After the uproar that she would barely make $76,000 for her rookie year in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark is set to make a lot more thanks to Nike. The soon-to-be Indiana Fever star has a pending deal with the shoe company that will pay her $28 million over eight years, according to reports from The Athletic and The Wall Street Journal. The deal also includes a signature shoe for Clark.
This will be the biggest sponsorship deal in the history of women’s basketball, owing largely to Clark’s representation. WSJ reported that several brands were interested in Clark, but many balked when they heard that she wanted at least $3 million per year. According to the WSJ reports, Puma immediately dropped out of the running, while Adidas tried to get away with offering $6 million over four years. If you do some quick math, you’ll find that number to be far below what Clark and her team asked for.
According to reports, Clark eventually signed with Nike in a deal that will keep her with the company through three Olympic games. We won’t know if she’s going to the Paris games until later this summer, but the odds are looking good for her.
Hopefully, this swings the door open for other women to score lucrative sponsorships. The WSJ noted that it’s rare for WNBA players to receive deals worth more than six figures. For comparison, last year’s top NBA draft pick, Victor Wembanyama, has a rumored $100 million deal with Nike. Do these brands know that I would wear the hell out of Kamilla Cardoso shoes? Show these women the money!