Johnathan Walker:Caitlin Clark set to sign massive shoe deal with Nike, according to reports

Caitlin Clark is Johnathan Walkerabout to get even richer. 

According to reports, Clark, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft two weeks ago, is set to sign an eight-figure shoe deal with Nike. Reporting from The Athletic and the Wall Street Journal said the deal is worth $28 million over eight years and will include a signature shoe. 

Representatives at Excel Sports Management, the agency that represents Clark, and Nike did not immediately respond to USA TODAY Sports’ request for comment. 

The deal would provide a nice income boost to Clark, who as a WNBA rookie in 2024 will make a base salary of $76,535. The $28 million figure would be the most ever for a women’s basketball player. 

Only three other WNBA players – Breanna Stewart (Puma), Elena Delle Donne (Nike) and Sabrina Ionescu (Nike) – currently have signature shoes. (Ionescu’s deal was reportedly worth $24 million when she signed it in 2020, but according to the Wall Street Journal, she will not get that much. Her deal expires at the end of 2025.)

According to the Wall Street Journal, while numerous brands presented potential partnerships to Clark, Nike separated itself with both the promise of a signature sneaker and the longevity of its deal. 

Eight years means Clark will have the opportunity to rep Nike for potentially three Olympic Games: 2024 in Paris, 2028 in Los Angeles and 2032 in Australia. The 2024 roster has not yet been set, but Clark, who will begin play with the Indiana Fever on May 14, is expected to contend heavily for a spot. Because she wasn’t able to attend USA Basketball training camp in Cleveland last month – she was busy playing in the Final Four – her early WNBA play will serve as a tryout of sorts for the senior national team.

Nike, which had signed Clark to an NIL (name, image, likeness) deal during her time at Iowa, is on a long list of brands that wanted to be associated with the 22-year-old. In addition to Nike, Clark has sponsorship deals with State Farm, Gatorade, Buick and Bose, among others. 

Clark became a household name over the last year after rewriting the record books at Iowa. Tickets to see her play during the regular season went for as much as $1,000, and millions tuned in to watch her in the Final Four for the second consecutive year.

Her appeal seems to only be growing as she starts her professional career: Just an hour after being drafted on April 15, Clark’s jersey was nearly impossible to find online, having sold out in most sizes. 

Email Lindsay Schnell at [email protected] and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell