A’ja Wilson is challenging anyone who is a fan of women’s basketball and a fan of Caitlin Clark to continue supporting her and the entire WNBA.
With record-breaking viewership numbers, sold-out games and jersey sales, it feels like everyone is watching women’s sports. A good reason behind that seismic shift is the rise in popularity of women’s basketball and a proverbial comet, Caitlin Clark.
A’ja Wilson, two-time WNBA champion and reigning Defensive Player of the Year — and a new entrant to the Time 100 — hopes that if people come to watch Caitlin Clark’s debut season, they stay for the foreseeable future and support Caitlin and the league.
When recently asked at a Time event what it’s like to watch Caitlin’s rise in real-time, this is the insight Wilson shared (See 2:00 minute mark of the video below.):
“I feel like it’s becoming amazing, actually…because I play it, and I have been in it, and I see everyone else watch it. I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah. It’s about time you guys joined.'”
“I hope this isn’t just a trend. I feel like we see it a lot with young athletes, like, ‘Oh my god. We love her. We want to do this.’ Then, the minute it kind of shifts, or her path is a little rocky, all that goes away. I feel like that’s when it’s needed most. That’s when it’s an investment.”
“Buy that jersey. Go to that game. Take someone else. Put your money where your mouth is and invest in these women.”
UConn alumna Nika Muhl is off to make her mark in the WNBA. On April 15, the Seattle Storm selected Muhl 14th overall. Still, she hasn’t forgotten the people who have helped her arrive at this moment, including UConn head coach Geno Auriemma. Muhl recently paid Auriemma a visit to say goodbye to him, and you might want to grab your tissues.
Geno Auriemma has a different kind of relationship with his players. He’s tough on them but also believes in them so much. That didn’t change when Nika Muhl recently visited Geno. In a newly released video, Nika walks into Geno’s office and immediately calls him “Grampy” — an ode to his notorious old man ways and uncanny ability to resemble the grandfather from Up — before being on the receiving end of him trolling her.
However, before the clip is over, Nika can be heard pouring into Geno and sharing these heartfelt words:
“You changed my life. Your impact — I don’t think you’re aware of it…You’ve impacted so many people around me, including me. There’s never been a single person like you, and there never will be in the world. I hope you know how unique you are, how special you are.”
Caitlin Clark is a proverbial comet whose galactical skills have captured the attention of fans, the media and, most recently, multi-billion dollar companies, like Nike.
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder: If Clark received this large of a deal before ever playing a minute of professional basketball, was Nike always able to invest this amount of money in other women athletes? Yes, but not in the way we typically think.
The bidding war for Caitlin Clark wasn't even close in the end
• Nike: 8-years/$28 million • Adidas: 4-years/$6 million • Under Armour: 4-years/$16 million • Puma: *dropped out after hearing $3 million*
When it comes to following the “it” athletes, Nike owns that process fairly well. It’s been ahead of the curve several times, including when it partnered with college basketball star turned WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes in 1995 to drop the Air Swoopes. Nike came back to the WNBA well again with Lisa Leslie and her signature shoe — the Total Air 9, which was a whopping $140 in 1998 — and kept going with stars like Dawn Staley, Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, Chamique Holdsclaw and Diana Taurasi.
As with any trend, there are ebbs and flows, and when Nike didn’t see a strong enough return on investment with women’s signature shoes, it paused its production until a new wave of talent could convince it otherwise. Enter Elena Delle Donne and Sabrina Ionescu. Delle Donne received a signature shoe in 2022, and the New York Liberty’s current 3-point specialist, Ionescu, followed suit in 2023 after signing a deal with the brand in 2020 worth $24 million.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: The Nike shoes of Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty are seen during the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Aces in Game Three of the 2023 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center on October 15, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
That brings us to 2024, when — if it hadn’t already — the design work on Caitlin Clark’s signature will begin. What prompted Nike to jump back into the women’s signature market? Integrated marketing told them to.
No, really. It did.
