Paige Bueckers appears destined to follow in Caitlin Clark’s footsteps as the WNBA’s No. 1 overall pick.
The college phenom will be doing so in her own signature shoe, with Nike set to unveil the Zoom GT Hustle 3 sneaker in December.
Bueckers’ custom design will retail at a bumper $190.
Nike is throwing its support behind women’s basketball and gave Clark a massive $28million deal in April.
But UConn star Bueckers, who signed with the sportswear giant in 2023, has beaten her to the punch with her shoe launch.
Clark is expected to unveil her own sneaker ahead of the 2025 WNBA season.
Bueckers, who became the only freshman ever to win the AP Player of the Year Award in 2021, has seen her NCAA career hampered by injuries.
But the 23-year-old Huskies guard has bounced back and is the only college basketballer ever to have her own shoe.
She is tipped to join the Dallas Wings after the struggling franchise claimed the No.1 pick through the WNBA Lottery.
After breaking the all-time NCAA scoring record, Clark has lived up to the hype in the WNBA and led the Indiana Fever to the playoffs.
She reportedly rejected a six-figure offer to join the Unrivaled league in an effort to make the most of the offseason.
The 22-year-old former Iowa guard is also eyeing a move into soccer.
Clark has joined an ownership group that is bidding to bring a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team to Cincinnati.
The bid is being led by FC Cincinnatti and could end up costing $100million.
“The NWSL Cincinnati bid team is thrilled that Caitlin Clark has joined our ownership group in pursuit of bringing a women’s professional soccer team to our city,” Cincinnati officials said in a statement to the local paper.
“Her passion for the sport, commitment to elevating women’s sports in and around the Greater Cincinnati region, and influence as an athlete and role model for women and girls around the world, make her a vital part of our compelling bid to become the 16th team in the NWSL.”
Cincinnati faces competition from Cleveland, Denver, Nashville, and Philadelphia.
Clark has also been hitting the golf course and played at GA Tour’s RSM Classic pro-am earlier this week alongside PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and 2023 Ryder Cup Captain Zach Johnson on Sea Island’s Plantation Course.
Clark was joined by seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and former NFL MVP Matt Ryan.
“Pretty incredible what she’s done in her sport and what she’s done for sport and what she’s doing for golf,” Davis Love III, the tournament host, said of Clark.
“I haven’t played with her or seen her play, so hopefully, she continues to grow in her game.”
Johnson, who played with Clark at the 2023 John Deere Classic, says he’s noticed an improvement in her game.
“She’s a competitor before she is anything else. I witnessed it a year-and-a-half ago when we played but I’ve also witnessed that she’s gotten better. She’s working on her game,” he said.
“It’s a hard game, and it’s not her number one priority, obviously, nor should it be. But she’s amazing. She’s amazing on the court and off.”
