In a business decision based on a foregone conclusion, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark signed an NIL deal with the online financial services platform Gainbridge, even as her final regular season in college has come to a close.
Clark, who is set to move on to the WNBA after the Big Ten Conference tournament and NCAA Tournament, is expected to become a member of the Indiana Fever once the 2024 WNBA season begins.
The Fever play in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which is also home to the Indiana Pacers of the NBA.
Clark is the NCAA’s Division I all-time scoring leader in both men’s and women’s basketball. She passed the men’s leader, LSU great Pete Maravich, while scoring 35 points in the Hawkeyes’ regular-season finale Sunday, a 93-83 victory over Ohio State.
Clark now has 3,685 career points to 3,667 for Maravich. She became the women’s NCAA Division I scoring leader on Feb. 15 when she passed Kelsey Plum then became the all-time women’s scoring leader when she passed Lynette Woodard two weeks later.
With all eyes set to follow Clark into the WNBA for the upcoming season, Gainbridge moved to attach itself with the star player.
According to the Indianapolis Star, the Fever have struggled with attendance, averaging 4,067 per game last season and 1,776 in 2022. They drew around 7,500 per game while winning the WNBA title in 2012.
The Iowa women’s team averaged 10,738 fans per home game this season and 11,660 per game in Big Ten play.
The WNBA draft is set to take place April 15 in New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music. The Fever have the No. 1 overall pick, having won the draft lottery following their 13-27 record last season.
Indiana did not have the worst record in the league last season but had the highest lottery odds based on their WNBA-worst 18-58 record over the past two seasons combined.
The Big Ten tournament at Minneapolis runs Friday through Sunday.
–Field Level Media