Integrated marketing is a strategy companies use to align its internal and external marketing channels to promote a product (Caitlin Clark) within the same time frame and typically through some sort of campaign (the women’s college basketball season). The immediate benefit it provides is that it tells the same primary brand story through every possible touchpoint for that company’s target audience.
So, if fans discovered Caitlin Clark through a live TikTok feed and then suddenly visited that company’s website, where there were more videos and additional articles about Caitlin and the feed, fans would have been part of a targeted, holistic brand experience without even knowing it. The company just aligned its message and gave fans a chance to see the same content and storytelling in different formats.
Iowa-Maryland was the most-watched women’s college basketball game in Fox Sports history, averaging 1.58M viewers.
Once those same fans signal back through data that this is the type of content they want to consume, market value is generated, followed by actual return on investment. That’s where Nike saw value in its line of business and decided another signature shoe needed to happen.
What’s fascinating is that the caliber of talent Nike acquired during its pause in signature shoe production didn’t particularly dip. After all, Nike did sign two-time WNBA champion and two-time MVP A’ja Wilson to a contract in 2018. However, Wilson’s tenure might appear different from that of her fellow Nike counterparts because the latter possibly have benefited from the unexpected rise of integrated marketing.
Apr 1, 2024; Albany, NY, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) is interviewed after defeating the LSU Lady Tigers in the finals of the Albany Regional in the 2024 NCAA Tournament at MVP Arena. (Gregory Fisher/USA TODAY Sports)
In simpler terms, the rise in popularity of the WNBA and women’s college basketball has impeccably collided with our “gotta-have-it-at-my fingertips,” social media-influenced society in real-time. While it’s still a bit mystifying that Nike has not signed Wilson or more top women’s basketball athletes to a signature shoe deal, the paper trail has more than suggested that the time to pivot and invest is now, as Sports Business Journal notes.
Investing in women's sports isn't charity—it's a smart business move 👏
Arctos Partners' TJ Adeshola tells brands to take notes and tap into this market, which can drive significant business growth. #WCOS2024pic.twitter.com/x5C9omYkzx
Caitlin Clark created a historical moment for the game, but women’s sports is the movement. Nike has a chance to expand the movement further, starting with the remaining phenomenal athletes of the 2024 WNBA Draft class and even venturing over to the 2025 class, which includes front-runner Paige Bueckers, who already has an NIL deal with the company.
“Women’s sport is exciting; women are exciting to watch. What’s the difference? … I think that even more people watched the college women’s basketball than the men. So I think that people are realizing that is exciting to watch.”
Reese will be carrying major deals into the WNBA, including her multiyear, exclusive partnership with Panini America.
SponsorUnited recently released its Name, Image, Likeness Marketing Partnerships 2023–24 report, which offers an in-depth analysis of brand endorsements and social media collaborations across 17 college sports. According to the report, former LSU player Angel Reese had the second-most NIL endorsements over the past year with 26 deals, tied with UCLA quarterback Chase Griffin.
Reese also had the highest follower growth of any athlete across her social media accounts and the highest number of deals in SEC women’s basketball. The report also found that 35% of brands invest exclusively in NIL athletes versus major pro sports athletes. However, players like Reese will be carrying major deals into the WNBA, including her multiyear, exclusive partnership with Panini America, which includes autographed trading cards and memorabilia.
The report also found that while male athletes currently represent 65% of all NIL athletes, women athletes average a higher number of brand deals than their male counterparts at a rate of 3.5 to 2.5. There is also a broader distribution of deals across sports for women than men. NIL deals for male athletes are predominantly seen in football at 72%, while women’s deals are more evenly spread across basketball (35%), gymnastics (18%) and volleyball (15%).
Additionally, NIL deal distribution among the top 100 most endorsed athletes is balanced between women (52%) and men (48%), which is a marked difference from the previous year’s distribution of 62% men and 38% women.
