After Sabrina Ionescu, expert predicts A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark's signature shoes to become staples for hoopers

The success of Sabrina Ionescu's sneakers is expected to be emulated this year by A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark's signature lines, according to Boardroom's Nick DePaula.

DePaula said that in 2025, women's signature shoes will dominate all levels of basketball. He predicted that it would be a breakthrough year for the signature shoes of three-time WNBA MVP and Las Vegas Aces star Wilson and the 2024 Rookie of the Year and Indiana Fever star Clark.

Other signature models, including Breanna Stewart and Angel Reese, are expected to be released.

"Building on the success of the Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu signature series, I’m expecting 2025 to be the breakthrough year that turns the tides for women’s sigs for good. The signature launch list for the next 18 months is expected to include Stewie, Sabrina, A’ja Wilson, Angel Reese, and Caitlin Clark," DePaula wrote.

On Dec. 7, DePaula said on X that the Nike Sabrina 2 is the second-most worn sneakers in the 2024-25 NBA season. The Sabrina model was worn 7,867 minutes by NBA players as of Dec. 5. It only trails the Nike Kobe 6 (15,091 minutes).

The popularity of Ionescu's line as a nightly staple in basketball can be followed by other women's signature models, as the market suggests.

"I expect there to also be as many as 100 total players across the NBA lacing up a woman’s namesake sneaker in the upcoming 2025-26 season," he added.

DePaula also predicted a global expansion could be underway for a women's signature shoe.

"With Nike’s brand muscle continuing to push the defending WNBA champion point guard into the new year and additional women’s sigs on the way, we could also see the first WNBA signature player tour to make its mark overseas — a must in growing a player’s signature series business globally," DePaula said.

Sabrina Ionescu's sneakers' popularity and A'ja Wilson's and Caitlin Clark's shoe deals

In October 2024, Boardroom announced on Instagram that Sabrina Ionescu's signature line had grown "roughly five times" in revenue last year.

According to the post, Nike announced the figures in an earnings call. The Sabrina series leapfrogged the Kobe line, which "nearly quadrupled," and the AlphaFly line, which "almost tripled."

This development came a few months after Boardroom's Nick DePaula announced on X that the Sabrina 1 sneakers were the brand's "No. 1 shoe of the fiscal year on its Nike by You platform."

Ionescu inked a deal with Nike in April 2020, not long after she was drafted as the first overall pick by the New York Liberty. For Caitlin Clark, The Associated Press reported on April 2024 that the Indiana Fever star has signed a lucrative eight-year, $28 million contract with Nike. The release of Clark's signature shoes is yet to be announced.

Just recently, on Dec. 18, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the shoe and apparel brand also inked a massive six-year deal with A'ja Wilson. Her shoe line, the Nike A'One, was officially announced to be released this year.