Will Black WNBA Superstars Get What They're Due?

ESPN Daily

ESPN

Sports

4.6 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 10 May 2024

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Last month, news broke about Caitlin Clark’s $28 million shoe deal with Nike. It’s undoubtedly a great business decision for both Nike and Clark as she transitions into becoming the most hyped WNBA rookie of all time, but the announcement begets a conversation about equity in the WNBA. In a league that is nearly 64% Black, the most marketed, endorsed, and featured players are mostly white. ESPN’s Sean Hurd wrote about this for Andscape and ESPN’s Katie Barnes has extensively covered women’s basketball and its intersection with issues of race and gender. They’re both here today to discuss how Caitlin’s Nike deal will affect other superstars in the league like A’ja Wilson, Jonquel Jones and Angel Reese, and to provide context for how not only race, but also queerness and gender expression impact WNBA players’ access to capital. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're all time.
0:05.0	All time NCAA leading score.
0:10.0	Caitlin.
0:12.0	Paul. I'll get ready to see more ads like that one.
0:14.4	It's a Nike ad celebrating Caitlin Clark.
0:16.2	Caitlin Clark about to take it to the bank.
0:18.5	The Wall Street Journal reports the basketball superstar
0:21.6	is about to sign a Nike endorsement deal worth 28 million dollars.
0:26.0	Yeah, she already has deals with State Farm, Gatorade, and other brands valued at more than $3 million.
0:32.0	Clark's deal with Nike includes a signature shoe.
0:34.5	Well, make room in your closets
0:35.7	because you'll soon get a chance to buy Caitlin Clark's Nike shoe deal.
0:53.0	It's undoubtedly a great business decision for Nike and Caitlin,
0:57.0	as she transitions into becoming the most hype WMBA
1:01.0	rookie of all time.
1:02.0	But the announcement also begets a conversation about
1:05.4	equity in the WMBA. In a league that is nearly 64% black, the most
1:11.2	marketed indoors, featured players are mostly white.
1:15.0	E.S. P. And E.S.P. and Sean Heard wrote about this for Anscape, and E.S.B.
1:20.0	Barnes has extensively covered women's basketball and its intersection with issues of race and gender.
1:25.0	They're both here today to discuss the implications of Caitlin's Nike deal on the rest of the lead.
1:31.0	I'm David Dennis Jr. It's Friday May 10th. This is ESPN daily.
	...

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