Reese is no longer in college athletics, as the Chicago Sky drafted her No. 7 overall in the 2024 WNBA draft. However, her partnerships will continue to increase, and she will continue to make waves in professional sports, just like she did in college.
As Reese moves her life from the Bayou to Chicago, she wanted to spice up her nickname to reflect her new life.
Former LSU star Angel Reese was selected seventh overall by the Chicago Sky during the 2024 WNBA draft. As she moves her life from the Bayou to Chicago, she wanted to spice up her nickname, which was formerly Bayou Barbie, to reflect her new life.
She took to social media to ask her followers what her new nickname should be, but it couldn’t be just anything. As Reese put it: “i need a new name now that i’m in chicago lol something cute that is catchy like Bayou Barbie.”
Reese is a new class of athlete who grew up in college during the name, image and likeness era, when college athletes were finally able to monetize their personal brands. She is entering into the WNBA with a huge social media following, multiple endorsement deals and a strong brand identity.
One of the sponsorships Reese will take with her to the WNBA is a multiyear, exclusive partnership with Panini America, which includes autographed trading cards and memorabilia. Thus, it may seem comical that she is searching for a new nickname, but it is actually a savvy business move as she transitions from college into the W from one city to a new city.
“Hey y’all, so it’s the Chi Barbie here,” Reese said in a video on social media. “I want y’all to know I’m still gonna be the Bayou Barbie, but like, I’m going to Chicago now.”
This new wave of players is shaping how athletes transition from college to the pros. They have business acumen and understand what it is like to run a business and a brand. They are finally allowed to fully flourish in their entrepreneurial journey, and the opportunities it will open for all athletes are going to be exponential.
Dawn Staley said that Caitlin Clark is the sole reason for the ratings boost in women’s college hoops.
While South Carolina topped Iowa in the women’s NCAA national championship game this month, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley is giving sole credit to former Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark for the recent ratings boost in the sport.
Speaking with 670 The Score about spreading awareness for the sport, Staley argued that Clark is “the sole reason” for the ratings boost the game has experienced recently, and that her popularity helps bring awareness to other deserving athletes in the sport when they play each other.
“Caitlin Clark is the sole reason why viewership has shot through the roof for our game,” Staley told the radio show. “And I think the decision-makers are following suit in making sure that other games are being played besides Caitlin Clark because, if you play Caitlin Clark, you’re going to run up against somebody that you might find that’s pretty good.”
"Caitlin Clark is the sole reason why viewership has shot through the roof for our game — the sole reason," South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley says.
Staley’s sentiments make sense in the way that rising tides lift all boats, and Clark’s popularity absolutely drew audiences in and exposed them to more of the college game’s bright stars.
However, others might argue that while Clark may have been the main reason for the recent ratings boost, there were other standouts in the game that played a key role in the recent elevation of awareness.
Either way, Staley is an authoritative voice in women’s college basketball, and her praise of Clark’s impact on the game holds major credence.
Geno Auriemma thinks WNBA eligibility rules should stay exactly as they are to preserve women’s college hoops.
Women’s college basketball is in a place of high interest right now after the careers of stars like Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, LSU’s Angel Reese, South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso and UConn’s Paige Bueckers.
However, the odds of losing one of those premiere talents after a year could ruin the women’s college hoops altogether, at least to UConn coaching legend Geno Auriemma told ESPN Radio’s “UnSportsmanLike” this week.
To Auriemma, giving women’s basketball athletes the chance to leave after only a year could prove catastrophic.
“It depends whether you want the game to grow or you want to kill it,” Auriemma shared on the show. “If you want to kill it, then let the kids leave after freshman year.
“On the men’s side, it’s become transactional. Everybody’s a free agent. Everybody’s a mercenary. It’s not the kids’ fault. … To me, what helped the women’s game grow is the people in Iowa got to grow up with Caitlin Clark. The people of Connecticut got to grow up with all of my great players. There’s something to be said for that.”
While we’re not sure what the future holds for WNBA eligibility, we do know that Auriemma joins the group who feels things should stay exactly as they are.
