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The WNBA has officially announced that Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark is taking home the Rookie of the Year award. Clark punctuated her stellar debut season as a professional by winning both the WNBA and the Associated Press ROTY awards.
Clark, a Nike brand ambassador, also appeared on the company's website after it was announced she won ROTY.
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Clark and Nike have partnered since she was in college. The former Iowa Hawkeye was one of five student-athletes Nike signed to an NIL deal in 2022. The other four are JuJu Watkins, Haley Jones, DJ Wagner and Bronny James, who was drafted 55th overall by the LA Lakers this summer.
After turning pro, she signed a new deal with Nike. According to a report by The Athletic, Clark and Nike agreed to an eight-year $28 million deal. She also received Under Armour and Adidas offers, but chose to remain with Nike.
Part of the deal Clark signed with the brand includes the release of a signature shoe, but no updates have surfaced on when her line will debut. Currently, Clark shirts, hoodies and jerseys are available on the Nike website.
Also read: Caitlin Clark reacts in 2 words after clinching WNBA ROTY as Fever rookie
Nike app crashes as Caitlin Clark’s ROTY t-shirt sells out within 1 hour
Nike celebrated Caitlin Clark's ROTY win by releasing a t-shirt to honor the achievement. The shirt has the words "2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year" printed on the front. Meanwhile, the back listed some of her milestones.
As expected, her fans flocked to the Nike app to grab one of the special edition shirts. However, not everyone who joined the virtual queues for it got one.
The volume of people visiting the app caused it to crash. Many who eventually accessed the site discovered the shirt sold out within its first hour of availability.
Caitlin Clark has enjoyed basketball celebrity status throughout the decade.
Fans arrived in droves during her Iowa days to watch her compete. That trend continued when the Indiana Fever drafted her.
A preseason contest this year between the Fever and the Dallas Wings sold out, owing to what is dubbed the 'Caitlin Clark effect'.
To her credit, the 22-year-old has lived up to the expectations placed on her shoulders. She shattered and set several records during her rookie year. There is palpable anticipation regarding what heights she can reach in the WNBA.
