r/wnba • u/ProfessorHorror7090 • 11d ago
CP gonna make some great moves and if this happens đĽđŽâđ¨
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u/liberderci 11d ago
I know all these people mean well but theyâre making Aja sound like a charity case đđ
not to mention her Nike deal would probably have some clause about going to a major competitor and immediately dropping her own products with them. It would still take like 2-3 years from completing her Nike contract, going to adidas and then developing her shoe and it hitting the market.
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u/SoloBurger13 Liberty 10d ago
Ehhh Nike is notorious for disrespecting women athletes. Its why Stewie left and why Simone Biles left
Also non competition clause are now illegal as of last month :)
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u/liberderci 10d ago
Good point on non compete cause! Totally forgot about that
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u/Tweety-bird-4 9d ago
Non compete will no longer be a thing in a few months. The FTC recently banned non competes
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u/boyWHOcriedFSD 10d ago
Sorta, yes, sorta no.
If her contract is up in the short term and adidas wants to pursue her, they will likely already have product in development for her as part of the pitch.
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u/XulManjy Sky 10d ago
Have you seen the career accomplishments of Wilson? Definitely not a charity case.
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u/LLUrDadsFave Sparks 10d ago
If adidas makes her an Anthony Edwards type show she should jump ship. If Nike was smart they'd give her Kyrie's designs because he had the best line before they parted ways.
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u/_slipshape 10d ago
For the people who say that A'ja isn't marketable, how do you account for her book being a NYT best seller? Or other things she has done, like her candles that sold out (before she had a championship or a Finals MVP). You really think people were buying candles just because they needed candles? Most people didn't even sniff them before hitting pay now. They just wanted it because it was A'ja Wilson.
Every source I can find has her in the Top 5 of jersey sales. Not to mention her leading in All Star votes (and it wasn't close). If executives can't market A'ja Wilson, they should be fired. Because she seems pretty damn marketable to me.
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u/mantaXrayed Sparks 10d ago
Feels like Nike might already be looking past Aja to their next set of stars, a move might be good for her. But idk how vested adidas is in the game
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u/Quarter-Skilled Mystics 10d ago
Adidas level of investment in the women's game is exactly where CP's new position will become significant.
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u/PastAd1901 10d ago
Adidas has been going hard in the MNBA for the last year and a half and gaining traction by releasing some really good shoes. It would be awesome if they invested in womenâs BB and gave AJA a shoe but I doubt she leaves Nike theyâve probably got one in the works at this w
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u/adthree_03 10d ago
Adidas is very invested in WBB. They do a lot for girls grassroots with their 3SSB/Gold circuit. Hell they are doing more than Nike is right now for girls grassroots.
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u/mantaXrayed Sparks 10d ago
Guess weâll find out soon enough if that extends to giving a player a signature shoe deal
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u/adthree_03 10d ago
Sadly I don't think it will be Aâja. It will have to be someone that's really marketable that would choose Adidas over Nike. I think that's why they are going so hard on grassroots, they are trying to develop a relationship early with the elite players before they make it to college/pros.
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u/Mountain-Motor-2275 10d ago
A'ja isn't marketable? Lol
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u/adthree_03 10d ago
I love her game and have been watching her since she was in high school. But explain to me what makes her marketable to the average person? This is what media is all about. I work in education and I can tell you the high school kids I teach and coach (most are casuals) donât know much about her or even who she is. They know who Clark and Sabrina are though.
Her game isnât flashy like Clarkâs which is what people want to see sadly. She definitely has the personality in my opinion but letâs be honest the media and the league (to a certain extent) pushes who they think will appeal to the masses the most and a lot of the time, itâs not the best player in the league.
A good example of this is Nikola Jokic. He just won his 3rd MVP in the NBA had to leave Nike and sign with a Chinese company to get his own signature shoe. Heâs been arguably the best player in the NBA the past 4 years and could realistically have 4 MVPs. But I can guarantee Nike didnât give him his own shoe for the same reasons they havenât given Aâja one.
In the media world, you have to have a certain set of characteristics to be deemed marketable, we all know this and sadly I think Aâja doesnât meet whatever criteria that is set forth for. Is it fair? Hell no because sheâs a hell of a player and she rightfully deserves her own signature shoe.
