The women’s basketball phenom Caitlin Clark is nearing an endorsement deal with Nike that’s worth more than $20 million, The Athletic reported Wednesday, citing industry sources. The deal would include other bonuses and a signature shoe for Clark, who has elevated women’s basketball to new heights in recent years. The Clark fervor has already prompted WNBA teams to move their games against her new team, the Indiana Fever, to larger arenas, while her jersey was the top seller of any draft pick on draft night. That stardom reportedly brought out the big guns—and checkbooks—of the world’s biggest athletic brands. The Athletic reported that Under Armor made a lucrative pitch to win over Clark, which included an in-person visit from the NBA legend Steph Curry. Adidas is also said to have pitched Clark, but the 22-year-old had reportedly landed on Nike—the same brand she wore for three years as a college player at the University of Iowa. The deal is sure to make Clark one of the highest-paid women basketball players of all time, with news of it spreading just as talk of her lowball salary—of roughly $338,000 across her first four seasons—was being criticized far and wide, including comments from Joe Biden.
