Caitlin Clark reportedly set to sign lucrative deal with Nike that includes signature shoe
Caitlin Clark is re-upping with one of her biggest endorsement partners as she enters the WNBA, and she'll enter rare air in the process.
The new star of the Indiana Fever is nearing an endorsement deal worth eight figures with Nike, an agreement that will likely include Clark receiving a signature shoe, The Athletic reported.
Adidas and Under Armour were also in the mix to sign Clark, with each athletic brand making "sizable offers," according to The Athletic. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry was a part of Under Armour's attempt to land Clark, as she possibly could've joined the Curry Brand, The Athletic added.
But Clark will remain with Nike after her deal with the athletic brand expired at the end of her college career. She became one of the first college basketball players to sign a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal with Nike, becoming one of five college basketball players to join the brand in 2022.
"I grew up watching Nike athletes across all sports play their game," Clark said in a press release at the time. "They have inspired me to work hard and make a difference. I’m humbled to be part of this first Nike basketball class and passionate about inspiring the next."
Clark's stardom ascended in the ensuing season, leading Iowa to the national title game that year. She only added to her stardom this past season, breaking the all-time Division I scoring record, men's or women's, and helped Iowa make it back to the national title game.
As Clark broke records and led Iowa to one of the nation's best records, Nike commemorated her accomplishments with a "Just Do It" commercial and a giant poster ad in Iowa City.
Clark will also become the third active WNBA player to have a signature shoe deal, joining New York Liberty stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. Stewart is a signature athlete with Puma while Nike released Ionescu's first signature shoes in September.
The Fever made Clark the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft on Monday. After Clark set new all-time viewership highs for women's college basketball in each of Iowa's final three games (with 18.9 million tuning in for her final game), the mania surrounding her has carried into the WNBA. Nearly all sizes of her jersey were sold out within an hour of becoming available for purchase on Fanatics, becoming the player with the most jersey sales on the company's website in any draft night.
Fever select Caitlin Clark at No. 1 in the 2024 WNBA Draft
Additionally, 36 of the Fever's 40 regular-season games will air on national television. Ticket sales for her games are also on the rise compared to past WNBA games, with the average sold ticket price for Fever games this season being over $100 more than last year, according to Valid Seats.
