Tag: WNBA

Caitlin Clark’s new signature shoe with Nike is a great sign of things to come, but we need more

Pull it together, Nike.

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.

The apparel company, which previously had a NIL deal with Clark, recently signed the No.1 overall WNBA Draft pick to a lucrative $28 million deal that reportedly includes a signature shoe. An endorsement deal of that magnitude says Clark is worth the investment for the attention she brings to women’s basketball and the revenue that will inevitably follow her new WNBA career.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Another Nike athlete, Serena Williams, recently told Amanda Davies and Issy Ronal of CNN that investing in women comes with an all-but-sure reward:

“There is no risk (factor),” she said.

“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.”

The market is ready; your move, Nike.

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Breanna Stewart is taking the long view on the WNBA’s meager salaries

“The WNBA has been around for 28 years, which is really small compared to any other league in professional sports.”

With the arrival of the 2024 draft class, the WNBA salary debate is re-infiltrating sports circles. Fans, pundits, and even media personalities like Whoopi Goldberg are discussing how much money the WNBA is making and how little it is seemingly paying its players. However, two-time champion and 2023 league MVP Breanna Stewart says a salary increase will not immediately occur.

As 2024’s highly anticipated draft is introduced to the sports world, many people have wondered why these top-tier college athletes won’t be paid as much as their NBA counterparts. The answer is complex and includes factors like media rights deals and investment from owners. Still, the seemingly low numbers don’t wholly reflect the growth and changes that have been happening for several years — changes that New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart says will take some time to feel.

Per Natasha Dye and Julie Mazziotta of People, here’s what Stewie recently shared about the WNBA salary debate:

“I think that the changes have been happening. The WNBA has been around for 28 years, which is really small compared to any other league in professional sports. Hopefully, soon again, we’ll be at another turning point, where we’ll have another CBA, and that’ll also increase player salaries.

You can talk about opportunities for pensions and charters and all these things, but it’s not something that’s going to change overnight, and it’s the mix between us continuing to be great on the court and taking advantage of the things happening off the court.”

South Carolina’s Dawn Staley raves about Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso pairing in WNBA

Two college rivals are now set to join forces in the WNBA.

Two big-time college rivals are now set to join forces in the WNBA.

The Chicago Sky selected South Carolina center [autotag]Kamilla Cardoso[/autotag] third overall and later took LSU forward [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] with the seventh pick in the 2024 WNBA draft on Monday night. Now, two players who faced head-to-head multiple times in college will unite to create one of the toughest frontcourt groups in the league.

Speaking recently on 670 The Score, Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley had high praise for both players and said she was excited to see them play together.

“Kamilla is the ultimate competitor,” Staley said. “Angel Reese — ultimate competitor. We had a lot of battles, last year and this season. We were the top two teams in the SEC, so you know they are enemies by nature because of rivalry. But now they’ve joined hands in hopefully bringing a WNBA championship to Chicago. I’m a fan. I’m gonna get me some season tickets. I know I won’t be there the entire season. But somebody’s gonna be sitting in my seats cheering Kamilla Cardoso on.”

The pair will look to bring the Sky their second championship in franchise history after they won the WNBA in 2021.

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Seattle is storming in with a new state-of-the-art practice facility

It is a 50,000 square foot facility which will serve as the team’s dedicated practice facility and team headquarters.

Almost one year ago, the Las Vegas Aces unveiled the first-of-its-kind training facility built solely to house a WNBA team. And now, the Seattle Storm have unveiled their new Center for Basketball Performance, the “first dedicated WNBA practice facility designed and built from the ground up.”

“This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance,” said Ginny Gilder, co-owner of the Storm. “It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports.”

It is a 50,000-square-foot facility that will serve as the team’s dedicated practice facility and headquarters. There are two indoor professional basketball courts, two outdoor 3×3 courts, and an exclusive suite for the team that includes a locker room, a nutrition center and a player lounge. The facility also caters to the physical and mental needs of players with strength and conditioning equipment, health and wellness suites and an aquatics center.

Players were able to tour the facility and looked right at home in the new digs. The center is set to open its doors for the start of training camp on April 28.

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Angel Reese is swapping the Bayou for Chicago and emerging with a new persona

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.

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Whoopi Goldberg jumps into WNBA salary debate, slams ESPN on The View for not investing more

“The women have the headlines. They have the fans. They have the viewers.”

So many people are talking about WNBA salaries and how things like TV and media rights play a direct role in their value. Now, Whoopi Goldberg is seemingly peeved with ESPN over the network’s approach to investing in the league.

In case you missed it, there was a lot of conversation this week about how much WNBA players make and why it’s so much less than the NBA. (We explained why here.) That chatter has somehow made its way over to Whoopi Goldberg and The View.

