The Hawkeyes guard’s next contract could be around $3 million.

Caitlin Clark is the player that every team wants to have: skilled in defense and attack, disciplined, creative, and, if that were not enough, charismatic. Not only do the teams want her on their roster, but the big brands are also lining up in front of her door, seeking to attract her to their ranks with multimillion-dollar contracts.

Last week, the Iowa Hawkeyes guard announced that she would forego her final year of NCAA eligibility to try her luck in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Most analysts assume the Indiana Fever will use their first overall pick to take Clark to Indianapolis.

Clark’s impressive NCAA career and potential in professional sports brought his NIL (name, image, and likeness) to $3.1 million, the fourth-best overall number. In this regard, Caitlin is just behind basketball player Bronny James, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and gymnast Olivia Dunne.

With 1.4 million social media followers, almost all of them on Instagram, it’s understandable that global brands are trying to entice Clark to endorse her products, especially now that her contract with Nike is about to expire.

A once-in-a-generation talent

With just under a month to go before the draft and her sponsorship also experiencing her final moments, brands like Adidas, Puma, and Under Armour are sharpening their knives for the battle to come. Nike itself is revamping its agreement to avoid losing one of its stars with the most potential for the future.

So far, only 13 players in WNBA history have had a signature shoe, and Clark would be the first rookie to have one. It is a fact that the player will wear these shoes in her debut on the professional circuit, and it is an opportunity that brands cannot miss.

Business analyst Matt Powell told the Wall Street Journal that multimillion-dollar brands are desperate to sign the basketball player because “she is a once-in-a-generation player.”

“I think this is an opportunity for brands to really get after the women’s side of the business, which they really continue to fail at,”Powell explained.

Caitlin’s rising popularity

Clark’s numbers have been steadily rising since her NCAA debut four years ago. From the 26.6 points she averaged as a freshman to the 32.3 points she scored per game in her senior season, the Hawkeyes guard is the dominant force on the college hard floor.

With her devastating attack, Clark broke the NCAA women’s basketball record of 3,527 points, owned by Kelsey Plum. Not only that, she also left behind Pete Maravich’s overall mark of 3,667. Her record of 3,685 points will be hard to beat or forget.

The player’s exceptional talent and charisma drew crowds this season to every Iowa game, whether at home or on the road. Her drag sent ticket prices to stratospheric levels, and with her announcement last week, tickets to the Fever’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse are selling like hotcakes.

Given all this, it is understandable that big brands are looking at all costs to land a deal with Clark. Her next endorsement could be around $3 million annually, well above the $1-2 million an NBA rookie gets.