Caitlin Clark Surprises Former Team With Cool Nike Gift
Caitlin Clark missed the WNBA All-Star Game last weekend, but she was very busy as one of the league’s most popular players. Clark wasn’t able to play due to injury, but she appeared at several events during All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, and joined her fellow players in protest on court before the game.
Clark and other players showed great camaraderie and care for one another throughout the weekend, challenging some of the narratives that have emerged about Clark and how she’s perceived around the league.
The former NCAA scoring champion is keeping the positivity going into the new week, and she surprised players at her alma mater with a special gift ahead of the new college basketball season.
On Tuesday, Clark surprised the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team with pairs of her custom Kobe 5 Protro shoe from Nike. The men’s team also received pairs.
The shoe is a replica of the one Clark wears on the court each night, complete with a custom blue, yellow and red Indiana Fever-themed colorway.
“Thanks to [Caitlin Clark] for being that great … we feel so blessed,” sad Iowa women’s head coach Jan Jensen. The team posted the players’ reaction to the shoe delivery on social media, and players were thrilled to receive the exclusive shoes from Clark.
Clark wore the Kobe 5 model throughout her college career at Iowa, and sported the “Bruce Lee” Kobe 5s during last year’s NCAA Tournament. Clark led Iowa to back-to-back appearances in the national championship game, the first in program history.
“I’m a Kobe person,” Clark said in an interview last season, explaining why Kobe’s shoes were her favorites to wear.
“Everybody knows that. It’s the best shoe. It’s not even close,” Clark said.
“And continuing his legacy, not only obviously within his shoe, but just that whole foundation and just the Kobe brand is pretty incredible. So, I feel very lucky and fortunate to not only represent Nike, but also their entire family.”
The “Caitlin Clark” edition of the Kobe 5 Protro was released on June 30, and it sold out in minutes after incredible demand from fans. Clark signed an eight-year, $28 million deal with Nike ahead of her rookie season, and she’s set to eventually get her own signature shoe.
Clark will join an exclusive group of WNBA players with their own signature shoe models, including A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart.