Goldberg took time on Thursday to make an impassioned plea for action regarding WNBA salaries and specifically took exception to ESPN’s approach.

Here’s what she told those in the studio audience (Warning: NSFW language used):

“The women have the headlines. They have the fans. They have the viewers. When the [expletive] are they going to get paid?…

Because ESPN, who we work with as part of the Disney thing, they came in and swooped in and said, ‘OK, we’re going to start to do this.’

I know there’s a re-up coming, but they should have kissed this deal by taking care of all of the WNBA and giving them enough money for a bump up because you know you have another deal to make. They should have sweetened that deal.”

Tim McGraw rocks a Caitlin Clark jersey (again!) at recent concert

Add Tim McGraw to the list of Caitlin Clark mega fans.

Caitlin Clark has become a cultural phenomenon in women’s basketball.

After a record-setting career at Iowa, Clark — one of the most highly anticipated WNBA draft picks of all time — was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever on Monday night.

Clark brought a lot of attention to the college game, helping lead to attendance records for both Iowa and its opponents as well as viewership records during the recent NCAA tournament.

It seems she’s also grown a celebrity fanbase. At a concert in Iowa last month, country music star Tim McGraw rocked Clark’s Hawkeyes jersey. He did so again while performing in Indianapolis on Thursday night, this time wearing Clark’s new Fever threads.

McGraw is clearly a big fan of Clark, who became the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader this season. He’s not the only one, as Monday’s draft with Clark as the headliner was the most watched of all time.

Clark is expected to do big things in the WNBA, and it’s obvious the hype train isn’t slowing down now that she’s left college.

‘Bayou Barbie’ Angel Reese revealed new nickname with Chicago Sky

The “Bayou Barbie” has a new nickname for her WNBA career.

Since transferring from Maryland to LSU ahead of the 2022-23 season, superstar women’s basketball forward Angel Reese has been known by her moniker “Bayou Barbie.”

Reese even went as far as trying to trademark the nickname, though it was ultimately denied. But now that she’s heading from Louisiana to Chicago after the WNBA’s Sky drafted her with the seventh overall pick, it’s time for a new nickname.

She recently revealed that she will now be known as the “Chi Barbie,” a play on the name of the city of Chicago.

After Monday’s draft, Reese took to X (formerly Twitter) to ask for advice on a new nickname.

In a TikTok video posted on Thursday, Reese revealed that she is now embracing the “Chi Barbie” nickname.

@angelreese10

see yall soon💋

♬ original sound – angel

It’s undergone a few iterations, as she has also been called the “Baltimore Barbie” after her hometown as well as “Bayou Barbie” since she joined the Tigers, who she led to their first national championship in program history in 2023.

Now, Reese is heading off to the WNBA where she’ll team up with former college rival Kamilla Cardoso to comprise an intimidating frontcourt. It seems she’ll also be bringing a new nickname with her.

Could Serena Williams be the next WNBA team owner?

Williams knows a good investment when she sees one and believes women’s sport is “an overly safe bet to me when it comes to investing.”

The WNBA is growing, and with players like Caitlin Clark and Kamilla Cardoso joining the league, the viewership will only skyrocket. The W is expanding with a new franchise in the Bay Area starting play in 2025 and another expansion franchise shortly on the horizon, or so we are told.

“I absolutely would be (interested),” Williams told CNN in an exclusive interview. “With the right market, I would definitely be super interested in that.”

This wouldn’t be the first professional sports team Williams is a part owner of. She also has stakes in soccer club Angel City FC and golf franchise Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC).

Williams is not only a 23-time Grand Slam champion and tennis legend but also a savvy investor. She knows a good investment when she sees one and recently remarked that women’s sports are “an overly safe bet to me when it comes to investing.”

She has invested in roughly 100 companies, and multiple of them are now valued at over $1 billion.

“I invest in a lot of companies, early companies, and I’ve always done this,” Williams said on social media. “I’ve actually been investing for over 14 years and just been an entrepreneur while I was playing tennis. It’s super important for me to make a plan B while I was doing my plan A.”

Investing is important to her and she even has her six-year-old daughter, Olympia, as a co-owner of Angel City FC and LAGC. Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, shared on social media the Olympia is the youngest professional sports owner in history.

With the expansion of the W on the horizon, the league could not do any better than having Williams as an investor.

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Geno Auriemma says changing the WNBA eligibility rules could ruin women’s college basketball

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.

In fact, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James spoke recently about how that familiarity has generated more star power for the women’s side than the men’s side of the sport.

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.

As of 2022, domestic women’s college players who are graduating seniors or are at least 22 years old can be eligible for the WNBA Draft. Meanwhile, men’s college basketball players only have to play for a year pre-NBA before turning pro.

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.

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