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According to ESPN, Caitlin Clark and Nike are nearing an eight-year $28 million dollar contract. This new deal will include a signature shoe somewhere in the future. Clark is also expected to play a major role in brand campaigns for their Basketball division as she is among the more marketable athletes within Nike’s stable of athletes. In this eight year span, Clark has potential to become the face of the WNBA as well as Team USA.
Expectedly, there was something of a bidding war for Clark, although signing with Nike seemed like a foregone conclusion. Brand loyalty aside, money was also an influential factor: Under Armour’s offer was $16 million over four years, whereas adidas threw in a bit of a lowball at $6 million over four years. Both offers included signature shoes. Nike’s offer eclipsed those bids in both length and total dollars. PUMA walked away from talks after it learned that $3million per year would be the starting bid.
The below article was originally published on April 17th, 2024.
Caitlin Clark and Nike are close to agreement on a multi-year endorsement deal that includes a signature shoe, per @ShamsCharania. Clark, the college basketball legend and first overall draft pick by the Indiana Fever, has been wearing Nike Kobe footwear throughout the season, notably the “Bruce Lee” colorway, but soon enough she’ll be lacing up her own shoe.
Details of the endorsement deal have not yet been disclosed, but it is reported to be an eight-figure deal. Caitlin had already been signed Nike on an NIL deal back in October 2022; earlier this year at the start of the NCAA Tournament, she was featured in a billboard ad in downtown Iowa and even in Manhattan’s 34th St.
Breaking: Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark – the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft – is nearing a lucrative, eight-figure endorsement deal with Nike, per industry sources. Clark is set to receive her own signature Nike shoe.
Story with @MikeVorkunov, @benpickman: https://t.co/pjBBTmHc78
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 18, 2024
Caitlin Clark’s rise in popularity arrived mostly through her final two seasons of college basketball. She eventually broke the all-time women’s NCAA Division I scoring leader, surpassing Kelsey Plumm earlier this March. Her WNBA rookie base salary will be $76,535, but through endorsement deals and opportunities, she figures to earn well into the tens of millions annually.