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

7. Emma Raducanu ($14.7 million)

Emma Raducanu hits a backhand against Peyton Stearns at the Mubadala Citi DC Open on July 31, 2024. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

8. Nelly Korda ($14.4 million)

Nelly Korda hits out of a sand trap during the first round of the 2024 CME Group Tour Championship on Nov. 21, 2024. / Andrew West/The News-Press/USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

9. Simone Biles ($11.1 million)

Simone Biles of the United States competes on the floor exercise at the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games. / Jack Gruber-Imagn Images

10. Caitlin Clark ($11.1 million)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark smiles after becoming the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double on July 6, 2024. / Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Scroll down on this piece from Sportico.com to see a great bar graph which breaks down how much each women made from salary/winnings vs. endorsements.

2024's top 15 highest-paid female athletes in the world

Sportico.com