The WNBA is as competitive as it can get. While the rookie Caitlin Clark recently got a Nike contract under which she would soon get her shoe line, the WNBA veteran A’ja Wilson also shared the exciting news of having her sneaker line. Though the two athletes belong to different generations, Clark is being compared to WNBA players since she has gathered a lot of fans in extremely little time. Recently, NBA great Dwyane Wade came forward to support A’ja Wilson which to many looked as if he was crediting Wilson more than Clark.

Wilson was present in a podcast The Wine Down with his father Wade Sr. when he asked about the sneaker deals. Wade’s answer clearly reflected that he was a big Wilson fan.

Dwyane Wade Backs A’ja Wilson

Wade’s podcast reflected that while Clark had earned a lot of recognition and popularity she was yet to unleash her trademark demons at the big stage. Wade talked about how he would get his daughter Zaya to wear Wilson’s sneakers – A’One.

“A lot of young girls that gonna play volleyball and basketball and rock Caitlin Clark sneakers. But now it’s gonna be a lot of young girls around the world whos gonna rock the A’Ones. I’ve recently talked to A’ja. I’ll let her know that I can’t wait to buy daughter a pair of your sneaks…Because she’s been that… she’s been that woman since we’ve known about A’ja. She’s consistently stayed at this level. She’s a GOAT already. She’s have so much left to go in this game and so congrats to her. This is just happening, man,” Wade stated. 

As per Boardroom, Wilson’s sneakers are expected to arrive in Spring 2025. Her signature shoes and slides will be available in both young and adult sizes. Wilson also stated that after signing the deal with Nike which is a $138 billion brand, she has taken utmost care to have the best quality shoes and has also inspected the design procedure. She also proudly wore the “Of Course I Have A Shoe Dot Com” hoodie before the preseason game against the Puerto Rico National Team.

As per The Athletics (h/t: CBS Sports), Clark has a deal with Nike for $28 million for 8 years and it will also include her own signature line. Clark, who has endorsed a lot of shoes while playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes and now the Indiana Fever, especially the Kobe-Bruce Lee edition, had Adidas and Under Armour also presenting their deals to Clark. Currently, it looks like Wade is more inclined toward A’One as he will also buy his daughter a pair. He also criticized fans for not doing enough due to the WNBA’s pay disparity.

Dwyane Wade criticizes WNBA fans

Wade was quick to state in one segment of The Wine Down that though the WNBA athletes particularly Clark have garnered mass audiences for themselves, the fans are not supporting them enough. As per him, this was reflected in the pay disparity as Clark will only make $76,535  during her rookie season.

“You ain’t supporting them like they ain’t got signature shoes because no one has been. They’ve had a couple people but it’s not like it’s people going out and running to sleeping overnight like they do with Jordans to go get these things,” Wade said.

While Wilson and Clark continue to battle in popularity, hopefully, the WNBA will be the ultimate winner and get more spectators.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.