Breakout basketball star Caitlin Clark has achieved something that hasn’t been done since Michael Jordan.
The WNBA player has signed a multiyear deal with Wilson Sporting Goods Co., the league’s official basketball supplier, to create “signature basketball collections celebrating Clark’s continued legacy,” the company announced on Tuesday.
Wilson stated that Clark will “test, advise and provide feedback on a range” of its basketball products, become a brand ambassador, and release new collections celebrating her throughout 2024. Additionally, she will “creatively direct her first-ever signature basketball line” set to debut later this year.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Clark is the first-ever female athlete to have her own collection with Wilson, a company spokesperson told CNN. The series is being developed similarly to Jordan’s collection in the 1980s, which included signature basketballs.
“Wilson has been with me across some of the most pivotal moments in my career so far, and I couldn’t be more excited to continue driving basketball forward alongside them,” Clark said in a press release. “It feels surreal to have my own basketball collection, and to affect what that means for future generations of athletes.”
The first collection was released Tuesday on Wilson’s website, featuring a limited collection of gold-colored basketballs adorned with a drawing of Clark and her signature.
Wilson, which has produced the basketballs for the NBA for several decades, became the official game ball of the WNBA in 2020. The company also sells basketballs with WNBA team logos.
Clark, the no. 1 draft pick, joined the Indiana Fever earlier this month and has significantly impacted the league. Her debut drew an average of 2.1 million viewers on ESPN2, ESPN+, and Disney+, making it the most-watched WNBA game in over two decades.
Nike is also reportedly close to signing Clark to design her shoe line, though no official deal has been announced. She also has sponsorship deals with State Farm, Gatorade, Panini, and others, valued at around $3 million.
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