The time in the third quarter was running out, Clark knew she was being subbed out as soon as the quarter ended. “I had to give the fans a little something. I told you I was going to pregame, so.” she said. Caitlin would do just that as she pulled up from the deep, knocking down a jumper reminiscent of her record-breaking shot that took her atop the NCAAW scoring list. The Carver-Hawkeye Arena were witness to a special game on Sunday. The first exhibition showdown to be nationally televised, the excitement of the fans shined through as they packed the arena 90 minutes prior to tip-off. It was her first time returning to Iowa since joining the WNBA, and Clark got the homecoming any hero deserves.
But while the Iowa fans reached the Carver-Hawkeye well in advance, there was someone who did not show up.
The event, which was bound to be a glorious night for the face of women’s basketball, was marred by the absence of Nike, who also happen to be Clark’s biggest sponsor with a $28 million deal in place. Although discontent was the common sentiment across the internet, the most prominent one came from Clark’s partner, Connor McCaffrey, who took a subtle dig. The Butler assistant coach retweeted a sarcastic post from X user @caitisland that read: “.@Nike yall don’t got internet or what?”
There was no shoutout or marketing to uplift their athlete by Nike, and it did not go unnoticed. While McCaffery called it out on one end, analyst Rachel DeMita expanded on it on her podcast. “Nike seems to be continuing to fumble the bag when it comes to Caitlin,” she said.
.@Nike yall don’t got internet or what?
— leys (@caitisland) May 4, 2025
As strong reactions come in from fans across the league, when will Nike break their silence on CC’s homecoming?
The post Nike Criticism Amplified by National Analyst After Caitlin Clark’s Boyfriend Highlights Brand’s $28 Million Fumble appeared first on EssentiallySports.
