Nike Signs Caitlin Clark in a $28 Million Deal and Her Very Own Shoe
The competition to sign Caitlin Clark for a shoe deal ended recently, and it looks like Nike won the race. They managed to sign her up, beating out Adidas, Under Armour, and Puma. Caitlin, a new player for the Indiana Fever team, is set to sign a contract with Nike for eight years, which could earn her up to $28 million. This deal started in 2022, even before Caitlin became famous for her incredible performance in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and her record-breaking season in 2023-24, where she made history by scoring more points than anyone ever before.
Not just a deal but her very own shoe!
Nike's contract with Caitlin was to end in 2024, which would make her a free agent. The Wall Street Journal says that Caitlin was offered an average salary of $3 million per year. But Nike upped the stakes by offering her $3.5 million per year. They're not just banking on Caitlin's success in women's sports in the U.S.; they're also looking ahead to big events like the Olympics in 2028 (in Los Angeles) and 2032 (in Brisbane, Australia), where Caitlin is expected to make a huge impact.
The offer from Nike didn't end there. Caitlin was also guaranteed her very own unique shoe! Under Armour made a concerted effort to enlist Caitlin as well. The Athletic said that Stephen Curry, a basketball player, was included in their proposal. The Journal claims that Under Armour offered Caitlin $16 million for a four-year contract, but it appears that Nike's offer was too good to refuse.
It's all in the numbers
In the draft that took place last Monday, the Fever chose Clark with the first overall pick. Nike even posted on X to congratulate her on her achievement. Even as Clark gets ready to make her WNBA debut, she has a substantial following base. She shocked the sports world that legendary head coach Dawn Staley of South Carolina called her one of the greatest women's basketball players of all time.
Clark's numbers tell the truth. When she was a Hawkeye, her average point total each game was 28.4. During her senior year, the 2023–2024 campaign, she excelled above expectations, averaging an incredible 31.6 points per game, 8.9 assists, and 7.4 rebounds.
Clark even created history when she surpassed Pete Maravich of LSU, a legendary player in men's collegiate basketball, to set the all-time scoring record. In addition to this accomplishment, she broke other records in the NCAA Tournament, giving her team a chance to compete for the national title before they were upset by the unbeaten South Carolina squad. Clark finished her undergraduate career with 3,951 points in total. She demonstrated her skill beyond the arc as well, making 548 three-pointers out of 1,452 attempts, good for an astounding 37.7% long-range success percentage.
Record viewership
The national title game drew 18.7 million viewers to ABC’s coverage with a peak of 24 million viewers during the game, per ESPN. That’s 89% higher than last season and 285% higher than the 2022 national championship game. This represents a startling 285% increase from the national championship game in 2022 and a significant 89% increase from the previous season.