Nike's Caitlin Clark Commercial Has Basketball Fans On Twitter Saying The Same Thing
There is perhaps no bigger name in American sports right now than Caitlin Clark, the Iowa college basketball superstar breaking records and taking names across the country. A true scoring phenom, she broke the NCAA Division I women's basketball scoring record, taking the title from current WNBA star and two-time national champion Kelsey Plum. However, that apparently wasn't enough for Clark, who followed the accomplishment up by beating NBA legend Pete Maravich's Division I men's basketball record, which he set way back in 1970. This made her the all-time scoring leader regardless of gender. The best basketball movies ever can't keep up with what Clark has been doing in real life.
In celebration of Clark's latest achievement, Nike released a commercial featuring the athlete. It's short but sweet, with an announcer rattling off a laundry list of awards, records, and titles that she has earned in her college basketball career. The ad spot has been celebrated by hoops fans online, with many taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to celebrate Clark's greatness. "Incredible! The Official GOAT of NCAA Basketball," @Kayas_Kicks wrote in response to the video. @PlannedSickDays echoed the excitement, writing, "now you need to drop them shoes. my daughter starts spring/summer basketball next week."
Clark announced that she will be declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft after her college season wraps up, and all the attention she's garnered will likely follow her to the pros. "Congrats!" X user @Michael90445407 wrote in response to the new Nike commercial. "Can't To See You In The W."
Caitlin Clark's rise is just part of a larger movement in women's basketball
Caitlin Clark's star just keeps on rising. Her latest Nike commercial is just part of her extensive line of endorsement deals, which will surely continue in the WNBA. She could be in a Hotels.com commercial with Nikola Jokic before you know it, but she's far from the only exciting thing happening in women's basketball right now.
The WNBA and women's college basketball have both grown significantly in attention and engagement over the last several years, charting historic viewership numbers. Clark is just one of a wide group of current college stars, which also includes stars like USC's JuJu Watkins, UConn's Paige Bueckers, LSU's Angel Reese, and Stanford's Cameron Brink, the latter of whom had her own big marketing moment last year in a New Balance commercial with Kawhi Leonard. Over the next couple of years, all of these players will likely be heading to the pros.
In the WNBA, they'll join a league that's also rapidly growing, with a new Bay Area expansion team being added in 2025. The 2024 season is shaping up to be incredibly exciting, with a potential new superteam being formed in Seattle to combat current titans like the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty. Adding young stars like Clark to that environment will only further boost excitement and competition. In other words, there's never been a better time to get into women's basketball.