Caitlin Clark’s Controversial Nike Deal Sparks Backlash—Jordan Comparisons Fuel Doubts as She Struggles to Prove She’s Worth the Hype

Expectations for Clark’s second season in the WNBA are very high because she has earned them

Caitlin Clark celebrates with a sarcastic face after scoring against the Los Angeles SparksAP

Caitlin Clark came into the WNBA like a whirlwind, and her encore could be even bigger. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer left an indelible mark at Iowa, leading the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national title games and earning a spot for her No. 22 in the rafters. Her rookie season with the Indiana Fever was nothing short of spectacular, earning Rookie of the Year honors, shattering the single-season assist record with 337 and setting a new rookie mark for three-pointers made. She averaged 20 points, 8.4 assists, and 6 boards per game, fueling the Fever’s first playoff run since 2016. Now, as the offseason unfolds, Clark has been working behind the scenes, skipping glitzy events like the Unrivaled League or the NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest to hone her craft. With a revamped roster and a new coach, the Fever are gunning for their first championship since 2012 when the WNBA season begins May 16-and Clark is ready to lead the charge.

A Stumble in the Spotlight

Nike’s latest ads featuring Clark have fans buzzing, but not everyone is cheering. The first came when the brand returned to the Super Bowl stage after a more than 25-year hiatus with its “So Win” campaign, featuring Clark alongside A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu and college phenom JuJu Watkins. Nike marketing chief Nicole Hubbard Graham called the Super Bowl a rare cultural moment, perfect for showcasing women’s sports breaking barriers.

The other ad, a shorter one, is a black-and-white clip showing Clark spinning a ball in a barn before cutting to her draining shots on the court, narrated by a woman who intones, “It’s not where you’re from, it’s where you shoot from.” But some fans aren’t sold – they wanted Clark’s voice in the mix, not just her image. “It would hit harder if she narrated it herself,” one grumbled online. The emotional punch of the ad landed for many, but the lack of Clark’s own words left some feeling shortchanged. Clark can be to women’s footwear what Michael Jordan was to his time, a fresh new face with a future like Jordan had in 1984 before he debuted his “Air Jordan” line, with their respective differences of course, as social media today allows for much more exposure than Jordan had.

Clark’s ties to Nike run deep, though. Fresh off being the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, she inked a monster $28 million, eight-year deal with the apparel giant – complete with a signature shoe on the horizon. Her original 2022 NIL pact expired after her senior season at Iowa, but this new deal locks her in for the long haul. Fans are itching for her first hoop shoe, which Nike CEO Elliott Hill said in a January update is still in the design phase with no release date set. Rumors are swirling about a possible “Indiana Fever” colorway of the Nike Kobe 5 Protro dropping later this year, though reports are conflicting. Either way, Clark’s star power is undeniable – billboards, commercials, and maybe even Olympic runs in 2028 or 2032 loom large. At 23, she’s got more than a decade to dominate, and Nike is betting big that she’ll keep cashing in.

Clark’s Next Step: A Championship Run?

Clark’s rookie year was a launchpad, and 2025 could be her liftoff. After rewriting college hoops history, she brought that same fire to Indiana, turning heads and breaking records. The Fever faithful haven’t tasted a title since 2012, but with Clark steering the ship, hope’s alive. As May 16 nears, the WNBA’s watching-can she deliver a championship encore? Let’s take a look at her sophmore year at Iowa which was a breakout season that could foreshadow a monster 2025 WNBA season.

She erupted for 26 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in her debut on November 9, 2021, then scored 44 points against Evansville to become the fastest Big Ten player to 1,000 career points. Triple-doubles became her signature – 31 points, 10 boards and 10 assists against Nebraska, then 35 points, 13 rebounds and 11 dimes against Minnesota, a first for any Division I player with consecutive 30-point triple-doubles. Averaging 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, she led Division I in points and assists per game, earned unanimous Big Ten Player of the Year honors and led Iowa to the regular-season title. Her sophomore run ended sourly-on March 20, 2022, 10th-seeded Creighton stunned Iowa 64-62 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, holding Clark to 15 points on 4-of-19 shooting, a stumble that could just fuel her fire for next season.