Caitlin Clark Gears Up to Sign $28 Million Contract With Nike

Caitlin Clark / Indianapolis Star-USA TODAY NETW

Only a week after former Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark was selected by the Indiana Fever as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, reports are swirling that she is on the cusp of another big deal.

In the coming days, the 22-year-old is expected to re-up her partnership with sportswear company Nike. Along with other college players like Bronny James, Clark signed on with the brand as an ambassador in 2022 under NIL policy. Now, she’s expected to sign another deal with the apparel giant—and it’s going to be a lot bigger.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Clark is set to sign an eight-year, $28 million contract with the company, which includes a signature Caitlin Clark shoe.

It wasn’t the only big-time offer that the Iowa native received from large sports apparel brands. According to The Wall Street Journal, Under Armour and Adidas both made multimillion dollar offers to the basketball phenom. But Nike is expected to come out on top.

Caitlin Clark's Nike deal is reportedly worth $28 million over eight years, per @espn.

The deal would be the richest ever for a women's basketball player. pic.twitter.com/NftMH3Mgpr

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) April 23, 2024

The news comes days after the star’s rookie contract—a four-year deal worth less than $400,000—caused controversy on the internet. In line with recent conversations surrounding women’s sports, fans were questioning the extreme disparity between WNBA and NBA rookie contracts.

The disparities, though, are the exact forces that Clark has been working against for months now. With her impressive talent on the court, the star has started the conversation and attracted a growing viewership for women’s basketball and women’s sports more broadly.