Caitlin Clark clapping

Caitlin Clark (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Former Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark is nearing the biggest sneaker deal in WNBA history following her move to the pros.

Clark was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever last week and will be playing in their colors soon enough. She’s also set to sign a lucrative deal with Nike, with the sportswear company to hand her a signature shoe on the back of her super season in college.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the new WNBA star is poised to put pen to paper on an eight-year deal worth $28 million with the sportswear company. Nike had a deal in place with Clark that expired at the end of the college basketball season, freeing her up to enter fresh negotiations.

She was propositioned by Adidas, Under Armour, and Puma but ultimately chose to return to Nike.

The company has succeeded in hitching itself to a WNBA rookie who was the most popular college basketball player in both the men’s and the women’s game over the past year. Clark’s outings drew record viewership numbers throughout March Madness. And even the WNBA Draft was the most-watched in history due to her involvement.

Nike Made The Best Offer To Caitlin Clark

The WSJ reported that the player’s camp asked for $3 million a year as a starting point before she announced she would be heading to the draft. Some company execs felt her stardom would benefit from another year at Iowa, but she eventually declared for the draft.

According to the report, Puma balked at Clark’s asking price, while Adidas’ offer of four years and $6 million didn’t come close to what Nike offered. The latter was reportedly surprised by the player’s negotiating prowess, which was likely a result of her studying marketing at Iowa.

Under Armour got Steph Curry to help negotiate with Clark, offering her $16 million over four years and a signature shoe. In the end, no one could match Nike.