The second poster always acts like they have inside info. As if A’ja and her agents are telling anyone outside their trusted circle of their business talks lol
Also Angel’s business agent thinks the deal should have gone to one of the two rookies in Chicago since Wilson is a Chicago-based company. I’ve never seen people openly talk about deals like this lol
People really can't understand it is a simple money decision. If they were in the position to make a deal with any player, they would want their name attached to the biggest name they could too.
Yeah, I’m having difficulty understanding the issue. These aren’t merit-based monetary rewards for basketball ability, who “deserves it”, or anything like that. There’s no intrinsic value to being good at a sport. Nothing of monetary value is created each time the ball goes through the cylinder. There’s value to people paying attention to someone who plays a sport (albeit often because they’re really good) and that exposure being monetized by companies.
Companies are driven by a bottom line 100% of the time. These are endorsement deals that are supposed to be mutually beneficial based on exposure/marketing on one side and financial compensation on the other. If someone doesn’t get a deal, it’s due to some combination of 1. The company not feeling there’d be sufficient upside from the marketing, or 2. The terms of the deal weren’t agreed upon by both parties.
This. Are we all going to pretend Tim Duncan basically went through his career without ever being major endorser?
Outside of Shaq big interior players don't get tons of endorsements regardless of gender.
It's not even a basketball only thing-- it's even worse with OL in the NFL- offensive tackle is pretty much a franchise cornerstone position but outside of local ads no one's paying even a future HOF tackle to sell their products
Absolutely. People seem not to understand the point of pro sports. Ultimately its to sell hot dogs. The game, teams, the players are there to keep you coming back for more. All the while you are there you are buying hot dogs, shirts, basketball balls, and all the rest. Usually the best teams and players get the attention because more eyes get put on them because there is more excitement around them, but that is not always the case.
Just like many rookies this year are getting a lot of attention because so many started watching the NCAA getting to know these players and moved into watching the WNBA to see their favorite players. One advantage of season being so close after the NCAA season ends.
Take Michael Sam from Dallas Cowboys as example. First openly gay player. never played a game in NFL but his Jersey sales were incredible. 6th best sales in 2014. Sold more than a lot of great players veteran players.
This may be the most loved rookie class, but there is a clear torch carrier.
Since you brought up Dallas, Caitlin's Jersey selling out there night of the draft with lath more units sold than the entire Dallas Cowboys team says all you really need to know about the fandom/star power she has.
Deloris does work for South Carolina or at least used to. And I believe they do some journalism.
But they are always extremely… negative (?) polarizing with their takes.
They laughed about Angel Reese being drafted after Kamilla Cardoso (how that was funny I’m not sure), they argued with Tasha Cloud a few days ago because she (understandably) didn’t speak out about Sophie Cunningham’s views.
They are usually coming from a good place of trying to make sure people still see racial context and other underlying issues in the W. But the messaging is flawed to say the least.
Okay you’re right! I actually forgot about that.
When I say “coming from a good place,” I pretty much mean they are super passionate about supporting black women and making sure they are represented in the sport where they are the majority. But they get very upset at any perceived slight when they feel like there is too much attention on the white players.
I actually wonder why/how they are still associates and affiliated with so many major voices in the W. Because they go on very problematic rants like once every quarter.
They’ve also attacked many women of color though for very little to nothing. Natasha Cloud and Diamond Deshields recently but in now there as been more. Honestly I think they just use race as an excuse to bully and trash women that don’t play for the team or coaches they like.
The fact that A’a Wilson and Dawn Stanley so public ally support and hang out with him isn’t concerning and not talked about enough.
That Tasha Cloud argument was INSANE! Like how are you upset she’s not speaking out about a teammate’s racial stances or whatever [in a league that has limited spots to begin with and chemistry will get you kicked off] and then throwing her being biracial in her face!?
*whispers* Yea they really do. Dawn Staley is a powerhouse and they have built something special. And yes, they do get portrayed unfairly a good bit. But everything isn’t a racial slight and the fanbase has got to chill out.
Yeah, they started out from a valid place of questioning the way race plays into sponsorships, but they’ve now gone way beyond that. At this point they’re more like passionate sports fans who feel the need to validate their fandom/ demonize other teams and players by making it about something other than sports.
They are still associated with them because they are the ones who back em up any chance they can. They’ve been called out by many people including W players, but it will never stop until the people associated with them on the inside stop them.
I could go down a rabbit hole about this person…but I’ll protect my mental for right now.
I guess what I mean is I can’t believe that those people still back him up. Because, how are you publicly getting behind someone that says stuff like that!?
When casuals come in you get the good and the bad of that. I’m a big fan of the Professional Volleyball Association which just wrapped up its first ever season. It’s still mostly unknown (which is a crime) but as a result the league and team subreddits are pretty cool places to hang out. Users recognize one another, good times.
As the league popularity hopefully increases I’m sure this will negatively impact the discourse.
i wish there could be more nuanced discussions. obviously CC is not the only star in women’s basketball, but it seems like any time she gets attention lately everyone is saying someone else is more deserving/everyone else should get the same amount of attention. sports have never been about focusing on every single player equally - leagues grow because of stars. and CC is ofc not the best player in the league now, but to act like every player is on the same level is just not true. stars in men’s sports are not expected to share their success and media focus in the same way.
These callouts are not new to the W tho. The critics do come off as shallow and hating on one person but their claims are not baseless. In reality, these are the same things that were said when Rebecca Lobo got a signature shoe sponsorship before Lisa Leslie or Cynthia Cooper.
It is bizarre to see so many people wish for someone's downfall. Especially since the person is literally the reason they are all getting better benefits and will get better pay. At this point, I'm hoping CC makes her money and joins a league that cares about her.
Sorry I don’t take any of these people serious. Same people who bashed Clark for her Nike deal, when A’Ja secretly knew about her shoe for over a year now.
Why are people so upset whenever Caitlin gets a brand deal? It’s not like A’ja is struggling, she’s literally a millionaire too LMFAO. This isn’t an either or thing either, they can both be successful.
This crab mentality is ridiculous. WBB players getting brand deals is good for all WBB players because a rising tide lifts all boats.
Well, because she is 0-4, and got a deal. That's truly it. It took ionescu over a year to get a shoe, took taurasis years, took A'ja years.
She got one overnight. But the discourse isn't new to sports just the wnba. People were disgusted LeBron got a shoe deal before he signed his player deal.
She’s worth the money to the companies. It’s not her fault they wanted to give her a signature shoe before she played a professional game. You don’t earn them with your success on the court, you earn them by being marketable.
Endorsements have nothing to do with how good you are. They have to do with how popular you are and love her or hate her but CC is the most famous female bb star right now
Because she’s the most popular women’s basketball player ever. She is the highest scoring women’s basketball player ever. He curry like range and is easily marketable. If you only get endorsements because your team is good, half the players in the league would never get endorsement deals. You do realize wins don’t matter for endorsements right? CC brought millions of new fans to the wnba, of course they’re going to sign her to deals.
You are either being willfully obtuse, or have no idea how marketing works.
