Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark received the good news of her team’s No. 1 seed status for March Madness added on to the fact that the Hawkeyes will play their first two games at home, at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The $3.1 million NIL-valued Clark (as per On3) in collaboration with NIL partner Gatorade had a hand in designing a Gx towel and Gx bottle featuring her favorite pink and blue colors.
Also heavily featured were the No. 22 from her birthday on Jan. 22 and her jersey number.
With the merchandise going for $45, and the sale going live on Tuesday, fans of the popular Clark rushed to the Gatorade website, and in a few minutes, it had crashed with fans complaining that they could not get access.
Complaints from frustrated fans on X steadily poured in.
Caitlin Clark considers charity angle in NIL deals
Caitlin Clark and UConn’s Paige Bueckers are the only college student-athletes signed by Gatorade, which has an international footprint, but Clark said that she agreed to the partnership for one overriding reason.
When the popular Clark signed a NIL deal with the company, Gatorade donated $22,000 to the Caitlin Clark Foundation.
She highlighted that act as one of the factors that drew her to the partnership.
“This partnership is special because not only does Gatorade fuel the best athletes in the game, but they’re also committed to leading by example and giving back, which is what I strive to do every day,” Caitlin Clark said in a statement.
“I’m honored to join such an iconic brand that has some of the most elite athletes in sport on their roster and can’t wait for what’s ahead.”
Gatorade further showed its commitment to helping aid the record-breaking Clark’s charity endeavors by announcing two separate donations of $25,000 to both her foundation and the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Clark explained the purpose behind the collaboration and tied it into the theme she espouses of community service.
“This has been a year of dreams coming true for me on and off the court, and working with Gatorade to elevate women’s basketball is just one more example of that,” Caitlin Clark said in a release.
“This collab is all about inspiring young girls to chase their dreams. I always dream big, and now I want to show them: You can, too.”
With March Madness attracting eyeballs due to the mystique of Caitlin Clark, Gatorade is partnered with the face of the women’s game to collaborate with at the right time of the year.
IOWA STAR CAITLIN CLARK TARGETED BY WEST VIRGINIA COACH WITH A BOLD SPEECH
Fans could not believe the audacity.
As Caitlin Clark’s stardom grows, so does the target drawn on her number 22 Iowa Hawkeyes jersey. As her final NCAA Tournament approaches, that target is bigger than ever.
Just moments after the official March Madness brackets were revealed, Mark Kellogg, coach of Iowa’s potential second-round opponent West Virginia, wasted no time before taking aim at the NCAA all-time leading scorer. He was asking for trouble when he called Clark out by name in this bold speech.
“I already told them,” he said to the crowd gathered at West Virginia to watch the bracket reveal, “let’s win one and then let’s send Caitlin Clark packing.”
Iowa has a difficult road to the Final Four
The Albany region of the women’s NCAA Tournament bracket is absolutely loaded, but West Virginia probably was not the first team Clark noticed in their quadrant until Kellogg’s fighting words hit social media.
The Hawkeyes (No. 1 seed) are joined by No. 2 seed UCLA, and got arguably the best No. 3 seed, LSU in their region. Ever since last year’s NCAA Championship game ended in drama between Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese, college basketball fans have eagerly awaited a rematch. If they meet this year, it will be in the Elite 8, with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
Lisa Bluder’s team also can’t overlook No. 4 seed Kansas State, a team that has beat them in November. They would face off in the Sweet 16 if both teams advance.
Social media thinks Clark will make WVU coach eat his words
Clark’s last dance begins by hosting the first two games in Iowa City. The bulletin board material provided by West Virginia’s coach adds to the intrigue of what would be Clark’s final game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Only one problem: the No. 8 seed Mountaineers need to win a tough first-round game against No. 9 Princeton first.
“He’s a genius, providing motivation for Princeton AND Iowa at the same time,” joked one reply to the video on Twitter/X.
“Woof. You asked for it,” one fan said in disbelief.
“This was a bad idea. Clark might go for 50 against these guys,” said another.