Caitlin Clark will not have to bank upon her paltry $76.5k salary from the Indiana Fever in her first season after the WNBA draft.
Nike is on the verge of signing her to a massive eight-figure deal even before she steps onto the court. Insider Shams Charania believes the number will be massive, considering what she will bring to the table.
Shams Charania was a guest on Up & Adams. Host Kay Adams asked him to expand on the possible deal between the former college superstar and Nike.
So, she met with 3 finalists. Under Armour, Stephen Curry was part of that meeting. Adidas was another company that met with her. But Nike came over the top, 8 figure deal. I'm told it's well beyond $10 Million. It's fair to say it's above $20 Million. Now how above, we'll see when we get the final numbers." Shams Charania said
Charania suggested that the deal could be around 4-5 years. What he found even more amazing is that she would be getting a signature shoe even before setting foot on the floor.
Shams Charania outlined how Nike was in the lead throughout the negotiations due to their work together with Caitlin Clark during her Iowa days. Since Nike was supporting her through the NIL deals, they were already favored to win this upcoming contract. Moreover, Nike’s association with the WNBA makes it easier exposure-wise for both of them.
Charania suggested that this deal could help women’s basketball players as a whole. They will be able to feed off Clark’s hype and get better endorsements and subsequent salaries as a whole. Charania also revealed how Stephen Curry tried to help sign Caitlin Clark to his brand and maybe have a Curry signature shoe for Clark.
Stephen Curry pitched Under Armour to Caitlin Clark
As Shams Charania said earlier, Under Armour was one of the main companies that pitched their deal to Caitlin Clark. A big part of that pitch was Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, who facetimed into the meeting. Charania said that he was pitching the idea to Clark about joining his Curry brand of shoes with Under Armour.
This would mean an Air Jordan kind of exclusive deal, which could have made Curry and Clark the two biggest faces of the company’s basketball lineup. Even though Clark is likely to continue with Nike, it is possible that they could work together in the future.
Curry could end up competing alongside her in future NBA and WNBA crossover competitions. It is also possible that one of the most influential superstars in sports will pitch his Curry brand to Caitlin Clark when her next deal with Nike expires.
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