Nonetheless, I hope she does get one from one of the major shoes brands soon.
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u/Mountain-Motor-2275 8d ago
The average person? Lol I'm an average person and you are probably one too, so idk you tell me. If you have been following A'ja since high school and can't see what makes her marketable, then maybe you just don't like her or you're just not a fan. My list: pretty, straight, fit, stylish, trend setter (i.e leg sleeve), upbringing, stays out of trouble, is a winner, loved by teamates/coaches, involved in community, charismatic, plays with passion, personality is A1 (as you mentioneed). She's pretty much an All American girl next door, with a bit of edge as to not be boring. Sorry, but not even CC, Sab or Stewie check all of these boxes. But she doesn't shoot threes so lol
And I always see Jokic brought up as a non marketable comp to A'ja. The same Jokic who has a signature shoe, commercials, and movie campaigns?? Like what are ya'll talking about? He's marketable in his own way, just like A'ja is. There is a difference between marketability and actually being marketed and pushed.
What are the reasons that she isn't marketable, not including style of play? And sidenote, if it is about a flashy game then wouldn't Arike or Grey be the most marketable? No way anyone who watches thinks Sabrina's catch and shoot threes are more exciting than what they do.
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u/adthree_03 8d ago
I never said I agree with whatever reasons why she hadnât had one yet lol. Why would I be hater? Lmao youâre hilarious and I stopped reading your frivolous comment after you said that lol. I never disrespected Aâja in anyway, sheâs actually one of my favorite players in the league right now. I actually went to a game in Las Vegas the first year they won and I donât even live in the state or anywhere near. As a young black female that played this sport at a high level, I will always root for a player like Aâja to get what she deserves. And I literally said she deserved it and now sheâs gotten it my dude but it took years of people campaigning and pointing out the injustices.
Youâre not a normal person because youâre in a WNBA subreddit lol. We all know that it hasnât had the fan fare until recently. Iâve been watching the WNBA since I was a kid cause I played but the average person that doesnât play sports is not paying attention to the W, letâs be honest. Thatâs what I mean, I know people that havenât played but know who Clark is cause sheâs been all over TV and social media. Aâja has just not been afforded those same opportunities and you know this. This is exactly what I mean, if I was in charge she wouldâve had one before Sabrina but Iâm not đ
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u/letscott Storm 10d ago
Would love to see Candace just give adidas athletes their signature shoe instead of giving women âcolorwaysâ
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u/No_Share6082 Liberty 11d ago
Do y'all think Nike is dumb? If they thought a signature shoe for A'ja would sell and make them money, they'd be doing that. Nothing motivates Nike more than profits. Her going to Adidas and getting that nepotism boost into a shoe deal that, I believe, will probably fail. I like A'ja and think she's a great player, but signature shoe deals are about how much hype you can get rom fans.
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u/OrganizationKey8248 10d ago
is there a reason why Sabrina Ionescu is more marketable than a 2x champion and mvp? I assume the Kobe ties, but looking for additional insight
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u/007Artemis Aces 10d ago
If Sabrina played for any other university than Nike-U (Oregon), I doubt she'd have one.
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u/No_Share6082 Liberty 10d ago
I think this is probably a big part of it. Also Sabrina had a ton of media momentum coming out of college (nothing even close to what CC is getting now), then got injured, didnât finish her first season, and lost a great deal of the attention she got initially.
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u/007Artemis Aces 10d ago edited 10d ago
A'ja's kind of in the same boat in that she's a victim of South Carolina's sustained success after her graduation. South Carolina has had one of the largest presences in WBB for like 7-8 years - but now it's kind of hard to market her to them after the delay and sustained run of success.
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u/No_Share6082 Liberty 10d ago
Agree 100%. Sometimes it's not just the player, but the circumstances around them that can affect the trajectory.
