Caitlin Clark signs prestigious NIL deal with Nike

One of the biggest stars in college basketball just received a big time deal with Nike.

Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark was one of five student-athletes to receive a name image and likeness deal with mega-power sporting company Nike. She is joined by Stanford guard Haley Jones, as well as Sierra Canyon guard Juju Watkins as the three women athletes to receive a deal.

Caitlin Clark reflected on how Nike and their athletes impacted her journey to stardom.

“I grew up watching Nike athletes across all sports play their game. They have inspired me to work hard and make a difference. I’m humbled to be part of this first Nike Basketball class and passionate about inspiring the next,” Clark told ESPN’s Nick DePaula.

Excited to officially join the Nike family🤍🤍🤍 let’s gooooo 😎🤫 @nikebasketball https://t.co/mTIuAtaPo6

— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) October 10, 2022

Joining Clark and Jones are three of the biggest stars in men’s high school basketball, Nike capitalizing on NIL opportunities to sign them before their rise to hopeful global superstardom.

Joining the Nike brand are Camden guard DJ Wagner, and Sierra Canyon guard Bronny James. If those names sound familiar, it’s for good reason. The Camden guard is the son of former sixth overall pick Dajuan Wagner, or if you’re from an older generation, is the grandson of NCAA and NBA champion Milt Wagner. Wagner is currently the highest ranked or second highest ranked player in the 2023 recruiting class, depending on which recruiting source you use.

Bronny James is of course the son of NBA legend Lebron James. He is a four-star guard whose future is kind of up in the air. Nobody really knows if he is going to play at the college level or not. Will he go in the G-League? Will there be the opportunity for him to go pro right away? It is unknown at this current point in time.

This recent batch of NIL deals just shows the advancements in opportunities for female hoopers. Wagner and James are two of the most recognizable names in high school basketball, Wagner seen as a potential NBA star. It’s great to see a light not only shine on two NCAA stars in Clark and Jones, but on Juju Watkins as well. Watkins is seen as the consensus #1 recruit in the high school ranks, and the next big time NCAA Women’s Basketball star.

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