We now have the details on Caitlin Clark’s massive brand deal with Nike. According to The Wall Street Journal, the newly-drafted WNBA superstar will sign an eight-year deal with the company worth up to $28 million.
That seems like a lot of money for an athlete who hasn’t yet played in a professional game. But with several brands competing for the biggest name in women’s basketball, Nike had to shell out serious cash in order to secure the deal.
Nike had already signed Clark once before — back in 2022. But that was before the 22-year-old became a household name, carried her team to two consecutive National Championship games and broke college basketball’s all-time scoring record.
So with that deal scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023-24 season, all the other sportswear brands were ready to pounce. According to the WSJ, Clark’s agents informed Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and Puma that winning her commitment would take, at the very least, $3 million per year.
“Some of the brand reps were shocked by the number,” Rachel Bachman reported. “It was a huge sum for a women’s basketball player, few of whom ever receive deals worth more than six figures.”
