By Jordan Valinsky of CNN
New York (CNN)— Caitlin Clark, a breakout basketball player, has achieved something unprecedented since Michael Jordan.
The WNBA player has inked a multi-year contract with Wilson Sporting Goods Co., the league’s official basketball supplier, to create “signature basketball collections celebrating Clark’s continued legacy,” the business announced Tuesday.
Wilson stated that Clark will “test, advise, and provide feedback on a range” of its basketball items, become a brand ambassador, and produce new designs in her honour for the rest of 2024. In addition, she will “creatively direct her first-ever signature basketball line” which will be released later this year.
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
She is the first female player to have her own Wilson line, according to a business spokeswoman, and the series will be built in the style of Jordan’s 1980s collection, which included signature basketballs.
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 on them.
Clark, the no. 1 draft pick, joined the Indiana Fever earlier this month and has been a boon for the league since: Her debut drew an average of 2.1 million viewers on ESPN2, ESPN+ and Disney+, making it the most watched WNBA game in more than two decades.
Nike is also reportedly on the verge of signing Clark to design her shoe line, but no official deal has been formally announced. She also has sponsorship deals with State Farm, Gatorade, Panini and others, valued at around $3 million.
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