Plum’s initiative with Under Armour was started in 2023 and helps ease the transition from college basketball to the pros.
Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum announced her 2024 Dawg Class, an initiative with Under Armour started in 2023 to “help ease the transition from college basketball to the pros.”
The second cohort of athletes includes players Plum believes have a tough mentality on the court and deserve a shot to be mentored by her. Some of the players were drafted in the 2024 WNBA draft and some are still in college and not yet eligible to declare for the draft. Plum believes this mix provides a great atmosphere for all players to grow in their journeys.
The players selected to the 2024 Dawg Class:
MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina
Raven Johnson, South Carolina
Deja Kelly, North Carolina
Saniya Rivers, NC State
Dyaisha Fair, Aces
Aziaha James, NC State
KK Arnold, UConn
Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State
Nika Mühl, Seattle Storm
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
“The Dawg Class with Under Armour will bridge the gap between college and the professional game,” Plum said when she launched the program last spring. “It’s difficult to jump to the next level and I didn’t have anyone helping me navigate the unknown. I want to pass on the knowledge that I’ve gained and the resources available to me now to young women who are about to take that next step.”
The inaugural 2023 class included Azzi Fudd, Deja Kelly, Diamond Miller, Georgia Amoore, Gianna Kneepkens, Hailey Van Lith, KK Bransford, Raven Johnson and Rori Harmon.
A few players were invited to attend again this season, with Amoore, Johnson and Kelly being repeat dawgs.
The three-day camp will take place at the IMG Academy in Florida in April.
In a sudden turn of events, Haley Cavinder will not be playing for TCU this season. She’s re-joining her sister, Hanna, in Miami. No, we are not joking.
If you’ve been following the story of the Cavinder twins, you might know that they retired from college basketball to pursue careers as influencers and then unretired to return to basketball. But their story took another unexpected twist on Thursday.
Here’s some of the rationale that Haley shared about her decision to team up with Hanna again:
“I’ve decided to return to the University of Miami and play with Hann for our final and fifth year. There is nothing more important than family and the bond I share with my twin sister. Being presented with the opportunity to play together one more time is something I cannot pass up.”
Well, they’re both in their 40s now and several years into retirement. But we’re about to see their surnames on the back of jerseys in Louisville, Kentucky.
Mackenly Randolph (a 6-foot forward) and Izela Arenas (a 5-foot-9 guard) have been high school teammates at Sierra Canyon in California. And now, they’re going to join forces at Louisville in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Feel old yet?
Always great to see our girls [and our program] get some recognition‼️
Both players are tabbed as top 100 recruits in the 2024 class, and they’ll be paired with a third top-ranked prospect in Tajianna Avant-Roberts of IMG Academy. All three will play in the Jordan Brand Classic on April 21 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Here’s what Walz – who has guided Louisville to four Final Fours since 2009 – said about them…
On Randolph:
“Mac displays a relentless pursuit of excellence. She is a tremendous leader on and off the court and brings with her a championship mindset. Her energy is contagious, and her versatility will be showcased in our system. If you need a rebound, she will pursue it. Need a bucket, she’ll manufacture points. She will win the hearts of the Cardinal faithful with her hustle, toughness and determination. She is a bonafide winner.”
And on Arenas:
“Izela is a bonafide scorer on an elite high school team. She hunts shots and is creative off the bounce. She also is an unselfish teammate and a great facilitator on the break. Izela is a consummate gym rat and has a love affair with the game. She is a proficient scorer from the 3-point line and can also attack off the bounce. Her toughness and grit are unmatched, and she will no doubt light up a room with her presence.”
Randolph chose Louisville over offers from Notre Dame and her father’s alma mater Michigan State, among others. Arenas also had offers from her dad’s school, Arizona, as well as Oregon and Iowa State.
Louisville was upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament this season by Middle Tennessee State. With Randolph and Arenas in the fold, expectations will be high for the Cardinals.
