INDIANAPOLIS — Just days into her WNBA career, Caitlin Clark has reportedly locked down a massive shoe deal.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Indiana Fever rookie is close to signing an eight-figure endorsement deal with Nike, which will include her own signature Nike shoe.
Speaking on the "Up & Adams Show" on YouTube Thursday, Charania said the multi-year deal is likely worth more than $20 million.
"To get a signature shoe before you ever step foot on the pro level, that's a big, big deal," Charania said.
Clark reportedly also met with representatives from Adidas and Under Armour, which included NBA star Steph Curry in their pitch, but in the end, the former Iowa superstar stuck with Nike, with whom she had a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal in college.
The reported deal could be a sign of earnings to come for the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball, who stands to make just over $76,000 in her rookie season with the Fever. During her senior season at Iowa, Clark had NIL deals valued at just over $3 million, including agreements with Gatorade, State Farm and Buick, as well as Nike.
Within days of the WNBA draft, merchandise featuring Clark's name and number has been flying off the shelves. Her Fever jersey on the Fanatics website is in "pre-order" status, with delivery promised by mid-August, more than halfway through the WNBA's regular season schedule.
Most of the tickets to see Clark and the Fever in action at Gainbridge Fieldhouse have also sold already, weeks before the May 16 home opener. The Fever averaged just over 4,000 fans per game in 2023, but ticket sales show the 17,000-seat arena will likely be filled to capacity this season.
The "Caitlin Clark Effect" isn't limited to Indiana.
At least two WNBA teams, including the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces, have moved their home games against the Fever to larger venues. The Aces' July 2 game against Indiana will now be played at T-Mobile Arena, which seats over 6,000 more fans than their usual home arena. On Thursday, the Washington Mystics announced their June 7 game will be played at Capital One Arena, which has more than 20,300 seats, significantly larger than the 4,100-seat Entertainment & Sports Arena the Mystics usually call home.