One week after becoming the WNBA's top draft pick, Caitlin Clark is already set to score a league record.
Clark is reportedly nearing an eight-year Nike deal valued at $28 million—the highest value contract ever floated to a WNBA player, according to reports by The Athletic and the Wall Street Journal.
Once the paperwork's signed, she may also design Nike's next It-sneaker: Clark's deal also includes a signature shoe. She reportedly turned down proposals to become the women's face of Nike's Kobe Bryant line instead.
The highest-scoring player in the entire NCAA had her pick of brands to represent as a new player on the Indiana Fever. The WSJ and Athletic noted Adidas, Puma, and Under Armour each courted Clark with deals of their own. None came close to Nike's proposed $28 million. Under Armour had the next highest bid, at $16 million over four years.
Clark became a crowd-favorite during last month's NCAA tournament, sinking three-pointer after three-pointer and attracting the highest-ever viewership for a women's championship game with an audience of 18.9 million. Fans were outraged last week to learn that Clark—the highest-scoring player in both NCAA leagues—would only earn $76,535 annually as a WNBA rookie. Meanwhile, a first-round draft pick in the NBA can earn sums as high as $10 million.
A prospective Nike deal isn't the only historic fashion-meets-sports moment of Clark's burgeoning WNBA career. The two-time national player of the year was dressed by stylist Adri Zgirdea Toth for the 2024 draft in head-to-toe Prada—which the house had never done before for a player of any gender.
"Dressing an athlete for the draft is a first for Prada, and this is obviously a first for Caitlin, too," Zgirdea Toth told Marie Claire. Both are at the forefront of what they do—it’s almost too perfect."
