On May 21, Caitlin Clark announced her sponsorship deal with Wilson Sporting Goods Company. The partnership, first revealed by Wilson on X, places Clark in elite company. She and NBA legend Michael Jordan are now the only athletes to receive their own line of signature basketballs from the global brand.
Driveway. NCAA. WNBA.
Playing with Wilson since the journey began – now we’re making it official.
Welcome to Wilson Basketball, Caitlin.
– –@CaitlinClark22 @WNBA@IndianaFever pic.twitter.com/Pm8BGDi40s— Wilson Basketball (@WilsonBasktball) May 21, 2024
“I feel fortunate and lucky,” Clark told Forbes in an article by Tim Newcomb on May 21. “Michael is the best of all time. To see young kids eventually dribbling with my signature [ball], how lucky am I to be part of something like this, to be the first since [Jordan]? It shows how highly regarded Wilson is and the quality of their basketballs.”
According to Forbes, “The deal with Wilson includes special-edition basketballs celebrating Clark, as well as a forthcoming line of signature basketball styles.”
Newcomb noted, “Along with the signature basketball, Wilson says Clark will advise and provide feedback on a range of Wilson basketball products. The brand plans to release collections at various price points celebrating Clark throughout the rest of 2024, and she will help creatively direct the signature line set for release later this year. The first collection features a Wilson classic white and gold WNBA ball with personalized laser engravings celebrating iconic Clark moments.”
Clark also expressed her excitement about “connecting with the younger generation” through her Wilson basketballs.
Michael Jordan’s Wilson Sponsorship Details
Like Clark, Wilson signed Michael Jordan during his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls.
A 1997 article by George Lazarus in the Chicago Tribune detailed Jordan’s deal, stating, “Wilson inked Jordan in 1986, then signed him to a lifetime contract in 1992, allowing the Chicago-based company to use his name on other sports equipment, including a new line of Jordan-branded golf clubs.”
“The MJ basketballs are the core business, either sold at retail or through the 250,000 balls shipped last year to J.C. Penney Co. for promotion tie-ins,” Lazarus wrote.
As of 1997, Wilson had created eight signature basketball models for Jordan, with plans to introduce two more at the time.
Clark’s Wilson Sponsorship Doesn’t Conflict With Nike Deal
Clark’s Wilson deal, focused solely on basketballs, does not conflict with her $28 million, eight-year endorsement deal with Nike, signed at the end of April.
Former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, in an April 27 TMZ article, commented that Clark should have pursued a more comprehensive deal similar to Jordan’s with Nike.
“She should have gotten a piece of everything just like Michael Jordan,” Vaccaro said. “She will never be at a higher peak than she was during college this last year in that Final Four. If she’s going to be the greatest woman player in the world, it’s going to take time — and she can do that.”