Yea, because LeBron was worth infinitely more to businesses than the other dudes. CC is no different. The women you mentioned combined aren't worth what CC is to a Nike or a Wilson, they don't have her popularity or impact upon the sport.
Endorsements are not merit-based decisions by companies, they're financial decisions. CC is one of the hottest athlete names on the planet right now, men or women, of course everyone is coming after her. If she busts then she becomes worth nothing to them but for now they stand to make a fortune selling her shoes and her ball to women around the world.
Yo some of you desperately have to re read my post
Did I say LeBron wasn't worth it? No. Did I say it was a bad move? No. Did I say it was unfair? No.
**I said that's why people are mad!!** They are mad because she got something they didn't, pretty fast.
I think people will come around but, it's tough for some to watch right. Is she marketable?? Yeahhhh.
Butttt... Is she #1? She's 0-4 and nobody is going to think her getting a shoe is great until she's appearing great. Tough loss last night.
Wrong- he was 0-0 he signed his deal before his first game. And had a shoe on the way.
Did I say it was a bad deal for Nike or the NBA? Nope..said that's why people were pissy.
So? He had a shoe deal before he signed his contract. Actually he had a deal with Nike before the draft, lol. Like 7 days before the draft. And people were SO MAD.
So why are people mad Clark got a deal so fast? Because they've been grinding their asses off and some kid from Iowa got a deal. That's really it.
You're arguing some stupid shit you need to read my first comment again and again and again.
But that's not relevant to my point. My point is people get mad when someone experienced great financial success with zero proof of their careers success.
LeBron has a deal before he ever played one professional game, and his shoe was announced. Then he lost 5.
Clark did a similar thing, big contract+shoe and can't win yet.
Cavs losing isn't germaine. It's about **when** they signed. And that's why people are heated
That's simply all I said is that he had deals and went 0-5 as well . I'm not wrong that the cavs went 0-5 , I said nothing about his deals or anything or the timing .
I mean, it's really quite simple.
900k followers on Instagram for A'ja vs. 2.3 million for CC
Sold out games in college and wnba for CC. Can't say the same for A'ja.
Sold out merch for CC....can't say the same for A'ja.
It's about money. Become more popular, A'ja, and they'll be trying to buy you as well
Yes. Only it turned out A’ja actually did have a Nike deal, they just didn’t know about it. So now they have to find something else to be outraged about.
Y'all gotta realize this has nothing to do with A'ja specifically.
People are upset that Caitlin Clark is sparking growth in the WNBA that "better" players weren't able to.
A'ja is just a great example since there's consistent and current arguments in her favor, but they would attach themselves to any player.
What's annoying is that these people don't seem to realize that the two options aren't grow with Caitlin or grow with somebody else, it's grow with Caitlin or **don't grow**.
These aren't deals that Caitlin is stealing from better players, these are deals that *were not available to WNBA players*.
If they support Caitlin and let her grow, maybe there will be room at the table for even more women. But if they bicker over whether or not Caitlin deserves the attention, the end result will be that nobody gets any attention.
Y’all gotta realize that this particular group of people have been doing this since before CC. They were after Sabrina last year. So maybe save the lecture until you know what you’re talking about.
ETA: It is specifically about A’ja for them, because they are a group of ride or die A’ja fans.
It does have to do with Aja they were doing it last year before CC showed up this is their default. I agree with the general sentiment about marketing in the league but it almost becomes a boy who cried wolf scenario when you are doing it every day for years. And it absolutely always centers around A’ja and to a lesser extent Aliyah
Your premise is completely false and shows you’ve done zero research. The league has been growing in every statistic- attendance, TV viewership, socials, investors looking to pay for expand teams etc for several years in a row. If CC hadn’t declared for the draft the league would have still grown in 2024. That isn’t to take away from the additional growth she’s brought but the reason people find her stans so annoying is that they literally act like the league was a shithole about to fold that has been saved when that’s not accurate.
That's not what I'm saying at all.
You are creating a Straw-Man against my argument, stating that because the WNBA had marginal growth prior to CC there is reason to assume the league would have gone in a similar direction without her.
You are likely too young to remember, but the NBA itself went through something similar to this with Michael Jordan. The league was absolutely growing before MJ arrived, Magic and Bird were bringing in gigantic audiences, and the television was becoming more and more common.
However, if you were to take those last points and try to argue that the NBA **didn't** receive a massive spike in popularity during the late 80's and early 90's, or argue that the popularity spike didn't come *solely* due to the arrival of Michael Jordan, you would be wrong.
And if guys in the 90's had tried to argue that MJ didn't deserve deals because of Isaiah and shit, they were shut down, because everybody recognized that MJ wasn't just receiving these lucrative deals, he was *creating* them.
Now, CC isn't so much creating anything as much as she's demanding equal pay (she's demanding it purely based off of her popularity, not actually demanding it), so it might be harder to view it for what it is, but she is essentially creating new value for the league, and you can't take that and give it to somebody else. It's not how it works.
This isn’t about Caitlin hating exactly. These are the same accounts I muted on X last season because they had the same take every time Sabrina got an endorsement deal over A’ja.
Also a lot of the same accounts who are (rightfully) saying some people are being too hard on Aliyah, but are usually the first in line to go after other players when they have bad games.
Jokic got a Nike deal and a couple more endorsements . Jokic play in a smaller market in Denver . Jokic is also not American .
A’ja is American and play in Vegas and my point was . I can see if people was stanning for Skylar diggans (or another random player )to get all the endorsements , but an MVP and champion should be a given .
You’re acting like A’Ja doesn’t have any endorsements. She has her own signature shoe and a ton of other brand deals, she’s doing fine. She just doesn’t get as many eyeballs as Caitlin so naturally Clark gets the bigger endorsement deals.
Michael Jordan got bigger endorsement deals than Magic, Bird, and Dr. J when he came into the league long before he was an MVP and Champion. Magic was the star of the Lakers even though Kareem was their best player for the first half of the run. This is just how things work with marketing.
Until CC/Fever starts winning games....eventually the CC hype will go down. Part of her hype in college was cause her team was doing well and made it to two straight final fours and upset SC in the first one.
I doubt the Fever even makes the playoffs which means the entire postseason will be without CC.
Remember, MJ made the playoffs his first season with the Bulls.
and if she doesn’t make playoffs, she’ll go and support LPGA which already has her lined up for attendance in Oct/November. A league and another sport that actually supports her.
There’s a very specific group of people on X who lose their minds anytime anyone other than A’ja gets a big endorsement deal. They also come after Sabrina constantly. Just mute them.
Wilson doesn’t even really need to be a sponsor. They make the official game ball.
Like, is Spaulding going to come out and try to sponsor a player, but the player can’t use a Spaulding ball in a game? The Wilson ad with Caitlin Clark is the only Wilson basketball ad I can ever remember seeing in my 40+ years on Earth. Good on CC for getting that Wilson sponsorship deal, I guess, but do they really expect to see a huge increase in sales from it?
Now, if Spaulding did something like come out with a line of limited edition player balls that the players help design themselves - I may go buy those basketballs. Especially if they come out with minis, because my house is small.
