Caitlin Clark ‘to sign an eight-year, $28million deal with Nike… with record sponsorship deal set to include a SIGNATURE shoe for the WNBA star’

Caitlin Clark is about to break a new record as the former Iowa star is set to sign a historic deal with Nike.

On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal and The Athletic reported a pending eight-year contract worth $28 million that includes a signature shoe. The deal would give Clark the richest sponsorship deal for a women’s basketball player.

The Athletic and WSJ cited anonymous sources familiar with negotiations between Nike and the NCAA Division I’s all-time leading scorer, who recently became the first overall pick of the WNBA Draft.

Excel Sports Management, which represents Clark, and Nike did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Clark’s original name, image and likeness agreement, signed in 2022, expired at the end of the 2023-2024 season.

Clark’s deal would be the richest sponsorship deal for a women’s basketball player

According to the WSJ and The Athletic, Under Armor and Adidas also participated in contract talks with Clark’s team in February. Puma also showed some interest, but walked away when told the bidding would start at $3 million per year, according to the WSJ.

According to the WSJ, Clark received offers of $16 million over four years from Under Armor and $6 million over four years from Adidas, both of which included a signature shoe.

According to the WSJ, Clark made about $3 million in NIL money in Iowa from deals she made with State Farm, Gatorade and others.

Clark’s agents were working on the new Nike contract even before she announced she would turn pro rather than return to Iowa for a fifth season under the COVID-19 waiver given to players on the university was offered.

After averaging 31.6 points and leading the Hawkeyes to a second straight national championship game, Clark was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever on April 15.

On April 15, the Indiana Fever drafted Clark with the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft

In her final two years, Clark led the Iowa Hawkeyes to back-to-back title game appearances

The new lucrative contract will boost an already existing deal between Clark and Nike

As a rookie, she earns a salary of $76,000. She has been the main force behind the dramatic increase in interest in women’s basketball with her mix of deep three-point shots, flashy thread-the-needle passes and overall presence on the court. A women’s basketball record 18.9 million watched Iowa’s loss to South Carolina in the NCAA title game, and a WNBA record 2.45 million watched the draft.

Of the Fever’s 40 games this season, 36 will be nationally televised, and ticket sales have skyrocketed across the league.

Clark’s marketability is enhanced by her polished media appearances, and her surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live two weeks ago was critically acclaimed and exposed her to an even wider audience.

The reported eight-year contract with Nike shows the sportswear giant’s dedication. At 22, Clark could play well over a decade in the WNBA and could be on the U.S. roster for the Olympics in Paris this year, Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane, Australia, in 2032.