Fact check: Does Caitlin Clark have a Nike deal?
Caitlin Clark has been the most dominant player in women's college basketball this year. The 6-foot Iowa guard is the country's third-leading scorer at 27.3 points per game and first in the NCAA in assists per game at 8.6 per game.
Along with most of the country, Nike has taken notice of her impressive play, signing Clark to an NIL deal in October. This is the most notable name on her long list of brand deals, which includes Bose, Goldman Sachs, Hy-Vee and H&R Block. Nike is especially noteworthy as the company is extremely selective in the athletes that it chooses to represent its brand, especially at the college level.
ESPN reported that Clark was earning over $1 million in NIL revenue before the Nike deal came together. She joins Bronny James, DJ Wagner and Jaley Jones as representatives of Nike.
The Nike deal was also reported to be in the seven figures. This is even crazier when you consider that Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces is the highest-paid WNBA player at $252,450 per year.
With each of the blue-blood programs eliminated from the men's NCAA Tournament, Caitlin Clark is the biggest star remaining in college basketball. She has been wearing the "Bruce Lee" Kobe Bryant sneakers throughout March Madness.
Caitlin Clark has been wearing the “Bruce Lee” Kobe 5s for #MarchMadness 🔥🔥 https://t.co/JNsl6Vd1sY
What's Next for Caitlin Clark?
Led by the strong play of Caitlin Clark, the Iowa Hawkeyes remain alive in the women's NCAA Tournament. They are set to square off against top-seeded South Carolina in the Final Four on Friday night.
Clark is coming off an impressive 41-point, 12-assist and 10-rebound performance in the team's Elite Eight victory over Louisville on Sunday. Iowa also took down Colorado, Georgia and Southern Louisiana University during its route to the Final Four.
The heavyweight matchup against South Carolina will be a huge test for the Hawkeyes as the Gamecocks are regarded as the tournament favorites. The undefeated, defending national champion is the tournament's No. 1 overall seed.
Whichever team comes out of the matchup should feel good about its chances of winning a national championship victory, and it is one of the most highly anticipated women's college basketball matchups in recent years.
This is Clark's third season at Iowa, so she will likely return for her senior season. While the WNBA will be itching to make her a top pick and a key part of a franchise in the future, Clark seems happy at Iowa, and it makes financial sense for her to stay.
There are sure to be plenty of questions about her future once the season concludes, but for now, Caitlin Clark and the rest of Iowa will be locked in on winning an NCAA championship.