Reporting by Shams Charania, Mike Vorkunov and Ben Pickman
Indiana Fever rookie phenom Caitlin Clark — the No. 1 overall pick in Monday’s WNBA draft — is close to inking a lucrative eight-figure deal with Nike, according to industry sources. Athleticism.
Clark is also expected to receive a signature Nike shoe, these sources said. Under Armor and Adidas also made significant offers to Clark, two industry sources said.
Clark’s previous deal with Nike ended after the recently concluded college basketball season, allowing him to hit the market at the height of his popularity. Clark was a supernova at the University of Iowa, breaking records and attracting new fans to college basketball. The women’s NCAA Tournament set viewership records for every game Iowa played, peaking with 18.9 million viewers for the Hawkeyes’ national title game loss to South Carolina.
The Fever drafted Clark, 22, first overall in Monday’s draft. Interest in the draft has reached an all-time high and it has also set viewership records, with more than four times as many viewers for this year’s draft (2.4 million) compared to last year, shattering the previous record for most viewed. WNBA Draft, established in 2004.
Clark was expected to land one of the most lucrative sneaker contracts in the WNBA, as sponsors have flocked to her in recent months and shown their desire to be part of Caitlin Clark’s business. She already has sponsorship deals with Gatorade, State Farm and Panini.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry — who launched Curry Brand as a standalone company with Under Armor — attended the companies’ meeting with Clark, industry sources said. Curry Brand signed Kings star De’Aaron Fox as its first NBA athlete late last year, and signed University of South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley to a multi-year NIL contract, making d she was the first college athlete to partner directly with the company.
This past week has shown just how popular and popular Clark has become. She made an appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” Then the WNBA draft grades climbed. Fanatics said his jersey was the best seller of any draft pick on draft night in company history. Interest in tickets also continued to increase.
During her post-rejection press conference, Clark said that turning professional had not had a significant impact on the way she conducted her off-field business.
“If I’m completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t make much of a difference to how I’ve lived my life over the last year,” she said. “The sponsorships remain the same. The people around me, agents and others, have been able to help and guide me throughout the past year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if there weren’t so many of them.
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(Photo by Caitlin Clark: Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
News Source : theathletic.com
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