Caitlin Clark nearing 8-figure deal with Nike which includes signature shoe: Report
Clark selected with No. 1 pick by Indiana Fever
Caitlin Clark, the all-time leading scorer in the NCAA, was the projected No. 1 pick after announcing that she would declare for the draft in February.
The face of women’s basketball in Caitlin Clark is about to make due – and a lot of money.
The now-WNBA rookie phenom, who recently took the sports world by storm with a record-setting performance in her senior year at Iowa, is reportedly nearing a lucrative, eight-figure endorsement deal with Nike where she is expected to have her own signature shoe.
Clark, who had a deal with Nike in college, had her deal with the brand expire at the conclusion of the women’s college basketball season last week.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever talks to the media during an introductory press conference on April 17, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
However, Nike was apparently quick to not let her go – she also reportedly received offers from Under Armour and Adidas, the former meeting including Stephen Curry recruiting.
Clark became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer this past season, and was featured in the four most-viewed women’s college basketball games of all-time, three of them being Iowa’s final three games of this most recent March Madness tournament.
The Iowa-South Carolina championship game drew in 18.7 million views to ABC’s coverage with a peak of 24 million viewers during the game, according to ESPN. The number is up 89% from last year and 285% from the 2022 national championship.
Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after drawing a foul late in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawke
Before that, Iowa’s Final Four matchup against UConn held the record for the most–watched women’s college basketball game ever with 14.2 million viewers. Before that, its win over LSU was the most-watched with 12.3 million viewers.
Clark’s Hawkeyes fell in the national championship to South Carolina, who completed their undefeated season. Last year, they lost the title game to Angel Reese and LSU.
The 22-year-old was the first selection of this week’s WNBA Draft to the Indiana Fever – tickets for her games have skyrocketed, and Fanatics recently said that her Fever jersey was the top seller for any draft pick on draft night in the company’s history.
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes dribbles the ball in the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on February 22, 2024 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Clark averaged 28.4 points over her four seasons with the Hawkeyes, including 31.6 points per game with 8.9 assists and 7.4 rebounds during her incredible 2023-2024 senior season.
Last year, Nike signed Sabrina Ionescu to a deal worth $24 million and released a signature shoe.
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