Caitlin Clark brought a considerable amount of eyes to the WNBA this past season, which proved to be financially lucrative for the Indiana Fever star.

This week, Sportico released its Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2024 list, which measured their total earnings for the 12 months ending Dec. 31. This included both salary or winnings and endorsements. Clark was the lone basketball player to make the list.

Clark’s earnings for 2024, according to Sportico, was $11.1 million. Her WNBA salary, the publication stated, accounted for roughly $100,000 of the $11.1 million. This included, the report stated, a base salary of $76,535 and multiple performance bonus payments, including $10,300 for her All-WNBA first team selection.

The remaining $11 million of her 2024 earnings came from endorsements. The most most valuable endorsement deal, according to the report, was Nike.

In April, The Wall Street Journal reported Nike’s deal for Clark was worth up to $28 million over eight years. The Swoosh reportedly beat out several other potential bidders, including Puma, Adidas and Under Armour.

The deal, NBA insider Shams Charania reported via Twitter at the time, would also include a signature shoe.

Clark has long been aligned with Nike, first signing a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal with the brand in October 2022. The hooper laced up several different models from Nike during her Iowa Hawkeyes playing days, mostly looks from the brand’s beloved Kobe franchise.

Though Nike has not yet released a Clark signature shoe, as a pro, she has continued to play a role in the buzz around the Kobe franchise with eye-catching player editions (PEs) and by wearing fan-favorite colorways. For instance, she debuted her first Nike Kobe PE in late July during an Indiana Fever practice, a Nike Kobe 5 Protro in the black and gold hues of her alma matter.

Aside from footwear, Nike celebrated Clark in October with a T-shirt commemorating her Rookie of the Year Award. The shirt, which is available via Nike.com for $40, features several of her rookie year accolades, including most points in a rookie season (769), most assists in a season (337) and more.

Some of Clark’s other high-profile deals in 2024 included Wilson Sporting Goods Co. (highlighted by multiple signature basketball collection releases), as well as Gatorade, State Farm and more.

In terms of viewership, the WNBA revealed in October that the full season — which included the regular season, playoffs and finals — averaged 1.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched full season on ESPN platforms ever.

What’s more, ESPN hosted the most-watched game of the regular season, a matchup between the Fever and the Chicago Sky in June, which averaged 2.3 million viewers.

About the Author

Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.

New Balance chief executive officer Joe Preston called out the brand’s strong connections with its retail partners in a speech accepting the award for company of the year at the 2024 FN Achievement Awards.

“I also want to thank our retail partners,” Preston said. “We’ve got a rich, storied history with them and we’re really respectful of the service, the reach and the experiences that you do for customers. And you’re big reason why we’re up here tonight.”

While New Balance does not parse out its wholesale sales numbers, executives have said that the channel is vital for growth. In an interview with FN in November, Preston said that wholesale partners are an “integral” part of the company’s overall strategy. In addition to large chains like Foot Locker and Academy Sports + Outdoors, Preston also called out partners in the run specialty channel, as well as various independent stores and boutiques in the lifestyle space.

After hitting $6.5 billion in sales in 2023, New Balance is currently on track to achieve well over $7 billion in sales for fiscal year 2024, a milestone it expects to hit two years earlier than initially anticipated. The privately held company has also outlined a broader goal to become a $10 billion brand by the next few years. Behind the strong results in 2024 were a series of product wins, as well as strategic investments in athlete partnerships, retail expansion and a historic deal with the WNBA.

In his speech accepting the FNAA for Company of the Year, Preston also highlighted New Balance’s community focus as a key element that makes its culture uniquely special.

“The teamwork that is exhibited across our company is the key reason why we are here tonight,” Preston said. “It’s a fearlessly independent mindset that we operate from being privately held that we think allows us that opportunity.”

For 38 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2024 event is supported by sponsors Listrak, Marc Fisher, Nordstrom and Vibram. 

FNAA 2024 Red Carpet Arrivals Photos, Live Updates

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On Dec. 4, New Balance will be honored with the Company of the Year Award at the 38th annual FN Achievement Awards. Below is an article from the magazine’s Dec. 2 print issue about the brand’s massive successes in 2024.

New Balance is on a major winning streak.