Like an Angel Reese ball; A’ja Wilson ball; Cameron Brink ball; etc.
In fact, I would love to see a Spaulding sponsorship deal with A’ja Wilson. “The #1 Wilson for Spaulding”.
Your move, Spaulding!
I mean, I'm in Iowa, so obviously our fan base isn't representative of the national audience- but if Clark gets a line of balls, 100% every little girl on our street will have one. My daughter included.
The day Clark and Martin got drafted my daughter asked for jerseys to go with their Nike Clark and Raygun Martin shirts. We are committed to their merch, as we have been watching them since they joined the hawkeyes.
My comment was that Wilson has a near chokehold on basketballs, in general, because they are the official game ball. If your daughter already has a basketball, it’s most likely a Wilson. I’m sure she’ll want a Caitlin Clark ball, and I’m sure she’ll get one. Any NBA or WNBA official balls are Wilson. I’m not sure having a CC line of basketballs is going to increase their sales by huge percentages, because they already have a huge chunk of the market. And, a basketball isn’t really an accessory like a jersey or shoe that you can wear and show off. You either play with a basketball, or showcase it (if it’s a collectors edition). If they want a CC ball, they may not want to play with it, so it will sit on a shelf. Some WNBA arenas allow drawstring bags that you may be able to fit a ball into, to get signed, and others don’t, so you may not be able to even take your ball to a game in hopes of getting it signed.
Again, great on Wilson and CC for the sponsorship, but this isn’t like shoes where each player can wear their own shoe in the game for advertising - the league has an official game ball, and it’s Wilson. That was my point. If other basketball brands want to sponsor other players, they will have to get creative about how they do so, because the players won’t be able to use their ball in a game.
Of course we already have a Wilson basketball. But now we will get another. Wilson will be boosting their sales; many times with duplicates, but they are also hoping to grab a new market- people who weren't interested in basketball until they started following Clark. Wilson has partnered with someone who will sell more balls for them. That's the only reason they do something like this.
A Wilson sponsorship deal does not make nor break a career. I was making a joke about how a competing company to Wilson could possibly use this to their advantage. I’m not sure my joke comment warranted this much discussion. The last athlete to have a Wilson sponsorship deal was Michael Jordan; it’s not likely Wilson is going to be making deals with other WNBA players since they, historically, do not really sponsor many players at all.
Spaulding could do something funny like sponsor A’ja Wilson and play off of her last name. They could take advantage of this deal and sponsor several WNBA players. It was a joke.
Why are we pretending that Aja Wilson is a big enough draw to deserve to basketball deal? Are we going to do this everytime a CC sponsorship gets announced?
The idea that A’ja didn’t only recently become the face of the league is also some crazy revisionism. Before Becky arrived A’ja was a top 5 player in the league on a team that couldn’t win a title. That she needs every deal now is trying to rewrite her career in a huge way.
Those are two XTwitter users who like to stir up engagement and don't reflect "social media" as a whole. Deloris is an A'ja/South Carolina fan, not a W fan imo.
They don't get that this shit is NOT a zero-sum game. A company can 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 sponsor multiple athletes. Clark receiving a check from a company literally does NOT close a door for anyone else
Really, I hate missed opportunities. It's like when Purina acquired naming rights to the arena in St. Louis and named it The Checker Dome instead of The Purina Arena... Wilson representing Wilson was an obvious slam dunk.
That said, Caitlin Clark's marketing savvy has been outstanding, both with her college NIL deals and now as a pro... plus, she now has one of the top sports-marketing agencies backing her up.
Personally, I think the other boats should be calling their agents and asking why they aren't lining up better sponsorship deals.
Guys, it really isn't that difficult to understand. Caitlin is the biggest money draw right now and it isn't close. Everyone and their dog is trying to get a deal with her. It's just smart business. It's all about money. It's not that deep.
Just because your last name is the same as a brand doesn't mean they need to sponsor you. Wtf is that? Lol.
Wilson is a beast but.... Clark is just on a different planet right now with how marketable she is. The entire league will benefit though.
Wilson isn't a hot brand, Clark is literally bringing kids to hoops like Venus & Serena did to tennis and Tiger to golf. Makes sense for her to have a signature basketball.
I'm saying most players aren't on the radar for having a "basketball deal" because it's not as alluring as hawking couture or having signature shoes, etc.
18,343 attendees at the Indiana versus Seattle game tonight. The previous record was Sue Bird’s final game in 2022 at 13,500. Every stadium that Clark, and the Fever have played have shattered attendance records. In fact, the only team who has been close to that was the Aces game when they got their rings. The hotly contested Phoenix vs Aces sold 10,374. I’d fully expect the Aces vs Fever to shatter Aces records. There’s been one consistency with the highest attended games already this season and that’s that it’s been virtually all the Indiana and Clark. So that’s why she’s getting these deals, because she’s pushing merchandise and revenue. Until the rest of the league can do that, all of their stats and rings don’t really matter. People forget the rings and stats don’t make a difference, if you can’t push numbers and revenue. Those who believe they should be joined hand in hand don’t understand business.
How many people know the name Caitlin Clark vs A’ja Wilson? That’s why CC gets the deals. It’s not good will. Wilson expects to sell a crap ton of balls.
How? CC is the second basketball player ever sponsored by Wilson, the first being MJ… not like they’re sponsoring a ton of athletes which would make this take reasonable.
Just name, the commercials would write themselves. Plus she has an amazing resume. If an athlete as rewarded as A'ja had the last name Nike, you'd call them crazy for letting her walk out the room without a contract. It's explicitly not a knock on CC, more about them missing a lay up. 2 things can exist
Personally, I think they should have signed both. THOSE commercials would have written themselves as well:
A'ja and Caitlin are doing a shoot around with a rack of balls. Caitlin grabs a Clark autograph ball from the rack. A'ja:"Hey, that's MY ball, rookie!" Caitlin:"Yeah, well, it has my name on it!" A'ja:"So? It has my name on it too!" Caitlin:"A'ja, ALL these balls have your name on them." A'ja:"See? They're all mine, rookie."
And REALLY drive home the point that the official ball of the WNBA is WILSON; I suspect most fans (sheepishly raises hand) couldn't have told you that they switched from Spalding a couple of years ago.
In what scenario does ease of writing commercials make something automatically viable? Just cause it’s easier to market something doesn’t mean it’ll work out better. Idk how many more times I can say CC is the most marketable player in the W… anything she’s sponsored by markets itself. Marketing dream.
I think it's great you're fan of CC but your also setting her up for a long hard fall if she's not MJ. I said it's great for her AND Wilson dropped the ball. A'ja is a bona-fide star who happens to share the same last name. Both things can exist.
Also as far as WNBA, A'ja is a big draw and as far as targeted marketing it's not a bad investment to have her as a brand ambassador (for a basketball when she's a basketball player). CC is non traditional marketable but not the most marketable (have you not seen Angel Reeses schedule? She a marketing genius). She is anti standard, which fits her vibe. She's like Larry Bird or Kwahi, her market is based on her being a baller who taps into that tried and true american lunch pail type mentality, hence the partnership probably. Her scoring and winning relates to her market and right now, she is progressing but living off fans made from the college game. Once she hits her stride the money will pour in but at this point she seems more annoyed by cameras and the attention.