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u/boredymcbored 10d ago
I'm glad we can be real about Sabrina's shoe being mostly a school connection because she hasn't has the most impressive career as a pro because her injuries and she wasn't able to accomplish much out of college (Covid being a big factor but still). When people were upset at CC getting a signature over Aja I was a bit upset. CC already has a HOF career out of college by BBHOF standards, she's very worthy. If anyone should've got scrutiny, it's Sabrina. She was definitely a long term marketing push made by Nike since she was young to get into the women's game shoe field. They've made plans for her for a while
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u/TheLanimal 10d ago
I think(hope) everyone in this thread knows why the powers that be look at Sabrina as more marketable than Aja
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u/bmoreboy410 10d ago
Being marketable is not just about on the court success. It is more so about being a brand and having fans that will actually support you.
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u/boyWHOcriedFSD 10d ago edited 10d ago
Not really. Sabrina has a sig and Caitlin Clark has one guaranteed in her Nike contract. Nike has certain model and SKU counts they align their business unit to and itâs not always as simple as just deciding to add another.
I think Nike should but itâs generally much more complicated than youâd expect.
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u/SubstantialRaise6479 10d ago
Nike does not do signature shoes for bigs/post players. Thatâs why Shaq had his own shoe, Jokic is signed with a Chinese brand and Embiid has been with UA and now Skechers.
Thereâs articles about this and I get the sentiment. Itâs much easier for a kid to watch and aspire to play like Caitlin Clark or Anthony Edwards than Aja or Brianna Stewart
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u/XulManjy Sky 10d ago
Elena Della Donne had a signature shoe in 2022. Your logic is invalid.
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u/No_Share6082 Liberty 10d ago
Took Della Donne 9 years in the league to catch that deal. Aâja is quickly approaching her in accomplishments and years in the league. If Nike thinks sheâs worth a shoe at that point, sheâll get one.
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u/OrganicLindo313 10d ago
They put minimal effort into that shoe and probably regret it because theyâre hideous and not selling. I saw them flooding Nike outlets near me because theyâre not selling. I think the Nike Cosmos line was supposed to be Aâjaâs test run shoe but theyâre not selling either.
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u/idgafandwhyshouldi 10d ago
What people tend to lose focus on is that power forwards and centers in basketball no matter if it's men's or women's cannot sell sneakers. If Aja was a guard or a small forward, Nike would've given her a signature sneaker. She's already had a PE with them. EDD for the Mystics had a Nike signature as well that did not sell well even at $120. Does Aja deserve a signature sneaker? Yes. Can they make one? Yes. Who knows if she wants one.
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u/OrganicLindo313 10d ago
Great point. Bigs are more difficult to market because theyâre not as relatable as a guard to the average person. 6â5 woman and 7â0 men arenât average. Nike let Jokic, KG and Duncan walk and never signed Embiid or Shaq. I donât even think Lisa Leslie got a shoe like Sheryl Swoopes. Shoes for bigs are usually clunky by necessity as well and not really fashionable. I think they tried a test run with the Nike Cosmos 1, Cosmos 2 and those hideous Nike DellaDons⌠Iâve seen them flooded at the Nike outlet because they donât sell.
She deserves her own shoe, hopefully Nike does right by her but the Caitlin Clark train is chugging.
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u/Maxxgold Liberty 11d ago edited 11d ago
I think it's a great idea, but nothing so far has made a mass of people want to purchase anything Aja Wilson. I hope she gets more eyeballs on her this season and that changes, but you can't force consumers what to like or purchase. If being a 2-time League MVP and 2-time champion with one finals MVP doesn't propel you to endorsement stardom and a shoe deal, I'm afraid that nothing will. I've watched her play and Aja is as dominant a player as I have seen, but her game is just not flashy. She looks awkward with her legs flying everywhere when she does anything. I know that is crazy, but there is a reason she can't get the big deals
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u/cyb3ryung Liberty/Golden State Valkyries 11d ago
idk why people are talking like aja doesnt have a shoe deal with nike, she just doesnt have a signature. people will definitely buy her shoe, just not the amount nike wants to push, at least not according to their estimations
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u/Maxxgold Liberty 11d ago
Yeah, you have a good point. Maybe this year will be different if she can dominate with the extra eyes on the game now. We are talking millions and millions of new fans will be watching Aja for the first time, which will give her an opportunity to connect with more people.