After hitting $6.5 billion in sales in 2023, the athletic giant is currently on track to achieve well over $7 billion in sales for fiscal year 2024, a milestone it expects to hit two years earlier than initially anticipated. The privately held company has also outlined a broader goal to become a $10 billion brand by the next few years.

“We’ve had strong momentum in 2024 and it’s really been a continuation of the momentum that we’ve had coming out of COVID,” New Balance president and chief executive officer Joe Preston told FN in an interview in early November. Since 2020, New Balance has achieved more than a 20 percent growth rate in every major market across the world, the executive added.

Behind the strong results in 2024 were a series of product wins, as well as strategic investments in athlete partnerships, retail expansion and a historic deal with the WNBA. Here, New Balance executives discuss six ways the company secured big wins in 2024.

1. Sports Marketing

Between the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and a highly visible season for the WNBA, New Balance had major representation on the global athletic stage in 2024. Eighty four New Balance athletes, including gold medalists Gabby Thomas and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, competed at the Olympic Games this year. New Balance also signed NIL deals with college athletes like Cooper Flagg to build up its presence in basketball.

“Our goal, from a sports marketing standpoint, is to be the most boutique sports marketing brand in the world,” said Chris Davis, brand president and chief marketing officer at New Balance. “And with that goal, it’s all about a fewer-bigger-better approach and ensuring that the group of athletes we’re cultivating is more like a family than a roster.”

When it comes to building its rolodex of partners, the company takes an athlete-first approach. For example, a year after signing its first women’s basketball player, Cameron Brink, New Balance deepened its relationship with the WNBA this past July and signed a multiyear deal that established the brand as the official partner of the league

2. Strength in Running

The highly competitive running category was particularly strong for New Balance in 2024 and picked up even more momentum in the latter half of the year. Preston pointed to a spike in demand for the brand’s footwear platforms like Fresh Foam and Fuel Cell, as well as franchises like the Rebel. Newer releases of older running shoes, such as the 990, have also generated heat, which Preston credits to the brand’s history in running.

“If you see brands emerging and then continuing to grow, there’s usually an authenticity,” he said. “And for us, that’s rooted in our running heritage that is performance based.”

However, Davis is cautious about throwing around the “h” word. He described New Balance as a “brand with heritage” as opposed to a “heritage brand.” “That thesis is critical in sustaining both a performance and a lifestyle business, because a ‘brand with heritage’ honors its past but is relentlessly focused on innovating into the future, whereas a ‘heritage brand’ relies on its past,” Davis said.

To stay competitive, New Balance aims to drive forward innovations and new forms of storytelling across lifestyle and performance running.

“The running category is not a sprint,” Preston said. “It’s a long run. You need to be committed to it and you need to put resources against it — everything from tech reps who call on their run specialty stores and provide support to commitment to inventory and, obviously, innovation.”

3. Retail Investment

As of mid-November, New Balance had opened 72 new stores and renovated 43 stores this year, as it looks to bolster its retail presence.

“Our brick-and-mortar retail locations need to be a physical manifestation of our brand,” said Davis. “A consumer should walk into our store and feel the New Balance brand and experience the New Balance brand. And if they don’t purchase something in that instance, that is totally OK. However, they need to have a positive brand impression when they leave the location.”

According to Davis, New Balance has seen positive performance indicators in traffic, conversion and consumer sentiment since renovating its store fleet across several store expressions, including running store formats and other new store concepts.

“I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in ensuring that our brick-and-mortar experience is brand accretive, and I think it has to be.” Davis said. “Brick-and-mortar retail is certainly not dead. We just have to think about it in a different way. We have to think about it with a brand-led vision.” In the next six to 12 months, New Balance plans to refresh its flagship stores around the globe, including in Boston, the U.K., Japan and New York City.

4. Wholesale Partnerships

While New Balance does not parse out its wholesale sales numbers, executives have said that the channel is vital for growth.

“I don’t think we can be as successful as we have been, or will be, without our wholesale partners,” Preston said. “And that’s going to continue to be an integral part of our strategy.”

Among retailers like Foot Locker and Academy Sports + Outdoors, New Balance is consistently touted as a top performer.

In August, Foot Locker chief commercial officer Frank Bracken called out the chain’s robust partnership with the brand during a second-quarter earnings call.