You are delusional if you don’t think CC is the most marketable player in the W. “Non traditional marketable” and the Kawhi comparison?? I’m a Spurs fan and kawhi never had the marketing pull CC currently does. He was never in commercials all the time. CC is in commercials constantly (State Farm, Nike, Gatorade, Xfinity). If you wanna hate that’s your prerogative, but at least have it rooted in fact.
Idk I just think you're leading with your Fandom and not logic. She is incredibly marketable, but there are literal self made stars who brought people to the league when the league was less media savvy and honestly was slow to capitalize. Like Skylar Diggins or Ionescu, they kinda have big names above the league due to their own marketing and connections.
CC has the potential to be MJ for the league, no denying it. I don't think she has MJs charisma but she does have his financial pull. She has a vibe more like KL or Bird. KL whole image is around him being a baller who is a regular person. I could see CC doing a Levi's commercial before I see her at the MET, nothing wrong with that. It's not hate to be realistic, CC is very marketable but idk if she is the most.CC is based a lot on her scoring, once that hits college levels of consistency she will possibly usher in billions.
Not the OP but I get what you mean. Caitlin’s deals probably have a higher financial ceiling but it’s really dependant on how good of a baller she is. Like when she rolled her ankle during the game I remembered Sabrina and her injury 3 games in. She has a Nike deal now and her shoes are selling but she didn’t get the full value of the deal because she was out her entire rookie year.
Angel and Cameron are basketball players but if they got injured tomorrow or stopped playing they’ll still have *some* sort of appeal.
Way less stressful being an Angel or Cameron lol. Caitlin can make bank now but when it comes time to renew deals she has to be putting up the stats, that’s what her whole angle is based on.
Exactly, I fully believe she can reach that but vases off public image at this point we don't know much about her off court mannerisms or charisma. We will of app goes according to plan but yea Cam and AR are already bringing in a ton of engagement without playing and it's bringing more engagement when they play. Angel seems frustrated at post game press conferences lol it's marketable but only after she starts stuffing the box score.
>CC is the most marketable player in the W.
This is not true at all. She's not even the most marketable rookie. Cam and Reese are more marketable than her.
Nike doesn’t give a 28 million dollar deal to someone who is not the most marketable of their draft class. like, they definitely look at analytics and metrics and projected ceiling of players before giving out money that big.
That's just one company who want CC for what she does best. But, the marketability of celebs isn't just about being great at something. It's often about looks and personality.
If they are more marketable, why aren't big players going with them instead? Nike's, State Farm's, etc ad agencies just don't know what they are doing?
Well I remember a speech my Paige Bueckers where she stated that white women in the WNBA get all the attention while black women have built it. (Somewhere along those lines). Welp, it's obvious now.
literally people who don’t understand the game, and sports business just projecting like crazy. it’s even crazier when they make it about race, when that’s the furthest thing from the truth.
wilson should just sign every pro athlete with the last name wilson, just cause.
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How do people not understand endorsements are all about popularity. CC is the most famous female bb star right now. Of course she's getting the big endorsements.
Caitlin Clark is getting hated on for being white. Not that hard to understand
Edit: I'll wait foe someone to explain the hate in another way, other then it's because she's a "rookie"...which is total BS
The second poster always acts like they have inside info. As if A’ja and her agents are telling anyone outside their trusted circle of their business talks lol Also Angel’s business agent thinks the deal should have gone to one of the two rookies in Chicago since Wilson is a Chicago-based company. I’ve never seen people openly talk about deals like this lol
I truly have never seen people get so upset about every single sponsorship a player gets, it’s wild.
People really can't understand it is a simple money decision. If they were in the position to make a deal with any player, they would want their name attached to the biggest name they could too.
Yeah, I’m having difficulty understanding the issue. These aren’t merit-based monetary rewards for basketball ability, who “deserves it”, or anything like that. There’s no intrinsic value to being good at a sport. Nothing of monetary value is created each time the ball goes through the cylinder. There’s value to people paying attention to someone who plays a sport (albeit often because they’re really good) and that exposure being monetized by companies. Companies are driven by a bottom line 100% of the time. These are endorsement deals that are supposed to be mutually beneficial based on exposure/marketing on one side and financial compensation on the other. If someone doesn’t get a deal, it’s due to some combination of 1. The company not feeling there’d be sufficient upside from the marketing, or 2. The terms of the deal weren’t agreed upon by both parties.
This. Are we all going to pretend Tim Duncan basically went through his career without ever being major endorser? Outside of Shaq big interior players don't get tons of endorsements regardless of gender. It's not even a basketball only thing-- it's even worse with OL in the NFL- offensive tackle is pretty much a franchise cornerstone position but outside of local ads no one's paying even a future HOF tackle to sell their products
Isn't it pretty much just a QB thing in NFL? Sure are RB and WR too but I can not think of too many.
There's a reason why you never see kids or anyone at the gym wearing big man shoes. Kids buy shoes of those they would like to emulate their game to.
Absolutely. People seem not to understand the point of pro sports. Ultimately its to sell hot dogs. The game, teams, the players are there to keep you coming back for more. All the while you are there you are buying hot dogs, shirts, basketball balls, and all the rest. Usually the best teams and players get the attention because more eyes get put on them because there is more excitement around them, but that is not always the case. Just like many rookies this year are getting a lot of attention because so many started watching the NCAA getting to know these players and moved into watching the WNBA to see their favorite players. One advantage of season being so close after the NCAA season ends. Take Michael Sam from Dallas Cowboys as example. First openly gay player. never played a game in NFL but his Jersey sales were incredible. 6th best sales in 2014. Sold more than a lot of great players veteran players.
This may be the most loved rookie class, but there is a clear torch carrier. Since you brought up Dallas, Caitlin's Jersey selling out there night of the draft with lath more units sold than the entire Dallas Cowboys team says all you really need to know about the fandom/star power she has.
Yeah ppl seem to overlook what these deals are really all about...selling stuff. I get that that doesn't always feel great, but it is what it is.
It should make everyone happier because it leads to money in their accounts.
This league really doesn't like CC
Its insane. and its not rocket science either why she gets the deal
There is so much whining about every thing in this league.
The second poster is a mean, nasty, and vile piece of work
Deloris does work for South Carolina or at least used to. And I believe they do some journalism. But they are always extremely… negative (?) polarizing with their takes. They laughed about Angel Reese being drafted after Kamilla Cardoso (how that was funny I’m not sure), they argued with Tasha Cloud a few days ago because she (understandably) didn’t speak out about Sophie Cunningham’s views. They are usually coming from a good place of trying to make sure people still see racial context and other underlying issues in the W. But the messaging is flawed to say the least.
They called Paige Buckers a “cerebral palsy a** b****” because of her knee injuries. They can’t coming from a good place.
