Lebron James’ son Bronny got most of the headline play, but there’s another big story in the recent Nike NIL deal allowing college athletes to get paid. At a time of increased scrutiny about the pay gap between male and female athletes, the Nike deals show that female collegiate and amateur athletes are emerging as winners in the early days of the NIL era.
“I think it’s reflective of a broader movement that we’re seeing in sports. I think this is a reckoning, a slow reckoning, albeit, but a reckoning that there are more opportunities, more interest,” said Patrick Rishe, director of the sports business program at Washington University.
University of Iowa’s point guard Caitlin Clark, Stanford University’s guard Haley Jones and Sierra Canyon High School’s guard Juju Watkins are the three women’s basketball players signed to Nike’s newly finalized NIL endorsement deal, alongside Sierra Canyon High School’s point guard Bronny James and Camden High School’s guard DJ Wagner.
“I grew up watching Nike athletes across all sports play their game. They have inspired me to work hard and make a difference. I’m humbled to be part of this first Nike basketball class and passionate about inspiring the next,” said Clark in a Nike release.