WNBA player A'ja Wilson says Caitlin Clark is more 'marketable' because she's white — then gets signed by Nike

WNBA player A'ja Wilson argued that star player Caitlin Clark is more popular and more marketable because she is white, while black women are ignored. She was later revealed to have signed an endorsement deal with Nike.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Las Vegas Aces player A'ja Wilson claimed that race has played a "huge" role in the popularity of Clark, who set the NCAA records for women's basketball in points per game and total points.

"I think it’s a huge thing. I think a lot of people may say it’s not about black and white, but to me, it is," she said in an interview. "It really is because you can be top notch at what you are as a black woman, but yet maybe that’s something that people don't want to see," she theorized.

Wilson went on to claim that black women aren't seen as marketable and, despite what they may accomplish, are still ignored.

"They don't see it as marketable, so it doesn't matter how hard I work. It doesn't matter what we all do as black women, we're still going to be swept underneath the rug. That's why it boils my blood when people say it's not about race because it is."

The day before her interview was published, Wilson had her preconceived notions completely blown out of the water when she was signed to a signature shoe deal by Nike.

"It's been incredible working with Nike toward a dream of having my collection."

The athlete's shoe was announced with a sassy press release by Nike that listed all of her accolades.

"You thought we'd sleep on an SEC champion, national champion, #1 draft pick, five time All-Star, U.S. Olympic gold winner, WNBA Finals MVP, a statue-having, New York Times Best Seller, TIME 100 Most Influential People in 2024, two-time WNBA champion, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time WNBA MVP, and pettiest hooper on the internet?"

"You thought. Of course, A'ja's got a shoe," it added.

Wilson then posed for photos in a Nike sweatshirt that said, "Of Course I Have a A Shoe Dot Com," to promote her endorsement.

"It's been incredible working with Nike toward a dream of having my collection, and it really is an honor to take this next step and become a Nike signature athlete," Wilson said in a statement. "From my logo to the look of the shoe and the pieces throughout the collection, we've worked to make sure every detail is perfectly tuned to my game and style."

At the same time, Wilson signed a deal with Gatorade the previous week, which put another dent in her claims of marketability.

Clark has been forced to deal with countless criticisms for her skin color, despite those arguments saying that her race is actually an advantage.

The Atlantic published a scathing review of Clark before the start of her WNBA career, claiming her popularity was race based.

Former NBA player Paul Pierce said that he was shocked that Clarke won an NCAA game against LSU because she is white.

"We saw a white girl in Iowa do it to a bunch of black girls ... that gained my respect," he told his cohosts. "That gained my respect! That’s like, oh she didn’t do this to some other little white girls that were over in Colorado or wherever. She did it to some girls from LSU who we thought were some dogs!"

Clark's Nike deal will pay her a reported $28 million over eight years.

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