JUST NOW: Controversy As Caitlin Clark’s Signature Basketball Sells Out in Under 40 Minutes amid WNBA Season.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – SEPTEMBER 06: Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Lynx on September 6, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In another testament to her ever-increasing popularity, Caitlin Clark’s namesake basketball as part of her partnership with Wilson Sporting Goods sold out in fewer than 40 minutes.
Irving Mejia-Hilario of Sports Business Journal reported Wednesday that the item went on sale Monday and was quickly unavailable. There was not an exact number of basketballs sold provided, but it was in the tens of thousands.
“We haven’t done a deal of this magnitude since we did one with Michael Jordan 30 to 40 years ago when we launched his first collection of basketballs,” Wilson head of global brand partnerships David Picioski said of working with the Indiana Fever guard.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – SEPTEMBER 06: Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Lynx on September 6, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In another testament to her ever-increasing popularity, Caitlin Clark’s namesake basketball as part of her partnership with Wilson Sporting Goods sold out in fewer than 40 minutes.
Irving Mejia-Hilario of Sports Business Journal reported Wednesday that the item went on sale Monday and was quickly unavailable. There was not an exact number of basketballs sold provided, but it was in the tens of thousands.
“We haven’t done a deal of this magnitude since we did one with Michael Jordan 30 to 40 years ago when we launched his first collection of basketballs,” Wilson head of global brand partnerships David Picioski said of working with the Indiana Fever guard.
“I don’t know that I could name you an athlete in recent memory that we have worked with that has sold at this level,” he continued. “Us having a role in that is powerful for our brand as well. We grow. She grows. The game grows. It’s a very mutually beneficial partnership.”
Isabel Gonzalez of CBS Sports noted the basketballs—which were available in either a black and yellow colorway or a purple, blue and yellow one—sold for $24.95 each.
Clark first became a household name with the Iowa Hawkeyes, where she became the all-time Division I leading scorer and known for launching deep three-pointers. She led Iowa to two straight national championship games and was then the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft.
