Nearing a $28 million Nike endorsement, the shoe deal will be 45 times Caitlin Clark’s WNBA salary.

A significant shoe deal is about to be signed by Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever’s top pick in the WNBA Draft, ahead of her professional debut, solidifying her status as a prominent player in women’s basketball.

What happened was that throughout her time at Iowa, Clark broke numerous NCAA scoring records and contributed to the growth of NCAA women’s basketball.

Now that she has the biggest shoe deal in women’s basketball history, the future WNBA player is prepared to shatter records.

The Associated Press, citing The Athletic, reports that Clark will ink an eight-year, $28 million contract with Nike, Inc. NKE -0.49% Get Free Report. According to sources, a signature shoe line for Clark will be included in the acquisition.

The average amount of the Nike contract is $3.5.

million per season and coincides with the growing discussion around the pay gap between male and female athletes following the announcement of Clark’s WNBA salary.

The president of Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy, stated on X (previously Twitter) that he believes Clark’s impending contract greatly undervalues her value. A reasonable valuation, he proposed, would be at least $80 million.In her maiden WNBA season, Clark will earn $76,535; her wages for the following three seasons are $78,066, $85,873, and $97,582, respectively. When compared to the multimillion-dollar contracts that male athletes receive upon being picked, Clark’s pay is pitiful.

Clark will receive 45.7 times her salary from Nike in her first season thanks to the new Nike arrangement.

The basketball team for women

star signed a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal while attending Iowa, which allowed them to join Nike in 2022. After the 2023–2024 season, the agreement expired, and other clothing brands fought for her endorsement.

Clark was reportedly the target of Puma, Adidas, and Under Armour UA -2.12% Get Free Report, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, NBA player and Under Armour endorser Steph Curry attended the meeting and heard the presentation. According to reports, Under Armour’s offer on a potential deal included fewer years overall, but more money each year.

With the agreement with Nike, Clark will become just the fourth active WNBA player—Breanna Stewart (PUMA), Sabrina Ionescu (Nike), and others—to hold a signature shoe.

and Nike’s Elena Delle Donne.

Nike may expect an increase in sales as a result of Clark’s endorsement arrangement, as she is attracting a lot of interest.

Related Link: President Biden Is Confused By The Startling Gender Pay Gap After Caitlin Clark’s $76K WNBA Salary: What Gives?

What Comes Next: Despite not having played a single WNBA game, Clark is already making a significant contribution to the professional women’s basketball league.

The Fever, in collaboration with the WNBA and media partners, aim to leverage the heightened interest stemming from Clark’s incredible feat in the 2023–2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

An average of 18.9 million people watched the 2023–2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game on ABC, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company DIS -1.15% Get Free Report. The number of viewers reached a peak.

at 24.1 million, surpassing the average viewing of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game (14.8 million).

Just 22 of the 40 games played by the Fever in 2023 were televised nationwide. But in the 2024 season, this number will rise dramatically to 36 of their 40 games, owing to the much awaited Clark debut season.

The WNBA’s media partners stand to gain from Clark’s inaugural season and its anticipated high viewership.

Disney has scheduled eight games, including the inaugural game on May 14 for ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. Last year, ESPN broadcast one Fever game. No games aired on ABC.

E.W. Scripps Company SSP -3.02% Get Free Report’s Ion will broadcast eight WNBA Fever games in 2024.

season.

Paramount Global’s subsidiary CBS PARA -5.28%
Three Fever games will be shown by Get Free Report PARAA Get Free Report throughout the season.

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) +1.85% Obtain a Free Analysis
four Fever games will be televised on owned Prime Video this season.

During the season, the Fever will air thirteen times on NBA TV, the streaming network owned by the NBA.

Nike Price Action: Over a 52-week trading range of $88.66 to $128.68, Nike shares are currently trading at $94.00. Nike’s stock has decreased 26% in the past 12 months.