All the drama surrounding the next destination of Caitlin Clark’s basketball career ended when the Indiana Fever made her the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft.
But the same couldn’t be said about her shoe deal. Because perhaps the biggest star in women’s basketball history was taking part in a fierce battle between some of the top shoe companies.
Ultimately, Clark will sign an eight-year contract that could end up being worth $28 million plus a signature shoe. According to the Wall Street Journal.
It happened after Clark took college women’s hoops to new heights, posting record TV ratings based largely on her popularity as the most prolific scorer in the history of the sport.
Sharp-shooting Clark’s previous contract with Nike was set in 2022 and expired after last season — and the 6-foot Clark is arguably not just the most famous women’s college player. Even after solidifying his status as the most popular college basketball player — male or female — last season.
According to the Wall Street Journal, negotiations reached a frenetic pace, and during NBA All-Star weekend in mid-February, representatives of Mr. Clark from Excel Sports Management announced that, in addition to Nike, brands such as Adidas, Under Armour, and Puma He met with him and said the following. They were looking for a $3 million per year contract as a starting point.
At the time, Clark had not yet declared for the WNBA Draft, but it was clear that she would once again become the sport’s brightest star next year, either while attending the University of Iowa or as a pro.
In fact, some executives reportedly believed Clark would be more popular if he stayed at Iowa for another year rather than going to the WNBA.
But looking at Clark’s performance this season, he could be a star in the WNBA next season.
Still, Puma reportedly balked at the starting price of $3 million and withdrew from negotiations. They already have New York Liberty’s Brianna Stewart on her roster wearing her own signature shoe.
In a Zoom call that included Clark, her reps, and Adidas, Clark, who studied marketing at the University of Iowa, was “surprised by how proactive, curious, and well-prepared she was” to help the company. The magazine reported that he had left.
However, the offer of $6 million for four years was less than $3 million per year.
According to a report from The Athletic, Under Armor has enlisted client Stephen Curry to sign Clark to a four-year, $16 million deal that includes a signature shoe.
But no one can match Nike, which may have Clark’s Olympic future in mind.
The eight-year deal runs through the next three Games, starting with this summer’s Paris Games and ending with Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane, Australia 2032.
The athletes representing the United States for this summer’s Olympics have not yet been announced.
Fellow Liberty forward Sabrina Ionescu also reportedly received a $24 million contract from Nike, but will reportedly not get the full amount due to injury.