“Our partners at New Balance continue to engage our shared consumers with strong product innovation, compelling assets and storytelling and operational excellence to help scale the business,” Bracken said. “With multiple footwear franchises connecting in the marketplace and a commitment to sport, lifestyle and streetwear, we are confident that we will continue to grow with this important partner.”

And it’s not just the large retail partners that are driving growth in the channel. Preston called out New Balance’s presence in the run specialty channel, as well as in various independent stores and boutiques in the lifestyle space.

Kris Hartner, owner and founder of Naperville Running Co., has worked with the brand for the last decade on a branded section in the basement of one of his stores designed to serve young athletes. The space, which features a pool table, X-Box and more, is available for team nights and shoe fittings.

“They’ve been great partners of ours,” Hartner said of New Balance. “They have their ‘Fiercely Independent’ tagline and we are that to a T. If there’s a vendor that we could say is similar to us, it would probably be New Balance. They’re not mom-and-pop size, but they’re mom-and-pop owned.”

5. Global Activations

New Balance does 35 percent of its business in North America and the rest in countries around the globe. According to Preston, the company utilizes a “think global, but act local” approach to grow its business in different regions. The goal is for 80 percent of brand messaging and expression to be the same across all regions, with about 20 percent given for leeway with specialization based on the region.

“We make sure we have those inputs coming in from the regions, and then we try to satisfy as much as we possibly can, while keeping in line with our brand roots and the authenticity that we instill on everything that we do,” Preston said.

For example, the brand recently debuted a new premium retail concept with its new store opening in Edinburgh, Scotland, this past September. The store was designed with central seating areas to promote engagement and features a curated selection of core lifestyle products, as well as premium Made in UK and Made in USA collections.

On the product side, New Balance released a five-sneaker “City Exclusives” pack in August, a collection where each shoe pays homage to a key region in the brand’s legacy and is only available in its respective region. For example, the Baltimore style was released exclusively at Social Status, the Shanghai model was available in the city’s NB Grey store, and the Tokyo rendition was available at Atmos Japan.

6. Focus on Its Community

Even amid its global expansion, New Balance takes pride in being one of the few shoe brands with factories in the U.S. The brand operates six facilities in America, with a plan to merge two in Maine into one larger and more modern factory.

“When we go into a community, we stay in a community,” Preston said. “It’s really important for us, not just from a quality perspective, but also about the importance that these factories can have to a community.”

According to Preston, the community focus is also what makes the New Balance team uniquely special. “Our secret sauce is our people and our culture, and it’s all centered around teamwork,” he said. “Our culture and the way our associates take care of each other is inspiring. When I look back someday on my career here, that is what I’ll be most proud of.”

For 38 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2024 event is supported by sponsors Listrak, Marc Fisher, Nordstrom and Vibram.

While she’s a master of agility wearing sneakers on the basketball court, WNBA star and Reebok partner Angel Reese admits she has trouble with high heels.

Though she’s rocked Gianvito Rossi slingbacks and more elevated styles on recent red carpets, the professional athlete is still not totally comfortable in heels. On an episode of her podcast “Unapologetically Angel,” she opened up about the issue to Law Roach, who is famously Zendaya‘s stylist.

She said to him, “Another hard thing for me is heels, like I hate heels. In them, my feet always hurt. What’s the most comfortable heel for you to wear, or even for Zendaya?”

Roach went on to warn her against the So Kate, a popular Christian Louboutin pump which steeply arches upward to support a soaring 120 mm heel.

Roach responded, “She wears the hardest heel. You definitely don’t want to wear those — she wears So Kate, that’s the hardest shoe to wear.”

Responding to Reese’s question of how Zendaya walks in them and if her feet ever hurt, Roach said, “Let me tell you a story. So she was 13, I made her wear a pair of So Kates. And every time I think about it I’m like, ‘Why would her parents let me do that to her?'”

Roach continued, “I made her keep them on all day, like she was crying and everything. I’m like ‘Do not take it off.’ And then the next day she wore ’em again, and then she wore ’em again. So now she can just…Her feet are trained. she can wear em all day she can run down the street in them. And those are the hardest, I think those are the most painful, most difficult shoes to her.”

Reese said to Roach, “I think it’s because I play basketball and I’m always in basketball, running shoes — my foot is not used to that arch.”

