Steph Curry tried to recruit ‘must-see’ Caitlin Clark to Under Armour before WNBA star signed ‘$20 million’ signature shoe deal with Nike

Steph Curry did everything he could to team up with the WNBA’s newest star.

This week, Caitlin Clark, arguably the biggest star in women’s college basketball history, was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft in what could prove be a selection that could change the league.

The former Iowa Hawkeyes star’s meager professional contract has angered many, but an eight-figure deal with Nike that is expected to provide him with a signature shoe will ensure he gets his deserved big payday.

But Nike’s wasn’t the only offer she had on the table.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Under Armor also made a pitch to Clark that involved Golden State Warriors star and brand ambassador Steph Curry.

“Stephen Curry was involved in the Under Armor pitch, which is remarkable,” Charania said on FanDuel TV’s Run it Back.

“He has Curry Brand with Under Armour. He was involved in this pitch. I think he and Caitlin Clark are starting to form a relationship, but she doesn’t sign there. And it will soon be official at Nike.

It’s unclear exactly what Clark’s potential partnership with Under Armor would have looked like – she may have become part of Curry Brand, a subsidiary of Under Armour.

Curry, a four-time NBA champion, signed with Under Armor in 2023 and started his own label in 2020.

Curry became president of Curry Brand last year after striking a long-term deal — a deal that also gave him $75 million in Under Armor stock.

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However, a potential slice of the Under Armour/Curry pie – as well as a deal with Adidas that was tabled – wasn’t enough to woo Clark, who ultimately decided to sign with the Nike family instead.

“It’s fair to say it’s over $20 million,” Charania said of Caitlin Clark’s shoe deal with Nike.

Clark will become only the third active WNBA player to own her own signature sneaker, joining New York Liberty stars Sabrina Ionescu (Nike) and Breanna Stewart (Puma).

Under Armor and Curry capturing the signing of a transcendent star like Clark would have been an obvious slam dunk.

Their loss is Nike’s gain.

Within an hour of being drafted, Clark’s Fever jersey sold out in every size except small, a testament to its immense market value.

Fever ticket sales have also exploded for next season, while 36 of their 40 games will be broadcast on national television.

The sharpshooter Clark has drawn comparisons to Curry for her ability to shoot threes and score from anywhere on the court.

Curry has spoken about the comparisons before, but thinks it’s unfair to classify Clark as a shooter when she does so many other things so well.

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“I watched from afar and realized how powerful she was on the court,” Curry said.

“The cool thing is the way she plays, her range and the difficulty level of her shots is obviously a very close comparison to the way I play.

“But I think it almost robs her of the rest of her game because she’s so good on the floor (in general), she has her overall ground game.

“She’s putting up nearly triple-doubles every night. Her shooting ability is her superpower, but the rest of her game is as polished as that, so it’s must-see television.”

Last season, Clark became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history by surpassing LSU legend Pete Maravich’s record of 3,667 career points.

She also passed Curry’s NCAA Division I single-season three-point record (162).

Curry and Clark together in Under Armor ultimately never will be, but fans could still see them face off on a court next season.

The Warriors star and Sabrina Ionescu had a 3-point contest during the NBA All-Star Weekend in February, which they could repeat next year.

The Athletic reported that a two-on-two competition could even be on the cards in 2025, including Golden State teammate Klay Thompson and Clark.

But before that, Clark needs to focus on her WNBA debut.

She’ll get her first taste of the pros in the Fever’s first regular season game of the new season on May 14 against the Connecticut Sun.