Caitlin Clark reportedly nearing eight-figure Nike shoe deal

The GIST: We’ve got news for the “Caitlin Clark is taking a pay cut” crowd: She’s expected to hit another payday as she steps into the WNBA limelight. Recent reports indicate Clark is close to signing an eight-figure signature shoe deal with Nike worth over $20M with the potential for bonuses. Check!

The details: Clark signed a Nike NIL deal in 2022, but it expired when she left Iowa, making her a “free agent” of sorts. The length of Clark’s prospective contract remains unknown, but it signifies a considerable brand commitment as the only rookie signing among active WNBA shoe deals: Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu signed after their first seasons.

The competition: The Athletic reported that Adidas and Under Armour (UA) also brought Clark to the negotiating table and made “sizable” offers, with UA in particular pulling out all the stops. The NBA’s Golden State Warriors star and UA ambassador Steph Curry joined Clark’s pitch meeting — a smart move considering the two athletes are often compared.

• While Clark reportedly said no to UA, the company did sign South Carolina up-and-comer MiLaysia Fulwiley as Curry Brand’s first college athlete last month.

The context: Historically, Nike has been selective with WNBA shoe deals. In 2021, NY Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu (pronounced yo-NESS-coo) became the latest to get her own shoe from the company, signing just the 12th signature shoe deal in the league’s 27-year history. Nike leaned into Ionescu’s widespread appeal with a store rollout and collegiate partnerships involving her Sabrina 1s.

Zooming out: Every basketball shoe exists in a world Michael Jordan created. Clark’s Jordan-like effect on the WNBA economy should extend to the value of her signature kicks deal, which will likely top Ionescu’s $24M one. What’s more unprecedented than the potential sponsorship value is Nike’s immediate buy-in — W players grind for years for this kind of shoe deal, if they land one at all.

• A deal like Clark’s could kick down the door for others to land signature shoes, but it’s hard to fathom why popular brand ambassadors like A’ja Wilson and Skylar Diggins-Smith don’t already have them. It’s crucial to note that of the three active WNBA shoe deals, none are with Black players in a predominantly Black league. She should have next.