The stylist offered her some advice to get accustomed to walking in them: “You gotta start just wearing them around in your house.”

He added, “It’s really not your feet, it’s your ankles…You gotta strengthen your ankles in heels.”

Watch the full podcast episode with Angel Reese and Law Roach above.

Angel Reese’s Best High Heel Moments So Far [Photos]

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Sabrina Ionescu‘s victory lap took her to Nike World Headquarters Wednesday, and the Swoosh commemorated her first WNBA championship with a gold version of her signature sneaker.

The gold Nike Sabrina 2 display came mounted on a wooden platform with a plaque listing her stat totals for the 2024 season. On her way to securing a title for the New York Liberty through 38 wins over the regular season and postseason, Ionescu put up 900 points, 237 rebounds and 297 assists.

Ionescu posted a video of the gold sneakers on her Instagram story, which also showed a Nike interior featuring photos of Ionescu celebrating her league title and Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA. Ionescu came off the bench for the US women’s basketball team’s Olympic run and contributed 5.5 points and 3.3 assists in 13 minutes per game.

Prior to this year, Ionescu had won other international medals but had never won a title in her high school, collegiate or professional career.

The Nike Sabrina 2 launched over the summer while making kid’s sizes available for the first time in her unisex signature line. Her latest model is 28 grams lighter than its predecessor and is the first Nike basketball sneaker to make use of a Cushlon 3.0 foam midsole. The midfoot’s band system was updated for a glove-like fit, while the outsole was given a new “S” herringbone pattern for multidirectional traction.

Nike has said the Sabrina line is one of its fastest growing in basketball for the U.S. and China, and more than 80 NBA players wore the Sabrina 1 prior to the launch of its successor.

About the Author:

Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.

Whether it’s the Air Jordan OG from 1998, the player editions for UCLA guard Kiki Rice and WNBA star Kia Nurse or several other shoes, Jordan Brand has been invested in the women’s game. That investment continues with the Heir Series.

Jordan Brand’s revealed the Heir Series on Monday, its newest court-ready basketball shoe, which was made using feedback from several of the 15 women athletes it backs.

“We’re currently witnessing a pivotal and transformative era for sports, especially women’s sports,” WNBA star Rhyne Howard said in a statement. “This shoe allows us to leverage our understanding of how women play to create products that can benefit all athletes and push the entire sport landscape forward.”

Jordan Brand stated the Heir Series is representative of its belief that all athletes can benefit from women’s insights, and that this philosophy comes to life in the Heir Series through its emphasis on running and cutting, two of the “most critical aspects of the women’s game” and a “top priority for a growing number of all hoopers.”

To address this, Jordan Brand added an exterior layer of foam to the Heir Series — its lowest shoe basketball shoe on the market — that protects a drop-in Cushlon 3.0 midsole, which it explained allows the wearer’s foot to be low to the ground for “a flexible court feel.” Also adding to the court feel is the rubber herringbone traction pattern used on the outsoles, which the brand said enables quickness and control.

Additional tech in the Heir Series includes an adaptive, flexible cage that Jordan Brand stated was inspired by “the connection and teamwork central to the women’s game.” This tech, the brand explained, also drives support and comfort while preventing ankle rolling, a common injury with women basketball players.

“I love how light they are, how comfortable they are, and I feel like I have a lot of support when I run and cut out on the court,” WNBA star Jordin Canada said in a statement. “It’s a great shoe, and for it to be a shoe from women, I’m really glad to be a part of this one.”

Jordan Brand revealed the stories behind several colorways of the shoe, including “Main Character,” which is replete with bold hues and an abstract animal print that it stated “reflects the bold, confident mindset of female basketball fans and Jordan Brand Family athletes.”

Another colorway Jordan Brand shared insights into is “Her Collective,” which it stated “fuses the favorite colors of each female athlete on the Jordan Brand Family roster.” Also, the “YSY” look was inspired by China, the home country of its sponsored athlete Yang Shuyu.

“Understanding that the Heir Series is specifically designed from my insights as well as other women athletes on the roster is really representative of the change that’s going on right now in women’s basketball,” Rice said in a statement. “Being able to contribute to the design and feel of this shoe is something I don’t take for granted. I love the aesthetic and think the color blocking lends itself to be a great vehicle for storytelling and advancing the women’s game and basketball overall.”

