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Caitlin Clark Adds Fuel to Viral News With New Post

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Jun 29, 2025 3:05 PM ET

In April 2024, Caitlin Clark signed an 8‑year endorsement deal with Nike that extended the brand’s partnership with the Indiana Fever star through 2032.

Under that contract, she debuted a series of Player Exclusive (PE) colorways drawn from Kobe Bryant’s signature line, including the Nike Kobe 5 Protro "Fever" edition during the 2024 WNBA playoffs.

This week, Nike announced the latest chapter in that collaboration: the Nike Kobe 5 Protro "Caitlin Clark" PE, which will drop on Monday.

What’s breaking now is the advertisement that accompanied this announcement and the post Clark shared on her Instagram story on Sunday.

The spot opens in the locker room as the camera zeroes in on Clark's eyes, which dilate into slit‑like snake pupils before snapping back to normal, a clear homage to Kobe Bryant’s "Black Mamba" nickname.

The clip ends with Clark lacing up the new Kobe 5s before hitting the court.

While Clark has quickly become one of basketball’s most marketable figures off the court, her dominance on the court has captivated audiences for years.

After averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game in 2024, she became the first rookie in league history to record multiple triple‑doubles, set both the single‑season rookie scoring and assists marks and earn All‑WNBA First Team honors alongside Rookie of the Year.

This season, she's continued her reign, averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists, 5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

That professional success followed an unparalleled college career at Iowa, where Clark finished as the NCAA Division I all‑time leading scorer with 3,951 points, led the nation in both points and assists in the same season and claimed national Player of the Year twice.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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