Caitlin Clark’s National Profile, Boosted By State Farm, Changes 2024 WNBA Draft Calculus

The announcement that Caitlin Clark has signed with State Farm as its newest spokesperson is more than just a signature moment for college athletes, with Clark the first collegian in the State Farm commercials.

It sends a signal that Clark has become a truly national brand, and with that, her NIL opportunities may not be as affected by a decision to leave Iowa following the 2023-24 season as generally assumed as recently as last spring.

Clark’s role at State Farm will be varied. You will see her in ads, social media postings, even events. Most critically, she received the signature State Farm khakis.

“Sports marketing is a key part of our growth strategy, and our investment over the last several decades has shown great business impact,” said Kristyn Cook, Chief Agency, Sales and Marketing Officer for State Farm. “Welcoming Caitlin Clark to our team expands and strengthens our ability to positively impact communities, engage with audiences in meaningful ways, and reinforces our commitment to raising the visibility of women in sports. As a fellow Good Neighbor, we can’t wait to drive progress forward together with Caitlin for years to come.”

But when she isn’t working for State Farm, Clark will continue chasing records as a guard for the Iowa women’s basketball team, a year after leading the Hawkeyes into the NCAA national title game. A healthy Clark, should she enter the 2024 WNBA Draft, would be a good bet to get selected first overall. (Even an injured Clark would probably remain a lottery pick, as Tamika Catchings was back in 2001.)

But thanks to the COVID extra year, Clark gets to decide whether to enter the 2024 draft or remain at Iowa and play in 2024-25 as well, then enter the 2025 draft.

“I think first and foremost, like going into my senior year, the thing I think about is time goes so fast, and being able to soak in every single second,” Clark told reporters earlier this month. “I think that’s how I’m viewing this my senior year. I’m kind of treating it like my last. I don’t know what I’m going to do going forward, and I don’t want to have any regrets in that regard.”

Clark’s stardom has been enormous, but regional, since her first day on the Iowa campus. By last year, she’d signed deals with The Vinyl Shop, a Des Moines apparel company, and the regional supermarket chain Hy-Vee.

Remaining at Iowa, in theory, would be relevant to continuing those deals while she remained a Hawkeye State phenomenon.

But Nike
NKE
? Bose? State Farm? These are brands that will resonate wherever Clark plays next season. Moreover, her national status hasn’t lessened her Iowa fame in the process.

“I will say what I really loved is I saw so many videos of people back in Iowa City, just every single bar completely packed, screaming about women’s basketball,” Clark told me back in March at the 2023 Women’s Final Four. “That’s so, so cool to see your impact on your university and your state.

She also said of her level of fame at that point: “it hasn’t really hit me yet.”

It’s safe to say it has now. And it gives her all the options in the world not just for basketball, but for her brand as well.