The love between Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes runs deep. Before she dominated the WNBA and broke records, she was doing the same at the Iowa Hawkeyes. Just like she is doing for the Indiana Fever now, Caitlin took the Iowa Hawkeyes to a level that seemed difficult to imagine. From leading them to two consecutive NCAA Division I Championship finals to breaking the all-time record, Clark did it all.
Even after making the jump to the WNBA, Caitlin has continued to support the Hawkeyes. Even after she left college, Caitlin Clark’s impact on the Iowa Hawkeyes remained evident. The “Caitlin Clark Effect” continued, and the Hawkeyes continued to sell out their stadiums. In her return to her old stomping ground, Caitlin received thunderous applause. She returned the favour to the fans by sinking a 36-foot 3-pointer against the Brazilian National Team.
Recently, Caitlin Clark made another gesture to show her love and support for her college. To help her team prepare for the 2025-26 NCAA season, Caitlin sent the entire team her personalized sneaker. The Iowa Hawkeyes’ official X page recently posted a picture of CC’s surprise to the entire squad.
Our girl @CaitlinClark22 has us ready for the season @nikebasketball x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/s4U7biF3fc
— Iowa Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) July 22, 2025
Nike released the Kobe 5 Protro ‘Caitlin Clark’ in her Indiana Fever colorway on June 30, 2025. For her Player Exclusive sneaker debut, CC decided to pay tribute to the Indiana Fever. As expected, fans immediately bought out the sneakers upon their release. Some even tried to cash in on the demand and listed them on reselling websites for nearly triple the cost. However, her personalized sneakers are not the only merch selling out within minutes.
Caitlin Clark and The Saga of Sold Out Merchandise.
Just after the 2024 WNBA draft, Caitlin Clark made headlines as she signed a $28 million shoe deal with Nike. This deal was an unprecedented one for women’s basketball. Just as LeBron James signed a $90 million Nike deal after being drafted, Caitlin Clark made a similarly transformative impact on the WNBA.
This deal also included a guaranteed signature shoe from Nike. While fans await CC’s signature shoe expected in Spring 2026, Nike released a Player Exclusive version of the shoe Caitlin wears, the Kobe 5 Protro, in her exclusive colorway in June 2025. However, keeping up with the “CC Effect”, the shoe sold out within minutes of release on multiple platforms.
The shoe was still available to purchase. However, to get your hands on them, fans would have to pay nearly triple the cost. Releasing at a price of $190, the shoe was spotted for sale on StockX for over $500. As of now, there is no update from Nike regarding when the sneaker would be back in stock. But this isn’t the first time a CC merch has flown off the shelves almost as soon as they became available.
Jun 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; a view of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoes in the second half against the Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Her merchandise flew off the shelves the instant she was drafted. Fanatics sold out her jerseys in all major sizes within an hour of her selection as the first overall pick. The surge repeated when she was announced as an All-Star. Both jersey variants disappeared within minutes. The same thing happened with her trading cards as well.
In December 2024, Panini released a series of 19 autographed trading cards. As expected, fans snapped them up within minutes. Her soaring popularity even led one of her trading cards to fetch $234,850 at auction, the second-highest ever for a female athlete, behind only Serena Williams.
Caitlin Clark’s impact on the league and women’s basketball as a whole has been historic. But through it all, she has stayed true to her image before the “CC Effect” struck gold. She has continued to support her previous teams and her teammates. Despite all the basketball success, it’s gestures like these that make Caitlin more endearing to the fans.
The post Caitlin Clark Comes Up With Heartfelt Gesture for Iowa Hawkeyes Before Start of 2025 NCAA Season appeared first on EssentiallySports.
