Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark has signed numerous NIL deals, and one of the most talked about was the one with Gatorade in December.
The Iowa superstar showed off her creative skills by designing limited-release merchandise, including predominantly blue and pink Gx towels and Gx water bottles going for $45.
The record-breaking Iowa Hawkeyes star talked about why she took part in the collaboration with Gatorade.
“This has been a year of dreams coming true for me on and off the court, and working with Gatorade to elevate women’s basketball is just one more example of that,” Clark said in a release. “This collab is all about inspiring young girls to chase their dreams. I always dream big, and now I want to show them: you can too.”
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Immediately after the launch went live, fans rushed to the Gatorade website, causing it to develop problems and eventually crash, leading to multiple fan complaints on Gatorade's IG page.
The Caitlin Clark effect strikes in betting
The excitement level around the Iowa Hawkeyes star has risen to a fever pitch as the season has progressed and is now being labeled "The Caitlin Clark effect."
It has manifested itself in different ways, including exorbitant ticket prices and sold-out arenas wherever she plays.
The latest trend is in the gambling sector where games involving the superstar have more betting action than most, according to assistant director of trading for Caesars Sports, Adam Pullen.
"There’s been a tremendous uptick in action this season, and Clark has a major role to play in it," Pullen said. "That first game will be the interesting thing. It’ll probably have the least action of all the games Clark plays in the tournament. The gulf in talent is pretty significant. You might see a 50-point spread."
Pullen talked about how the gambling trends in games involving the Hawkeyes star would progress through March Madness.
"How long is Caitlin Clark gonna play? We’ll see if that has any effect," Pullen said. "But as the matchups get more competitive, you should see the handle on Iowa games growing. Iowa is far and away the leader in ticket count. It’s all Caitlin Clark and Iowa. Then, it’s South Carolina and LSU, which are almost the same."
Iowa has one of the hardest brackets to navigate from the Albany 2 Region despite being the No. 1 seed. Their bracket has LSU, UCLA, Colorado and Kansas State.
The Hawkeyes, led by Caitlin Clark, are second-favorites (+600) alongside Angel Reese's LSU Tigers to win the national championship just behind the South Carolina Gamecocks, according to BetMGM.
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