Caitlin Clark, a rising star in the WNBA, missed out on a lucrative deal with Nike by not demanding the same treatment as iconic Michael Jordan, according to Sonny Vaccaro, one of the most respected executives at Nike. Vaccaro believes that Clark’s team missed an opportunity by not negotiating for a share of everything like Jordan did.
After his time at Nike, Vaccaro went on to work with Adidas and Reebok to grow their brands. He is well-placed to comment on Clark’s deal and believes that she should have held out for a more comprehensive agreement that maximized her earnings potential. Vaccaro has been a vocal advocate for athlete rights and has spoken out on issues such as amateurism and NCAA policies regarding compensation for student-athletes.
Clark recently signed a contract worth $28 million over eight years with Nike, which works out to $3.5 million per year. However, unlike Jordan, Clark does not have a royalty agreement with the shoes and will instead receive a fixed amount each year for the duration of the contract. Jordan’s arrangement where he earned a percentage of each shoe sold has made him one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.
