Caitlin Clark becomes first women's athlete to partner with Panini America
Caitlin Clark has made a lot of history on the hardwood in recent weeks. Ahead of the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, she's also breaking records off the court.
The Iowa star has inked a deal with Panini America, the company announced Wednesday. Clark is the first women's athlete to agree to an exclusive contract with the sports and entertainment collectibles company, which will include trading cards and autographed memorabilia.
Panini will begin its partnership with Clark by commemorating several of her achievements throughout her four seasons at Iowa, including the point records she broke in recent weeks. Her first Panini Instant Card will celebrate when she eclipsed Kelsey Plum's mark for the most points scored in Division I women's basketball history, hitting a logo 3-pointer against Michigan on Feb. 15 to set the record.
Panini has also listed cards of Clark from when she topped Pete Maravich's record Sunday for the most points scored in Division I basketball history.
"It’s an honor to partner with Panini America as their first multi-year exclusive female athlete, and I’m excited to collaborate with them on my own collection," Clark said in a statement announcing the partnership.
Clark's memorabilia and trading card exclusivity with Panini will begin April 1 while the company will release a trading card product dedicated to her that can be pre-ordered next month.
"Caitlin is a generational talent, and it is natural that she should be our first multi-year exclusive female athlete," Panini America senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations Jason Howarth said. "We’ll have a range of products and memorabilia featuring Caitlin that we believe fans will love."
Clark's historic partnership with Panini comes as she's set to wrap up her college basketball career. She announced ahead of Iowa's regular-season finale that she'll be entering the WNBA Draft, where she's the presumptive No. 1 overall pick for the Indiana Fever.
Caitlin Clark tallies 35 points and secures the all-time NCAA Division I scoring record
In addition to breaking records, Clark's dominant senior season has already been rewarded. She was selected Big Ten Player of the Year on Tuesday, and many anticipate she'll win the consensus national player of the year awards winner for a second straight season.
Of course, Clark and Iowa are seeking redemption in their quest to win a national championship after losing to LSU in the title game last season. Before then, the Hawkeyes will compete in the Big Ten Tournament this weekend, where they hold the No. 2 seed in the bracket and are defending champs. Iowa will play a yet-to-be determined opponent Friday at Target Center in Minneapolis.
Clark's impact on the women's game has transcended the sport this season. The women's Big Ten Tournament will be sold out for the first time in its history, with many pointing to Clark as the driving force. Iowa's win over Ohio State on Sunday also drew over three million viewers on FOX, making it the most-watched women's college basketball regular-season game since 1999. As a result, women's college basketball games drew a higher average viewership than men's college basketball games on FOX this season.
Clark is just one of the few notable college stars to sign a deal with Panini America in recent years. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and UConn men's basketball star Donovan Clingan have also signed deals with the collectible company, while Arch Manning's Panini-produced card set a record for the most valuable card sold on the company's website.
