Caitlin Clark had some tough decisions on her plate before she signed with Nike.

Iowa, Fever guard Caitlin Clark stands by Indiana, Nike logos
The Indiana Fever are entering a new era after drafting Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark. Clark’s ceiling is sky-high, and the team hopes she takes them to a new level. Shoe companies have also recognized Clark’s value. She signed a deal with Nike worth roughly $28 million. However, other companies reportedly had shocking conditions for Clark to sign with them.

Some companies requested that Clark stay with the Iowa women’s basketball team for them to give her an offer.

“It also included a few of the shoe company executives, who believed that being a college player was a major part of her allure. Several went as far as making their offers conditional on her staying in school for another year, according to a person familiar with the situation,” the Wall Street Journal reported.

Clark was able to find a company that aligned with her decision to go pro. Nike seemingly had no problems with Clark leaving college. Her partnership with the renowned company should pay off big time, given her transcendent basketball ability.

The Fever are hoping Clark’s ability will pay off for them as well. In some areas, it already has.

Clark has not played a single WNBA game. Yet, the league is anticipating massive interest in her and the Fever. Indiana will have 36 of its 40 games on the WNBA’s national broadcast and streaming partners, including eight times across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. Other games will be on ION, NBA TV, Prime Video, and the CBS Sports/Television Network.

The hype for Clark is real and fitting. The star guard is coming off one of the most dominant college basketball seasons in history.

Caitlin Clark looks to carry momentum from college into Fever debut

Clark broke too many records to count during her four years at Iowa. Most notably, she eclipsed Kelsey Plum and Pete Maravich’s records to become the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer. In addition, she passed Diana Taurasi for the most the-pointers in the NCAA Tournament after she went 9 for 20 against LSU in the Elite 8.

The star guard put her offensive prowess on full display the entire season. Clark averaged 31.6 points, 8.9 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game during the 2023-24 season. Her exceptional deep-range shooting ability has compared her to greats like Sabrina Ionescu and Stephen Curry, but her will production last in the WNBA?

Thankfully, Clark does not have to carry the load alone. Her pairing with highly regarded teammate Aliyah Boston should make the Fever’s offense run seamlessly. Clark was not shy about expressing her excitement to play with Boston after draft night.

“There’s so much you can say about her. Rookie of the Year. In my eyes, one of the best players in the league. And like I said, as a point guard, my biggest job is: I’m just feeding Aliyah the ball every single game. That’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna go in there and be like ‘Hey, go make a layup.’ She’s gonna make my life easy. But she’s incredible,” Clark said shortly after the draft.

Things are looking bright for Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and the Fever. It is great to see the star guard find business partners like Nike that allow her to pursue her craft at the highest level. Hopefully, Indiana will ascend to great heights during the 2024 WNBA season.