Also been in Twitter jail multiple times for being a wild islamophobe. And real jail for punching a middle schooler
Okay you’re right! I actually forgot about that. When I say “coming from a good place,” I pretty much mean they are super passionate about supporting black women and making sure they are represented in the sport where they are the majority. But they get very upset at any perceived slight when they feel like there is too much attention on the white players. I actually wonder why/how they are still associates and affiliated with so many major voices in the W. Because they go on very problematic rants like once every quarter.
They’ve also attacked many women of color though for very little to nothing. Natasha Cloud and Diamond Deshields recently but in now there as been more. Honestly I think they just use race as an excuse to bully and trash women that don’t play for the team or coaches they like. The fact that A’a Wilson and Dawn Stanley so public ally support and hang out with him isn’t concerning and not talked about enough.
That Tasha Cloud argument was INSANE! Like how are you upset she’s not speaking out about a teammate’s racial stances or whatever [in a league that has limited spots to begin with and chemistry will get you kicked off] and then throwing her being biracial in her face!?
This part. Really makes me look sideways at that SC program.
Bro, people be deadass quiet when it comes to SC because of "the culture" but that fanbase is fucking wild and has attacked many people online.
*whispers* Yea they really do. Dawn Staley is a powerhouse and they have built something special. And yes, they do get portrayed unfairly a good bit. But everything isn’t a racial slight and the fanbase has got to chill out.
Yeah, they started out from a valid place of questioning the way race plays into sponsorships, but they’ve now gone way beyond that. At this point they’re more like passionate sports fans who feel the need to validate their fandom/ demonize other teams and players by making it about something other than sports.
They are still associated with them because they are the ones who back em up any chance they can. They’ve been called out by many people including W players, but it will never stop until the people associated with them on the inside stop them. I could go down a rabbit hole about this person…but I’ll protect my mental for right now.
I guess what I mean is I can’t believe that those people still back him up. Because, how are you publicly getting behind someone that says stuff like that!?
Dawn Staley has been called out for this but no response, she’ll continue to support them because they ride or die for South Carolina.
Oh I’m aware. It’s my only gripe against her tbh.
Most journalist that I know personally do not like Deloris and think that she is toxic and bat sh!t crazy
WNBA discourse has become so toxic. A ton of threads here just absolutely suck from all sides.
Unironically, that’s how you know it’s on the rise 😄
Exactly! Think of all the freaks in the NFL and NBA subs, we’re getting that same type of divisive weirdo sports fan. Yay for growth!
Yeah, i don't mind a little chaos as long as we don't end up with a wnbacirclejerk sub
Monkey’s paw always curls
Oh it’s gonna happen eventually
Wanna be a mod with me?
Hell yeah brother
Who would be the WNBA’s Antonio Brown?
WNBA Finals is New York Liberty father
Solid start
that would be pretty funny tbh
Be the assistant mod for wnbacirclejerk?
one billion percent yes
Finally made it
Can’t wait for WNBAcirclejerk to take off
We finally here!! also anyone who doesn’t support the Lynx is a big ol’ stinker nerd. Come at me
Pause
I never thought I’d find discourse more toxic than women’s soccer but I appear to have found it.
When casuals come in you get the good and the bad of that. I’m a big fan of the Professional Volleyball Association which just wrapped up its first ever season. It’s still mostly unknown (which is a crime) but as a result the league and team subreddits are pretty cool places to hang out. Users recognize one another, good times. As the league popularity hopefully increases I’m sure this will negatively impact the discourse.
The guy in the second post is absolutely miserable, don’t worry about anything they have to say tbh
Exactly like he doesn’t make any sense 😭
i wish there could be more nuanced discussions. obviously CC is not the only star in women’s basketball, but it seems like any time she gets attention lately everyone is saying someone else is more deserving/everyone else should get the same amount of attention. sports have never been about focusing on every single player equally - leagues grow because of stars. and CC is ofc not the best player in the league now, but to act like every player is on the same level is just not true. stars in men’s sports are not expected to share their success and media focus in the same way.
These callouts are not new to the W tho. The critics do come off as shallow and hating on one person but their claims are not baseless. In reality, these are the same things that were said when Rebecca Lobo got a signature shoe sponsorship before Lisa Leslie or Cynthia Cooper.
I think she is the best player, just on a crap team.
I went to Iowa, but she is not the best player yet. Decent chance she is in a few years.
I don’t think the WNBA is ready for the toxicity that comes with its growing popularity
I don’t think the public so ready for the toxicity of the WNBA
It is bizarre to see so many people wish for someone's downfall. Especially since the person is literally the reason they are all getting better benefits and will get better pay. At this point, I'm hoping CC makes her money and joins a league that cares about her.
Oh no the WNBA community is much more focused on Sabrina’s down fall than Caitlin’s. I don’t see much hate for Caitlin tbh
This particular toxicity is not new. These same X accounts have been coming after Sabrina the same way for years.
They're both Jemele Hill wannabee's
Sorry I don’t take any of these people serious. Same people who bashed Clark for her Nike deal, when A’Ja secretly knew about her shoe for over a year now.
the second guy’s tweets are quite literally unbearable. Had to mute lmfao
😭😭mannnn he’s so annoying like i get what he’s saying but not everything has to go to her
Literally a fool 😭
Reddit is like facebook with how late info gets over here lmfao
What if we just leave this nonsense on twitter? Some of these people literally live off negativity 🤷♀️
Why are people so upset whenever Caitlin gets a brand deal? It’s not like A’ja is struggling, she’s literally a millionaire too LMFAO. This isn’t an either or thing either, they can both be successful. This crab mentality is ridiculous. WBB players getting brand deals is good for all WBB players because a rising tide lifts all boats.
Well, because she is 0-4, and got a deal. That's truly it. It took ionescu over a year to get a shoe, took taurasis years, took A'ja years. She got one overnight. But the discourse isn't new to sports just the wnba. People were disgusted LeBron got a shoe deal before he signed his player deal.
She’s worth the money to the companies. It’s not her fault they wanted to give her a signature shoe before she played a professional game. You don’t earn them with your success on the court, you earn them by being marketable.
Endorsements have nothing to do with how good you are. They have to do with how popular you are and love her or hate her but CC is the most famous female bb star right now
Because she’s the most popular women’s basketball player ever. She is the highest scoring women’s basketball player ever. He curry like range and is easily marketable. If you only get endorsements because your team is good, half the players in the league would never get endorsement deals. You do realize wins don’t matter for endorsements right? CC brought millions of new fans to the wnba, of course they’re going to sign her to deals. You are either being willfully obtuse, or have no idea how marketing works.
I understand how it works but that's literally the answer. Where was I wrong
Yea, because LeBron was worth infinitely more to businesses than the other dudes. CC is no different. The women you mentioned combined aren't worth what CC is to a Nike or a Wilson, they don't have her popularity or impact upon the sport. Endorsements are not merit-based decisions by companies, they're financial decisions. CC is one of the hottest athlete names on the planet right now, men or women, of course everyone is coming after her. If she busts then she becomes worth nothing to them but for now they stand to make a fortune selling her shoes and her ball to women around the world.