The Jordan Brand Heir Series silhouette is available now via Jordan.com and at select retailers with a $110 price tag.

About the Author

Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.

The Big Apple showed up in droves for the New York Liberty at the team’s ticker-tape parade Thursday, celebrating the franchise’s first-ever WNBA championship. And, of course, the players arrived in style.

Jonquel Jones, the 2024 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player, had a pair of MVP-caliber sneakers laced up: the Air Jordan 11 “Cool Grey.” And Jones is no stranger to having heat on her feet. She has her own iteration of the Nike KD 17, one inspired by the Bahamas where she was born and raised.

Sabrina Ionescu, one of the few WNBA players with a signature shoe franchise, also had coveted sneakers laced up. The sharpshooting guard had on the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low “Medium Olive.” She also had on a shirt Liberty fans would undoubtedly love to get their hands on, one that read “Yerrrnescu,” a nod to the New York slang term “yerrr.”

As for Breanna Stewart, the now three-time WNBA champion, she opted for a custom Puma Speedcat OG. Stewart is also a signature athlete, aligning with Puma in 2021 on her Stewie franchise.

WNBA veteran Courtney Vandersloot — who is now a two-time champion — wore a women’s Nike Dunk Low to the parade, specifically the “White Bright Cactus” colorway.

Several other beloved Liberty players had great looks on foot, including Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (Adidas Nova IIInfinity), Ivana Dojkic (Adidas Campus 00s), Marquesha Davis (Air Jordan 12 “Barons”), Jaylyn Sherrod (Nike Dunk Low “Panda”), Kennedy Burke (Nike Dunk Low LX) and Kayla Thornton (New Balance 480).

And it wasn’t just the players who had great sneakers on. Ellie the Elephant, the beloved mascot of the New York Liberty, showed up in custom Nike Air Force 1s, dressed in the team’s seafoam hue with bright white midsoles.

The Liberty’s ticker-tape parade began at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, traveling up the “Canyon of Heroes” along Broadway, ending at City Hall. And while at City Hall, the New York City Council announced that it had approved a resolution to make Oct. 20 the annual New York Liberty Day.

The Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals on Oct. 20, earning the team’s first-ever championship.

About the Author

Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.

Angel Reese is going to be wearing Reebok years to come.

Reebok and Reese have agreed to a multiyear contract extension for their partnership, the athletic brand announced Thursday. Their partnership began in October 2023, when Reese — then a college player at LSU — became Reebok’s first long-term name, image and likeness (NIL) signing.

Reebok could not confirm the terms of the deal with FN.

What’s more, Reebok confirmed Reese’s signature sneaker will release in 2026. Reebok confirmed Reese will be its second WNBA player to receive a signature shoe.

Reese — who plays for the Chicago Sky — recently discussed the shoe with NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal, the president of Reebok Basketball, on her Unapologetically Angel podcast.

“I’m extremely excited to let you guys know that we are officially coming out with a Reebok by Angel signature shoe,” she said on the show. “We’ve already kicked off the design process, and it means the world to me to have Reebok’s full support and confidence with this shoe and overall partnership. A signature shoe has always been a dream of mine, and I want all the young girls out there to remember that anything is possible.”

Reebok and Reese have been active since their partnership began. For instance, Reese debuted a new performance basketball shoe from the brand late in August, the Engine A, its first since the 2010s. And at the start of August, Reebok released Reese’s first-ever collaborative collection, dubbed Reebok by Angel, that featured three reimagined sneakers.

About the Author

Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.

The journey of designing and releasing a signature shoe is a long one. A’ja Wilson, whose Nike shoe is slated for a 2025 release, shared the joys and challenges of the process at a media event Monday.

The two-time WNBA champion was one of the featured guests during a series of discussions about all-things basketball, which took place at Nike’s headquarters in New York City. Wilson was joined on stage by Nike Inc. president of geographies and marketplace Craig Williams, as well as Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum via Zoom. The conversation was moderated by ESPN and MSG basketball analyst Monica McNutt.

Among the topics discussed, the three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player shared the pressures that come with having a signature shoe.

