'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA//aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAw2YL/wD/xAAiEAACAgAEBwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEAAURIRIVMUFRgsL/2gAIAQEAAT8Akyysti1GteFOOJChYljHsoDbDuVbp5wLMRGvIMqPvKPrH//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACMv/aAAgBAgEBPwBJP//EABcRAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwD/2gAIAQMBAT8A2kNGTv/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes' brother, Brandon Swoopes, took to Instagram on Thursday to celebrate her trailblazing basketball legacy. Brandon shared a video featuring a signed pair of his sister's signature Nike kicks and a signed Team USA cap, both of which were showcased as a part of the Department of Nike Archives.
"U HARD," Brandon captioned his IG story and tagged Sheryl.
This came shortly after Sheryl Swoopes shared on Instagram that Nike, the $82.21 billion sports brand as per Forbes, honored her with the "Goddess" award at Soho House Portland on Thursday.
Trending
"Thanks @nike @sohohouseportland for the Goddess award. Great convo with great people," Swoopes captioned the post.
Sheryl Swoopes made history in 1995 by becoming the first woman to receive a Nike signature shoe deal, which lasted for seven years. She signed a $175,000 deal at that time when women's basketball was barely on the radar.
Sheryl Swoopes makes feelings clear on Nike's latest WNBA athlete signings
Featuring on an episode of the In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams podcast last month, Sheryl Swoopes reflected on how far basketball has come in terms of brand endorsements.
"So I was telling A’ja, in 1997, when I signed with Nike. Nike didn’t even have a women’s sports marketing division. It was just like a, ‘Here you go, here’s the room, do what you gotta do with it’," Swoopes recalled.
"And so what really excites me today about where we are is it’s not just the things that the women are getting on the court. You have all these women and brands who are saying, ‘We see you, we hear you, we need you.'"
The four-time WNBA champion further remarked on the significant difference in money in her signing three decades ago compared to the recent deals offered:
"And my very first Nike contract when I signed in ['95] was like $175,000. Which then I was like, 'Oh my god, I’ve made it', right.' And today to see a player like an A’ja and a Caitlin Clark signing a $20 million contract.
"Like, I don’t even know what to say about that, because I never thought that I would see this day when we started the W back at ’97. Where we’re sitting here actually talking about how far the game has come and these million-dollar contracts that female basketball players are now signing."
Sheryl Swoopes is one of just 10 WNBA athletes to sign a signature shoe deal with Nike so far. Ahead of the 2024 season, Caitlin Clark and A'ja Wilson became the latest additions to the list, with Clark signing an eight-year $28 million contract with the brand - the richest shoe deal in women's basketball history.
