By Shams Charania, Mike Vorkunov and Ben Pickman
Indiana Fever rookie phenom Caitlin Clark — the No. 1 pick in Monday’s WNBA Draft — is nearing a profitable, eight-figure endorsement take care of Nike, business sources advised The Athletic.
Clark is predicted to obtain a signature Nike shoe as nicely, these sources mentioned, as a part of a deal value nicely over $20 million plus potential bonuses. Beneath Armour and Adidas additionally made sizable provides to Clark, two business sources mentioned.
Clark’s earlier take care of Nike ended after the conclusion of the not too long ago completed school basketball season, which allowed her to hit the market on the peak of her recognition. Clark was a supernova on the College of Iowa, breaking data and bringing new followers to varsity basketball. The ladies’s NCAA Event set viewership data with each recreation during which Iowa performed, culminating in 18.9 million viewers for the Hawkeyes’ nationwide title recreation loss to South Carolina.
Curiosity within the WNBA Draft was at an all-time excessive, and it also set viewership records, with greater than 4 instances as many viewers for this 12 months’s draft (2.4 million) in comparison with final 12 months, blowing away the earlier report for the most-watched WNBA draft, set in 2004.
Clark was anticipated to land one of the profitable sneaker offers within the WNBA as sponsors have flocked to her in latest months and confirmed their need to be within the Caitlin Clark enterprise. She already has endorsement offers with Gatorade, State Farm and Panini.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry — who launched Curry Model as a signature, standalone enterprise with Beneath Armour — participated within the corporations‘ assembly with Clark, business sources mentioned. Curry Model signed Kings star De’Aaron Fox as its first NBA athlete late final 12 months, and inked College of South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley to a multiyear NIL deal, making her the primary school athlete to associate instantly with the corporate.
The final week confirmed simply how in-demand and mainstream Clark has turn out to be. She made a visitor look on “Saturday Night time Stay.” Then, WNBA Draft scores spiked. Fanatics mentioned her jersey was the highest vendor for any draft decide on draft night time within the firm’s historical past. Ticket curiosity has additionally continued to surge.
At her post-draft information convention, Clark mentioned turning professional hasn’t had a big affect on how she is conducting any off-court enterprise.
“If I’m being utterly sincere, I really feel prefer it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the final 12 months,” she mentioned. “Sponsorships keep the identical. The folks round me, brokers and whatnot, have been capable of assist me and information me by means of the course of the final 12 months. I don’t know if I’d be on this second if it wasn’t for lots of them.”
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(Photograph: Ron Hoskins / NBAE by way of Getty Photos)
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