“There is pressure when it comes to competing with other brands or just wanting to [have] the best shoe, but at the same time you don’t want the message to get lost, you don’t want the storytelling to get lost. That’s tough because there are a lot of great ideas,” Wilson said. “We have some dope shoes out there. You don’t want your shoe to be just another one. You want longevity, you want a shoe to have a name after a game you had, like the [Air Jordan 12] ‘Flu Game.’ That type of substance is a lot of pressure.”

She continued, “Sitting at the table with your team, having those hard conversations, that caught me by surprise. I thought they were going to be like, ‘Here’s a shoe, we’re just going to put your signature on it’ [Laughs.] But no, they were like, ‘We’re going to break it down,’ and I didn’t think I was ready for that, but now I am and I am so excited and thankful for my team.”

On stage, Wilson, too, shared the joys of being a signature athlete.

“It’s a blessing to me, honestly. It’s something that you dream of as a kid, like, ‘Oh, I get my shoe. Oh, my God, this is it.’ To see it coming to reality has been a lot of hard work, but also a lot of fun,” Wilson said. “I have an awesome team that is trying to put my weird words that I say into a shoe, which is great, because I’m like, ‘I want the thing that goes the thing,’ and then they’re like, ‘OK, we’ve got it.'”

She continued, “It’s unique to me because it’s a shoe that can do a lot. It’s a versatile shoe — anyone can wear it. It’s not a big man shoe, a big woman shoe. It’s going to be comfortable for everyone, and I hope everyone feels that.”

Nike announced in May that it was working with Wilson on a signature collection that would include a shoe, dubbed the A’One. A month later, the brand revealed her logo, which features a star in the “A” of her signature.

Speaking exclusively with FN in July, Wilson provided some insights about her A’One sneaker.

“When people look at my position in basketball, they think of a big-man shoe, a forward or center shoe. The A’One is not that. It is the complete opposite,” Wilson told FN. “It’s very versatile because that is my style of play. And I wanted a shoe that was going to be comfortable and durable for 40 minutes because the last thing I want to worry about on court are my shoes. And it’s a low top.”

About the Author

Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.

Less than a week after assuming control of Nike, president and CEO Elliott Hill has made his first public comments.

Shortly after the Swoosh announced it had extended its apparel and uniform contract with the WNBA, the NBA and the NBA G League on Monday, Hill was featured on a panel at Nike’s headquarters in New York City. He was joined by Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty and NBA commissioner Adam Silver, as well as NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo via Zoom. The conversation was moderated by ESPN and MSG basketball analyst Monica McNutt.

During the panel, Hill — a company veteran of 32 years — discussed Nike’s evolving role in basketball, as well as potential barriers to progress.

Below is what Hill shared on stage at Nike’s NYC headquarters, edited for clarity.

On the New York Liberty’s WNBA Finals Win

“The Liberty fans, if there is such a thing as a sixth player, without question I think it was the Liberty fans. The atmosphere in the building last night [Oct. 20] was electric, it was loud, it was fun, it was real. There’s no question in my mind they helped will them to victory.”

Nike’s Role in the Growth of Basketball

“For the last 50-plus years, Nike has been very much about putting the athlete at the center of the conversation. That helps drive the innovation around product and storytelling, etc., so we’ll continue to do that. Nike has always been about growth and growing sport around the world, and when we do that, we grow the industry, we make the industry bigger, and we’ll continue to do that. As it relates to our partnership, it’s very much in the same vein. We’re going to put the athlete — whether it’s the elite athlete or the everyday athlete or the fan — at the center and try to extend the game of basketball beyond the elite athlete to grassroots, men’s, women’s, boys, girls, different formats, three-on-three. You can go down the list. International is a big piece of how we grow the game of basketball, and it is at the core of what we continue to talk about. And I would add moving beyond just on court to lifestyle and the culture of basketball, it’s a tremendous opportunity for both of us to continue to grow the game of basketball.”

Barriers to Progress

“Sometimes we set our own barriers. We talk a lot about human potential at Nike. We all see the potential of the game, and I think we inadvertently maybe set some some of the boundaries around it. I think we — and I speak of our two companies and the partnership we have and all the brands that we have here — have to treat ourselves much like an athlete, and to continue to push ourselves to think differently, to get better, to put that athlete and that consumer at the center of everything that we do. If we can do that, we’ll come up with new and interesting ways to celebrate the game, move the game forward and I think help grow the game globally.”

About the Author

Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.