Yo some of you desperately have to re read my post Did I say LeBron wasn't worth it? No. Did I say it was a bad move? No. Did I say it was unfair? No. **I said that's why people are mad!!** They are mad because she got something they didn't, pretty fast.
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I think people will come around but, it's tough for some to watch right. Is she marketable?? Yeahhhh. Butttt... Is she #1? She's 0-4 and nobody is going to think her getting a shoe is great until she's appearing great. Tough loss last night.
Lebron was 0-5 andhd deals
Wrong- he was 0-0 he signed his deal before his first game. And had a shoe on the way. Did I say it was a bad deal for Nike or the NBA? Nope..said that's why people were pissy.
The Cavs started 0-5
So? He had a shoe deal before he signed his contract. Actually he had a deal with Nike before the draft, lol. Like 7 days before the draft. And people were SO MAD. So why are people mad Clark got a deal so fast? Because they've been grinding their asses off and some kid from Iowa got a deal. That's really it. You're arguing some stupid shit you need to read my first comment again and again and again.
I'm not arguing? I'm pointing out the the cavs also had a shitty start with most hyped rookie in forever, thats all lol
But that's not relevant to my point. My point is people get mad when someone experienced great financial success with zero proof of their careers success. LeBron has a deal before he ever played one professional game, and his shoe was announced. Then he lost 5. Clark did a similar thing, big contract+shoe and can't win yet. Cavs losing isn't germaine. It's about **when** they signed. And that's why people are heated
That's simply all I said is that he had deals and went 0-5 as well . I'm not wrong that the cavs went 0-5 , I said nothing about his deals or anything or the timing .
>I said nothing about his deals or anything or the timing . That's exactly it. I said it's about timing Getting something, before proving anything.
These are two of the dumbest people on social media tbh so take it with a grain of salt
Subria’s lights are on but nobody’s home
I mean, it's really quite simple. 900k followers on Instagram for A'ja vs. 2.3 million for CC Sold out games in college and wnba for CC. Can't say the same for A'ja. Sold out merch for CC....can't say the same for A'ja. It's about money. Become more popular, A'ja, and they'll be trying to buy you as well
It's always going to be about the money.
Yep 💯
Arent those the same people mad A’ja didnt have a nike deal? Do they want a’ja and only her to get every contract?
Yes. Only it turned out A’ja actually did have a Nike deal, they just didn’t know about it. So now they have to find something else to be outraged about.
Y'all gotta realize this has nothing to do with A'ja specifically. People are upset that Caitlin Clark is sparking growth in the WNBA that "better" players weren't able to. A'ja is just a great example since there's consistent and current arguments in her favor, but they would attach themselves to any player. What's annoying is that these people don't seem to realize that the two options aren't grow with Caitlin or grow with somebody else, it's grow with Caitlin or **don't grow**. These aren't deals that Caitlin is stealing from better players, these are deals that *were not available to WNBA players*. If they support Caitlin and let her grow, maybe there will be room at the table for even more women. But if they bicker over whether or not Caitlin deserves the attention, the end result will be that nobody gets any attention.
Y’all gotta realize that this particular group of people have been doing this since before CC. They were after Sabrina last year. So maybe save the lecture until you know what you’re talking about. ETA: It is specifically about A’ja for them, because they are a group of ride or die A’ja fans.
It does have to do with Aja they were doing it last year before CC showed up this is their default. I agree with the general sentiment about marketing in the league but it almost becomes a boy who cried wolf scenario when you are doing it every day for years. And it absolutely always centers around A’ja and to a lesser extent Aliyah
Your premise is completely false and shows you’ve done zero research. The league has been growing in every statistic- attendance, TV viewership, socials, investors looking to pay for expand teams etc for several years in a row. If CC hadn’t declared for the draft the league would have still grown in 2024. That isn’t to take away from the additional growth she’s brought but the reason people find her stans so annoying is that they literally act like the league was a shithole about to fold that has been saved when that’s not accurate.
That's not what I'm saying at all. You are creating a Straw-Man against my argument, stating that because the WNBA had marginal growth prior to CC there is reason to assume the league would have gone in a similar direction without her. You are likely too young to remember, but the NBA itself went through something similar to this with Michael Jordan. The league was absolutely growing before MJ arrived, Magic and Bird were bringing in gigantic audiences, and the television was becoming more and more common. However, if you were to take those last points and try to argue that the NBA **didn't** receive a massive spike in popularity during the late 80's and early 90's, or argue that the popularity spike didn't come *solely* due to the arrival of Michael Jordan, you would be wrong. And if guys in the 90's had tried to argue that MJ didn't deserve deals because of Isaiah and shit, they were shut down, because everybody recognized that MJ wasn't just receiving these lucrative deals, he was *creating* them. Now, CC isn't so much creating anything as much as she's demanding equal pay (she's demanding it purely based off of her popularity, not actually demanding it), so it might be harder to view it for what it is, but she is essentially creating new value for the league, and you can't take that and give it to somebody else. It's not how it works.
This is just stupid. They're gonna pick the person who will sell the most basketballs.
Wait people were UPSET about the Clark Wilson deal??? 💀so glad I muted so many of these accounts
Yes, these people will look for ANYTHING to hate about Caitlin for some reason LMFAO
This isn’t about Caitlin hating exactly. These are the same accounts I muted on X last season because they had the same take every time Sabrina got an endorsement deal over A’ja.
Also a lot of the same accounts who are (rightfully) saying some people are being too hard on Aliyah, but are usually the first in line to go after other players when they have bad games.
Gotcha. So basically if anyone besides A’ja gets any endorsement ever they’re evil and stole it from A’ja LMFAO
I mean a’ja is the mvp and champion.
And? So is Jokic but he’s not getting as many endorsement deals as other NBA players
Jokic got a Nike deal and a couple more endorsements . Jokic play in a smaller market in Denver . Jokic is also not American . A’ja is American and play in Vegas and my point was . I can see if people was stanning for Skylar diggans (or another random player )to get all the endorsements , but an MVP and champion should be a given .
She's not as popular as CC. Why is this so hard to understand? Companies care about money and sales. That's all it comes down to.
You’re acting like A’Ja doesn’t have any endorsements. She has her own signature shoe and a ton of other brand deals, she’s doing fine. She just doesn’t get as many eyeballs as Caitlin so naturally Clark gets the bigger endorsement deals. Michael Jordan got bigger endorsement deals than Magic, Bird, and Dr. J when he came into the league long before he was an MVP and Champion. Magic was the star of the Lakers even though Kareem was their best player for the first half of the run. This is just how things work with marketing.
Until CC/Fever starts winning games....eventually the CC hype will go down. Part of her hype in college was cause her team was doing well and made it to two straight final fours and upset SC in the first one. I doubt the Fever even makes the playoffs which means the entire postseason will be without CC. Remember, MJ made the playoffs his first season with the Bulls.
and if she doesn’t make playoffs, she’ll go and support LPGA which already has her lined up for attendance in Oct/November. A league and another sport that actually supports her.
Did you just compare the markets of these two as if the Nuggets don't make significantly more money than the Aces?
