The most dominant player in women's hoop is not....? Sorry...wow...very sorry...out of f-cking bounds. I need to stop doing this before I've woken up.
Caitlin Clark's 8-Figure Nike Shoe Contract Worth More Than $20M
DORIC SAM, B/R News
APRIL 18, 2024
After news broke of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark's impending shoe deal with Nike, details have emerged about the eye-popping figures of the contract.
During an appearance on Thursday's episode of Up & Adams, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium said of Clark's deal: "I'm told it's well beyond $10 million ... I think it's fair to say that it's above $20 million. Now how above? We'll see when we get the final numbers, I'm not one to speculate."
Charania added that Nike was one of three finalists in the running for Clark's signature shoe. She reportedly had a pitch meeting with Under Armour to be a part of Curry Brand, with Golden State Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry FaceTiming into the meeting. Adidas reportedly also met with the former Iowa star, but an eight-figure deal from Nike was too sweet to pass up.
Clark had signed an NIL deal with Nike in October 2022, so she was familiar with the brand. She is now one of three WNBA players with signature shoe deals, joining New York Liberty stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.
"Think about her business portfolio—obviously a lot has been made recently about WNBA salaries—but I will say, her business portfolio off the court, she's making significant money," Charania said. "To get a signature shoe before you ever step foot on the pro level, that's a big, big deal."
After being selected with the No. 1 pick in Monday's WNBA draft, Clark will sign a four-year contract with the Fever worth $338,056. The rookie pay scale in the WNBA has faced scrutiny in recent days over the massive pay gap when compared to other sports.
Clark made an estimated $3.4 million in NIL deals during her senior season at Iowa, so her marketability off the court has been proved. Her fans will certainly be excited when her signature shoe drops.