Women's Sports are seeing their historic peak in terms of popularity and much of that can be attributed to the rise of Iowa's Caitlin Clark as a household name, becoming the biggest star we've seen come from women's basketball in quite some time. After etching her name into the record books during her illustrious career at the University of Iowa, Clark is on the verge of greatness at the WNBA level and beyond – expected to ink a massive shoe deal in the near future. Check out our Sneakers news for more breaking content!
After a historic NCAA run that saw her break Pete Maravich's all-time D-1 scoring record, Caitlin Clark is set to become to presumed No. 1 overall pick to the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Her coronation to the league will mark a huge leap for women's basketball as her massive audience will follow throughout her journey. Clark has a gift for getting fans glued to their televisions as the Iowa Hawkeyes' Final Four matchup vs. UConn garnered 14.2 million viewers on ESPN, the largest audience for one of their basketball broadcasts.
With comparisons to players like Steph Curry, a $5 million invitation to play in Ice Cube's BIG3 basketball league, and speculation from fans as to whether she could play in the NBA, it seems as though everyone wants a piece of Clark and what she brings to the game. Her killer instinct, honesty in the media, and unmatched play on the court have made her a huge target for brands to sign with her and get her stamp of approval.
The emergence of NIL has given Clark the opportunity to take full advantage, inking deals from The Vinyl Studio, Hy-Vee, H&R Block, Topps, Shoot-A-Way, Bose, Buick, State Farm, Goldman Sachs, Gatorade, and Nike. She's one of the most sought-after female athletes in terms of her co-sign and the deals will only get bigger after she hits the WNBA stage and has access to all the resources that come with it.
Caitlin Clark and Nike
Caitlin Clark first signed to Nike in October 2022 in her most notable NIL deal yet and the brand has taken significant action in pushing her as their next great female athlete with several apparel designs and commercial campaigns. Clark has also taken full stock of the deal as she's been rocking some of rarest Nike Kobe shoe models over the last two years for Iowa. During her 2023-24 run, Clark shined nightly while favoring shoes like the Nike Kobe 6 “Grinch” and the Nike Kobe 5 “Bruce Lee.”
Next on the docket will most likely be an official shoe deal for Clark and could fetch around seven figures, making her a top-paid female athlete in general. The Athletic reported, “Multiple sources with knowledge of the sneaker industry said Clark is set to sign a deal for more than $1 million annually, which would be one of the richest among WNBA players.”
When speculating as to which brand could potentially land the impending No. 1 overall pick, the choice seems to be right in front of us. Her affinity to the Nike Kobe line and her recent partnerships with Nike all point towards her signing with the most recognizable footwear brand on the planet. Nike's CEO John Donahoe has already seen a massive rise in women's sports and has teased in the past about an upcoming shoe for Caitlin Clark.
When is the Caitlin Clark shoe dropping?@SaraEisen asks Nike CEO John Donahoe about the rise of women's sports and when Nike will be rolling out a shoe for @IowaWBB superstar @CaitlinClark22 @CNBC $NKE pic.twitter.com/3pHugLUXNG
— Squawk on the Street (@SquawkStreet) April 12, 2024
When asked about a future Nike Caitlin Clark sneaker, Donahoe answered with an assuring smile, saying “We'll see…we'll see. Keep watching.”
With a signature sneaker, Clark would become just the 13th player in WNBA history to receive her own signature silhouette. Nike's most recent venture has been with New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu and her Nike Sabrina 1. As mentioned by Donahoe, the Nike Sabrina 1 has seen massive popularity in the NBA and into the men's game as well, bridging the gap between men's and women's and classifying as purely a basketball shoe. With how well Caitlin Clark has been able to bring the two sports together in her own right, it would come as no surprise to see her signature sneakers become successful in the NBA as well.
The 2024 WNBA Draft kicks off on April 15, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Indiana Fever will be on the clock, to which all signs point towards Caitlin Clark being selected first overall. Her journey takes a massive jump tonight and we're excited to see what kind of success she can find outside of the court. To stay updated on when we could see a Nike sneaker for Caitlin Clark, make sure to keep it locked with our Sneakers news.
Follow Us
Subscribe