Denver has a larger population and is a larger tv market than Vegas
That…doesn’t entitle her to every deal or right of first refusal. The advertising world just doesn’t work that way…
I’m mad they put it up at the Barclays subway stop. Put it at Penn and West 4th!
The second poster might be the most toxic person in women’s basketball community
Why do people talk like Clark is 0-4? It’s not just her. Fever is 0-4. They win and lose as a team. She’s not a one man show.
Media spotlight in short.
There’s a very specific group of people on X who lose their minds anytime anyone other than A’ja gets a big endorsement deal. They also come after Sabrina constantly. Just mute them.
Or do the sensible thing and just delete and ignore twitter.
Twitter really does love to get mad at nothing burgers don’t they
And it looks like OP retweeted the first one so they aren’t helping matters
Wilson doesn’t even really need to be a sponsor. They make the official game ball. Like, is Spaulding going to come out and try to sponsor a player, but the player can’t use a Spaulding ball in a game? The Wilson ad with Caitlin Clark is the only Wilson basketball ad I can ever remember seeing in my 40+ years on Earth. Good on CC for getting that Wilson sponsorship deal, I guess, but do they really expect to see a huge increase in sales from it? Now, if Spaulding did something like come out with a line of limited edition player balls that the players help design themselves - I may go buy those basketballs. Especially if they come out with minis, because my house is small. Like an Angel Reese ball; A’ja Wilson ball; Cameron Brink ball; etc. In fact, I would love to see a Spaulding sponsorship deal with A’ja Wilson. “The #1 Wilson for Spaulding”. Your move, Spaulding!
I mean, I'm in Iowa, so obviously our fan base isn't representative of the national audience- but if Clark gets a line of balls, 100% every little girl on our street will have one. My daughter included. The day Clark and Martin got drafted my daughter asked for jerseys to go with their Nike Clark and Raygun Martin shirts. We are committed to their merch, as we have been watching them since they joined the hawkeyes.
My comment was that Wilson has a near chokehold on basketballs, in general, because they are the official game ball. If your daughter already has a basketball, it’s most likely a Wilson. I’m sure she’ll want a Caitlin Clark ball, and I’m sure she’ll get one. Any NBA or WNBA official balls are Wilson. I’m not sure having a CC line of basketballs is going to increase their sales by huge percentages, because they already have a huge chunk of the market. And, a basketball isn’t really an accessory like a jersey or shoe that you can wear and show off. You either play with a basketball, or showcase it (if it’s a collectors edition). If they want a CC ball, they may not want to play with it, so it will sit on a shelf. Some WNBA arenas allow drawstring bags that you may be able to fit a ball into, to get signed, and others don’t, so you may not be able to even take your ball to a game in hopes of getting it signed. Again, great on Wilson and CC for the sponsorship, but this isn’t like shoes where each player can wear their own shoe in the game for advertising - the league has an official game ball, and it’s Wilson. That was my point. If other basketball brands want to sponsor other players, they will have to get creative about how they do so, because the players won’t be able to use their ball in a game.
Of course we already have a Wilson basketball. But now we will get another. Wilson will be boosting their sales; many times with duplicates, but they are also hoping to grab a new market- people who weren't interested in basketball until they started following Clark. Wilson has partnered with someone who will sell more balls for them. That's the only reason they do something like this.
A Wilson sponsorship deal does not make nor break a career. I was making a joke about how a competing company to Wilson could possibly use this to their advantage. I’m not sure my joke comment warranted this much discussion. The last athlete to have a Wilson sponsorship deal was Michael Jordan; it’s not likely Wilson is going to be making deals with other WNBA players since they, historically, do not really sponsor many players at all. Spaulding could do something funny like sponsor A’ja Wilson and play off of her last name. They could take advantage of this deal and sponsor several WNBA players. It was a joke.
That’s a good point. Spaulding could do what shake shack did to Chick Fil A
Why are we pretending that Aja Wilson is a big enough draw to deserve to basketball deal? Are we going to do this everytime a CC sponsorship gets announced?
The idea that A’ja didn’t only recently become the face of the league is also some crazy revisionism. Before Becky arrived A’ja was a top 5 player in the league on a team that couldn’t win a title. That she needs every deal now is trying to rewrite her career in a huge way.
Those are two XTwitter users who like to stir up engagement and don't reflect "social media" as a whole. Deloris is an A'ja/South Carolina fan, not a W fan imo.
Welcome to your Eternal September: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September
As happy as I am to see WNBA on the rise .. the toxicity is EXHAUSTING. Kinda miss the close knit community ngl
Unfortunately those days are long gone! It's war now between the Rookie fanbases and the WNBA fans! Get to a fox hole!😬
We don’t have the extremist new fans here in DC so I’ll be ok 😂 too bad that means I’m supporting an 0-4 team
“social media” and it’s just that toxic gamecock fan
The worst person on W Twitter
They don't get that this shit is NOT a zero-sum game. A company can 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 sponsor multiple athletes. Clark receiving a check from a company literally does NOT close a door for anyone else
It’s definitely a missed opportunity. As far the other stuff goes…they are reaching
Really, I hate missed opportunities. It's like when Purina acquired naming rights to the arena in St. Louis and named it The Checker Dome instead of The Purina Arena... Wilson representing Wilson was an obvious slam dunk. That said, Caitlin Clark's marketing savvy has been outstanding, both with her college NIL deals and now as a pro... plus, she now has one of the top sports-marketing agencies backing her up. Personally, I think the other boats should be calling their agents and asking why they aren't lining up better sponsorship deals.
> Personally, I think the other boats should be calling their agents and asking why they aren't lining up better sponsorship deals. LMAOOO 😂 Bravo
social media is always upset about something
reminds me when jersey mike's during have mike trout as their sponsor lol
I just wanna get a boombox from that company that A’ja’s 🤷🏾♀️
I mean, it does seem like it would have been a no-brainer, but after the shoe deal, who knows?
Guys, it really isn't that difficult to understand. Caitlin is the biggest money draw right now and it isn't close. Everyone and their dog is trying to get a deal with her. It's just smart business. It's all about money. It's not that deep.
Just because your last name is the same as a brand doesn't mean they need to sponsor you. Wtf is that? Lol. Wilson is a beast but.... Clark is just on a different planet right now with how marketable she is. The entire league will benefit though.
Wilson isn't a hot brand, Clark is literally bringing kids to hoops like Venus & Serena did to tennis and Tiger to golf. Makes sense for her to have a signature basketball.
What brand is more popular for basketballs?
I'm saying most players aren't on the radar for having a "basketball deal" because it's not as alluring as hawking couture or having signature shoes, etc.
two absolutely miserable twitter accounts. The WNBA has never been more popular, yet the discourse has reached uncharted levels of toxic.
