Caitlin Clark just made history by becoming first athlete since Michael Jordan to accomplish this honor
Caitlin Clark is in rarefied air.
The new face of the WNBA has become the first athlete since Michael Jordan in the 1980s to collaborate with Wilson on a line of basketballs.
Clark’s deal includes the release of three different basketball designs, as well as other Wilson-branded products and initiatives.
It echoes a similar deal MJ signed shortly after joining the NBA in 1984.
Jordan became a six-time NBA champion and Finals MVP who starred on the 1992 Team USA Olympics team that only ever lost one game – to a bunch of college kids.
“Wilson has been with me across some of the most pivotal moments in my career so far, and I couldn’t be more excited to continue driving basketball forward alongside them,” Clark said in a press release.
“It feels surreal to have my own basketball collection, and to affect what that means for future generations of athletes.”
“I think it is super special, and it’s been fun for me,” Clark told Boardroom.
“I feel like I was just that young kid who had those basketballs that I would store in the garage. I’m just very lucky and fortunate to partner with Wilson to create something that everyone can enjoy. It connects with a lot of generations, and it’ll be fun to see kids walking around holding them.”
Clarky’s multi-year partnership deal will have her serve as an ambassador for the company.
Wilson said the Indiana Fever shooter will “test, advise and provide feedback on a range” of its basketball products and will “creatively direct her first-ever signature basketball line” that will roll out later this year.
It is the first deal of its kind since MJ in the ’80sCredit: Getty
Clark is the new face of women’s basketballCredit: Getty
“Wilson is made to celebrate the most iconic moments in sport, and we have always aligned ourselves with trailblazers who break boundaries and write their own story,” Amanda Lamb, head of global brand at Wilson, said in a statement.
“Caitlin Clark is not just a record-setting athlete, but a cultural icon who has had a profound impact on the game. We couldn’t be prouder to join forces with her to continue innovating basketball both on and off the court.”
Clark’s measly professional contract went viral when she was drafted No. 1 overall in April’s WNBA Draft.
Since then, however, she has racked up several lucrative endorsement deals with the likes of State Farm and Gatorade – estimated to be worth around $3 million.
The 22-year-old Clark is also on the verge of signing an eight-figure endorsement deal with Nike that is expected to provide her with her own signature shoe.
The Nike Air Jordans enhanced MJ’s standing as a global icon in the ’80s and ’90s and the hope is Clark’s shoe deal will do the same.
Clark set the all-time NCAA scoring record as a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes and reached the national championship game for the second consecutive season.
The Caitlin Clark effect was unstoppable in college but life has been difficult so far in the WNBA.
She’s been on the receiving end of Jordan Rules-like physicality from veteran opposition through her first few games of the season.
MJ was treated with similarly tough play during his early years, especially against the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons, until he eventually overcame them.
Clark set an unwanted record on her WNBA debut and her Fever team are currently winless after five games.
However, Clark sits in the league’s top-five for average points, assists and blocks per game.
