Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese's Updated NIL Valuation Ahead of 2024 NCAA WCBB Tournament

Two of the biggest stars in women's college basketball are about to take center stage once more with the first round of the 2024 NCAA tournament tipping off Friday.

Iowa's Caitlin Clark and LSU's Angel Reese have each reaped the rewards of the NIL era in college athletics after 2023 March Madness runs that helped catapult them to a new level of fame.

Heading into this year's tourney, Clark has the fourth-highest NIL valuation ($3.1 million) among all college athletes on On3. Reese is eighth on the list at $1.8 million.

Nike, State Farm, Gatorade and Panini America are among the companies that signed deals with Clark. Reese has Topps, Airbnb, Reebok, Tampax and Beats by Dre in her endorsement portfolio.

On the court, no player carries more expectations in the Big Dance than Clark.

The senior guard is scoring (31.9 points) and assist (8.9 dimes) in the country while maintaining a 40.6 percent usage rate, according to Her Hoop Stats. Calling Iowa a one-woman show would be unfair to Clark's supporting cast, but that description wouldn't be too far off the mark, either.

The Hawkeyes will go as far as Clark can carry them. Winning a national championship would be the crowning achievement in a legendary career, whereas the absence of one would undoubtedly be cited when evaluating her legacy as a whole.

Reese will have something to prove as well despite being on the reigning national champions and the SEC Player of the Year.

The 6'3" forward has seen her production lower slightly, though part of that is down to the arrivals of Aneesah Morrow and Hailey Van Lith in the transfer portal. Through 29 games, she's averaging 19.0 points, 13.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game.

Unlike with Clark, Reese's position in the 2024 WNBA draft class is a little in flux. The numbers speak for themselves to some degree, yet many wonder how much her skill set will carry over to the next level.

"Reese lacks offensive versatility and an outside game," Jackie Powell wrote for Yahoo Sports. "It has frustrated some that she hasn't developed a 12-15 foot shot. Defenses will play Reese honestly in the WNBA and that could lead to spacing issues for the team that drafts her."

Perhaps another monster tournament can propel Reese into the lottery. Should LSU exit much earlier than expected, she could decide spending one more year in college is in her best interests.