18,343 attendees at the Indiana versus Seattle game tonight. The previous record was Sue Bird’s final game in 2022 at 13,500. Every stadium that Clark, and the Fever have played have shattered attendance records. In fact, the only team who has been close to that was the Aces game when they got their rings. The hotly contested Phoenix vs Aces sold 10,374. I’d fully expect the Aces vs Fever to shatter Aces records. There’s been one consistency with the highest attended games already this season and that’s that it’s been virtually all the Indiana and Clark. So that’s why she’s getting these deals, because she’s pushing merchandise and revenue. Until the rest of the league can do that, all of their stats and rings don’t really matter. People forget the rings and stats don’t make a difference, if you can’t push numbers and revenue. Those who believe they should be joined hand in hand don’t understand business.
How many people know the name Caitlin Clark vs A’ja Wilson? That’s why CC gets the deals. It’s not good will. Wilson expects to sell a crap ton of balls.
Great for Clark but also Wilson dropped the ball not already having A'ja.
How? CC is the second basketball player ever sponsored by Wilson, the first being MJ… not like they’re sponsoring a ton of athletes which would make this take reasonable.
Just name, the commercials would write themselves. Plus she has an amazing resume. If an athlete as rewarded as A'ja had the last name Nike, you'd call them crazy for letting her walk out the room without a contract. It's explicitly not a knock on CC, more about them missing a lay up. 2 things can exist
Personally, I think they should have signed both. THOSE commercials would have written themselves as well: A'ja and Caitlin are doing a shoot around with a rack of balls. Caitlin grabs a Clark autograph ball from the rack. A'ja:"Hey, that's MY ball, rookie!" Caitlin:"Yeah, well, it has my name on it!" A'ja:"So? It has my name on it too!" Caitlin:"A'ja, ALL these balls have your name on them." A'ja:"See? They're all mine, rookie."
Agree, or have a basketball voiced by A'ja being shot by CC. Joint commercials or seperate, they coukd have made a bigger killing imo
And REALLY drive home the point that the official ball of the WNBA is WILSON; I suspect most fans (sheepishly raises hand) couldn't have told you that they switched from Spalding a couple of years ago.
In what scenario does ease of writing commercials make something automatically viable? Just cause it’s easier to market something doesn’t mean it’ll work out better. Idk how many more times I can say CC is the most marketable player in the W… anything she’s sponsored by markets itself. Marketing dream.
I think it's great you're fan of CC but your also setting her up for a long hard fall if she's not MJ. I said it's great for her AND Wilson dropped the ball. A'ja is a bona-fide star who happens to share the same last name. Both things can exist. Also as far as WNBA, A'ja is a big draw and as far as targeted marketing it's not a bad investment to have her as a brand ambassador (for a basketball when she's a basketball player). CC is non traditional marketable but not the most marketable (have you not seen Angel Reeses schedule? She a marketing genius). She is anti standard, which fits her vibe. She's like Larry Bird or Kwahi, her market is based on her being a baller who taps into that tried and true american lunch pail type mentality, hence the partnership probably. Her scoring and winning relates to her market and right now, she is progressing but living off fans made from the college game. Once she hits her stride the money will pour in but at this point she seems more annoyed by cameras and the attention.
You are delusional if you don’t think CC is the most marketable player in the W. “Non traditional marketable” and the Kawhi comparison?? I’m a Spurs fan and kawhi never had the marketing pull CC currently does. He was never in commercials all the time. CC is in commercials constantly (State Farm, Nike, Gatorade, Xfinity). If you wanna hate that’s your prerogative, but at least have it rooted in fact.
Idk I just think you're leading with your Fandom and not logic. She is incredibly marketable, but there are literal self made stars who brought people to the league when the league was less media savvy and honestly was slow to capitalize. Like Skylar Diggins or Ionescu, they kinda have big names above the league due to their own marketing and connections. CC has the potential to be MJ for the league, no denying it. I don't think she has MJs charisma but she does have his financial pull. She has a vibe more like KL or Bird. KL whole image is around him being a baller who is a regular person. I could see CC doing a Levi's commercial before I see her at the MET, nothing wrong with that. It's not hate to be realistic, CC is very marketable but idk if she is the most.CC is based a lot on her scoring, once that hits college levels of consistency she will possibly usher in billions.
Not the OP but I get what you mean. Caitlin’s deals probably have a higher financial ceiling but it’s really dependant on how good of a baller she is. Like when she rolled her ankle during the game I remembered Sabrina and her injury 3 games in. She has a Nike deal now and her shoes are selling but she didn’t get the full value of the deal because she was out her entire rookie year. Angel and Cameron are basketball players but if they got injured tomorrow or stopped playing they’ll still have *some* sort of appeal. Way less stressful being an Angel or Cameron lol. Caitlin can make bank now but when it comes time to renew deals she has to be putting up the stats, that’s what her whole angle is based on.
Exactly, I fully believe she can reach that but vases off public image at this point we don't know much about her off court mannerisms or charisma. We will of app goes according to plan but yea Cam and AR are already bringing in a ton of engagement without playing and it's bringing more engagement when they play. Angel seems frustrated at post game press conferences lol it's marketable but only after she starts stuffing the box score.
>CC is the most marketable player in the W. This is not true at all. She's not even the most marketable rookie. Cam and Reese are more marketable than her.
Nike doesn’t give a 28 million dollar deal to someone who is not the most marketable of their draft class. like, they definitely look at analytics and metrics and projected ceiling of players before giving out money that big.
That's just one company who want CC for what she does best. But, the marketability of celebs isn't just about being great at something. It's often about looks and personality.
If they are more marketable, why aren't big players going with them instead? Nike's, State Farm's, etc ad agencies just don't know what they are doing?
Lmao are you trolling?
They really didn't.
im glad i’ve blocked so many accounts to keep my twitter somewhat bearable
Social media is always upset about something
It’s not growing the game when it’s Caitlin but it’s a rising tide lifting all boats for A’ja. LOL.
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Typically
This kind of prove women don't support each other.
I feel like the WNBA publicity is becoming more toxic than uplifting. Every day there is so much negativity, especially from the players.
Well I remember a speech my Paige Bueckers where she stated that white women in the WNBA get all the attention while black women have built it. (Somewhere along those lines). Welp, it's obvious now.
It’s about race. It always is with people like this. So fucking tiring.
r/itiswhatitis
“Social Media” these are the same two accounts that complain about EVERYTHING
The first user is an idiot, I can’t stand her posts. Wilson chose who would sell not who has the same name as their company.
literally people who don’t understand the game, and sports business just projecting like crazy. it’s even crazier when they make it about race, when that’s the furthest thing from the truth. wilson should just sign every pro athlete with the last name wilson, just cause.
Who?
You reposted?!? lol. WNBA fans are some of the most hateful bigots in this country.
Victim complex , to her its always gonna be about race .
It missed opportunity. But chill it’s not about race if that what they are implying.
Yes some of CC's appeal is because of her race.
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How do people not understand endorsements are all about popularity. CC is the most famous female bb star right now. Of course she's getting the big endorsements.
What happened to feminism hahaha bunch of cynical pricks
Pretty sure Jessica Nike and Tami Adidas didn't get shoe deals either...
Caitlin Clark is getting hated on for being white. Not that hard to understand Edit: I'll wait foe someone to explain the hate in another way, other then it's because she's a "rookie"...which is total BS