The contract is expected to be worth eight figures and include a signature shoe for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Clark was among five college athletes who signed NIL deals with Nike in October 2022. With her college career ending, though, the 6’0″ guard was free to explore all of her options in terms of a sneaker deal. According to The Athletic, Under Armour and Adidas both put “sizable offers” on the table.
To see Clark snag eight figures out of the gate isn’t all that surprising given both her wide popularity and Nike’s willingness to bet big on young rookies. LeBron James famously got $90 million as he entered the NBA in 2003, while Zion Williamson signed for a reported $75 million in 2019.
The Hawkeyes star left Iowa City as one of the most accomplished players of her generation. She’s the all-time leading scorer in Division I history, a two-time national player of the year and a two-time national runner-up.
More importantly from an endorsement context, Clark has shown she’s box office in a way almost unlike anyone else in women’s basketball history.
Fans tuned in to Iowa’s NCAA tournament run in record numbers, with South Carolina’s national championship victory over the Hawkeyes averaging 18.9 million viewers. Then the 2024 WNBA draft more than doubled its previous record for viewership.
It’s safe to assume Clark’s large following will translate in a similar way when she and Nike debut her first signature line.
