‘About time’ – Caitlin Clark joins LeBron James and Kevin Durant as Nike reward WNBA star with unique feat
After 8 months, Nike have delivered on their Caitlin Clark promise. The shoe-giant announced that they will release a signature shoe and logo for the 22-year-old and the plans behind it are breath-taking. GettyCaitlin Clark has transformed women’s basketball[/caption] In an interview with fortune, Nike CEO Elliot Hill revealed that Clark was at their headquarters just a few weeks ago in order to fine tune the designs for her signature shoe. “We had Caitlin Clark today,” Hill told Fortune. “We’re working on her signature shoe that will launch, and we’re working on her logo and that design.” The WNBA star was sponsored by Nike throughout her college career but in April 2024 penned, a spectacular 8-year $28 million deal with the shoe giants. Sweeping up Clark was a no-brainer for the Oregan-based sports company, the No.1 overall pick in 2024 has enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom. The 22-year-old was named Time’s Athlete of the Year for 2024 after a stellar debut season in the WNBA. Records around attendance, viewership and revenue all sky-rocketed for the WNBA in 2024 and much of it can be traced back to the arrival of stars like Angel Reese and Clark. Hill also explained that Nike dedicated women’s basketball team within the company are aiding the expansion into that market within women’s sport. “Having a small team that’s focused on women’s basketball, it unlocked, we believe, opportunities for the game of basketball and also in product,” the CEO said. “It becomes an opportunity to grow the overall marketplace by inviting more and more girls into the world of sports. It is an area we’ll continue to invest in with tremendous momentum right now.” Clark is one of three WNBA players that have a signature shoe deal with Nike, with New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu and the Las Vegas Aces’ 3-time MVP A’ja Wilson the other two. CREDIT: NIKENike announced their record-breaking deal with Clark back in April 2024[/caption] Clark enjoyed a stellar debut season, picking up the Rookie of the Year award Ionescu’s first signature shoe was released in September 2023 and her second shoe debuted in June 2024, while Wilson’s shoe – will come out in 2025, eight years after she was drafted in 2018. Unique to Clark though, will be the fact that she becomes the first women’s basketball player to have their own logo with Nike, a unique feat that is only reserved for the very best talent in the game. It means Clark will join the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant as players with specific emblems, Nike hope this will serve to enhance her image globally and a way to release more specific merchandise around the star. Since her NIL deal back in 2020, the WNBA star currently wears Nike KOBE sneakers as she awaits her own shoe. Throughout her rookie season Nike have released colourways and player-exclusive styles that paid tribute to the 22-year-old. Fans have reacted to Nike’s announcement, with a mix of responses as some feel a shoe should have already been released. “Caitlin Clark finally getting her shoe in 2026? About time, this should have been a Christmas 2024 release. The ball was massively dropped. This is finally some welcome news though,” one posted on X. “People have been questioning Nike way too much. They were there for Jordan, they know this is just getting started. Getting the Caitlin Clark launch right is must,” another fan posted. The WNBA season returns on May 16 and Clark is scheduled to play in a blockbuster clash on the opening weekend, when the Fever take on Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky.
After 8 months, Nike have delivered on their Caitlin Clark promise.
The shoe-giant announced that they will release a signature shoe and logo for the 22-year-old and the plans behind it are breath-taking.
In an interview with fortune, Nike CEO Elliot Hill revealed that Clark was at their headquarters just a few weeks ago in order to fine tune the designs for her signature shoe.
“We had Caitlin Clark today,” Hill told Fortune. “We’re working on her signature shoe that will launch, and we’re working on her logo and that design.”
The WNBA star was sponsored by Nike throughout her college career but in April 2024 penned, a spectacular 8-year $28 million deal with the shoe giants.
Sweeping up Clark was a no-brainer for the Oregan-based sports company, the No.1 overall pick in 2024 has enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom.
The 22-year-old was named Time’s Athlete of the Year for 2024 after a stellar debut season in the WNBA.
Records around attendance, viewership and revenue all sky-rocketed for the WNBA in 2024 and much of it can be traced back to the arrival of stars like Angel Reese and Clark.
Hill also explained that Nike dedicated women’s basketball team within the company are aiding the expansion into that market within women’s sport.
“Having a small team that’s focused on women’s basketball, it unlocked, we believe, opportunities for the game of basketball and also in product,” the CEO said.
“It becomes an opportunity to grow the overall marketplace by inviting more and more girls into the world of sports. It is an area we’ll continue to invest in with tremendous momentum right now.”
Clark is one of three WNBA players that have a signature shoe deal with Nike, with New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu and the Las Vegas Aces’ 3-time MVP A’ja Wilson the other two.
Ionescu’s first signature shoe was released in September 2023 and her second shoe debuted in June 2024, while Wilson’s shoe – will come out in 2025, eight years after she was drafted in 2018.
Unique to Clark though, will be the fact that she becomes the first women’s basketball player to have their own logo with Nike, a unique feat that is only reserved for the very best talent in the game.
It means Clark will join the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant as players with specific emblems, Nike hope this will serve to enhance her image globally and a way to release more specific merchandise around the star.
Since her NIL deal back in 2020, the WNBA star currently wears Nike KOBE sneakers as she awaits her own shoe.
Throughout her rookie season Nike have released colourways and player-exclusive styles that paid tribute to the 22-year-old.
Fans have reacted to Nike’s announcement, with a mix of responses as some feel a shoe should have already been released.
“Caitlin Clark finally getting her shoe in 2026? About time, this should have been a Christmas 2024 release. The ball was massively dropped. This is finally some welcome news though,” one posted on X.
“People have been questioning Nike way too much. They were there for Jordan, they know this is just getting started. Getting the Caitlin Clark launch right is must,” another fan posted.
The WNBA season returns on May 16 and Clark is scheduled to play in a blockbuster clash on the opening weekend, when the Fever take on Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky.