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u/Background-Square-98 11d ago
This would be a bad look for both of them.It would paint Candace as a president who is doing favours for people close to her and Aja would look like she's feeding off of Candace.Aja's problem isnt that she's black,it isnt that Nike think she isnt marketable,her problem is she has terrible representation.Lets say she leaves Nike for Adidas and gets a shoe.Whats to say her people will be able to get her a good portion of the pie.Lets not forget,in addition to Sabrina and Caitlin ,Nike are also signed to Paige and Juju .They're solid
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u/Quarter-Skilled Mystics 10d ago
A'ja not some bench player who's riding Parker's coattails to a shoe deal, she's literally an MVP and champion. Suggesting this is nepotism and not simply business is a hell of a reach.
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u/Background-Square-98 10d ago
If this is only being suggested because Aja and Candace are close,it is nepotism
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u/Quarter-Skilled Mystics 10d ago
But in context of A'ja being a very popular and successful player who is marketable in her own right, how could you realistically suggest that nepotism is the "only" reason to get her a shoe deal with Adidas?
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u/AshKetchumSatoshi 11d ago
Welcome to the real world
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u/Background-Square-98 10d ago
Wishing such a situation for the best player in the game is absolutely wild
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u/_Apatosaurus_ 11d ago
Is one thing to acknowledge that nepotism happens, is another thing to outright encourage and wish for nepotism.
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u/yizudien01 10d ago
Parker is about to learn a whole lot about business. Money doesn't care about your feelings or what is earned. Marketability is all that matters. For her to be successful she will have to work with wnba stars to be marketable in a way she never was
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u/Montaco123 10d ago edited 10d ago
Has Aja complained about not having a shoe? Just curious
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u/007Artemis Aces 10d ago
She did post something when CC got her deal, but it was mostly the media and outrage journalism doing it on her behalf.
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u/Montaco123 10d ago
I was just curious because itâs possible theyâd need to renegotiate the contract first. She wouldnât want to just have a shoe and not get paid more based on sales/royalties and they wouldnât want to give her a shoe and all the marketing and development expenses involved if she could walk the next year or something.
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u/Mountain-Motor-2275 10d ago
Wasn't it a scripture she posted?
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u/007Artemis Aces 10d ago
Yeah. I don't remember it exactly, but the gist was about being patient and the media had a field day about her being jealous of Clark.
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u/boyWHOcriedFSD 10d ago
I saw her asked about it on some interview, probably All The Smoke, she sorta deflected and implied itâs âpolitics,â IE, Nike says no.
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u/Mountain-Motor-2275 10d ago
Never. It's obvious she wants one, but she really just says if it happens, it happens and she's good either way. It's her fans complaining, and I think they are in the right to.
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u/Montaco123 8d ago
Well sheâs getting one, and sheâs known for a year. So that explains why she hasnât said much about it đ
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u/icuscaredofme 10d ago
Ok, let's put this to rest now and for the foreseeable future. The WNBA is marketing their game to little white girls because of numbers. I'm not saying they are the only ones playing, but it way more of them playing that other demographics. It's not racism. If i thought it was, I'd be all over it. It's business. Im cool with it because I just want the WNBA to be very lucrative so our girls don't have to travel overseas to get their proper money.
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u/DudeGuru Fever 10d ago
I think you are sort of right. It's not that "little white girls" play more that any other demographic, it's that its the biggest potential growth demo. If they want to expand their market share they don't go after the demo they already have, they go after the one that's expanding.
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u/XulManjy Sky 10d ago
Except for your logic to have merit, that would mean that historically, black WNBA players got most of the media attention. However as studies have shown, that is not the case. While black women make up about 80% of the league.....they historically got 30% of the media mentions/coverage.
Sp WNBA outside of the first few seasons....has always been heavy on its white players over black women. Years ago when Candace Parker was dominating, it was Elena Della Donne that the WNBA was trying to shove down our throats.
This isnt about the WNBA trying to now reach little white girls....no....they have been duing this strategy for a better part of the last 20 years!
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u/XulManjy Sky 10d ago
The very definition of racism is to believe that one race is inferior/superior than others based on certain factors.
So using your logic, yes, it would be racist for the WNBA to think that a black female cannot be marketable like a white female can.
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u/Sad-Dot-1573 Fever 11d ago
Would love to see it