“You Can’t Get Mad”: NBA Veteran Talks About the Signature Shoe Debate Between Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson

The largest shoe companies, including Puma, Adidas, Under Armour, and Nike, were battling for Caitlin Clark. Nike prevailed in the end! A $28 million eight-year contract is a significant deal in the WNBA. Seeing a rookie land a signature shoe deal is unexpected. A’ja Wilson, however, raised concerns about Clark’s Nike contract. What prevented A’ja Wilson, the two-time WNBA champion, from having her own trademark line has been a mystery to many.

Since well-known sportswriter Shams Charania projected that Caitlin Clark will be one of the few female basketball players with a signature shoe line, this topic has gained a lot of attention. However, it doesn’t appear that anyone is attempting to stop Clark. Wilson has worked in the sneaker industry for some time, but she doesn’t have her own line. Since her 2018 draft selection, she has amassed accolades such as two WNBA championships, two MVP awards, and five All-Star selections.

But let’s not overlook the fact that Nike had previously signed Caitlin Clark. This was in 2022, before she became a well-known player and dominated conversations about the NCAA. However, that agreement was about to expire as the  2023-24 college basketball season neared its conclusion.