Caitlin Clark's Reported $28 Million Nike Deal Will Set Another Record
The newly-minted WNBA player is making history again.
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."
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Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders including stylist Alison Bornstein and J.Crew womenswear creative director Olympia Gayot, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what trends—like the rise of doll-like Mary Janes or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. (She justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”) Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. Halie has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self-Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she was awarded the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.
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