28 years. That’s how long the WNBA has been running. Still, its players have not essentially hit every target. One of them is getting signature deals with sports athleisure moguls. Nike, for one, is trying to change the game. But other brands like Adidas still take their sweet time. In fact, so far, Candace Parker is the only athlete in the Three Stripes family to have a signature deal. However, with the 3x WNBA champion as their President of Women’s Basketball, she has new plans on the road.

Candace Parker recently sat down with the Boardroom’s Nick DePaula for a one-on-one conversation. DePaula pointed out the fact that A’ja Wilson, who will launch the A’One collection next Spring, will only be the thirteenth WNBA athlete to have such a deal. Iowa sensation Caitlin Clark will be following her closely as the only fourteenth athlete to have a signature line. This shows that while the business for the WNBA itself is booming, the players are not getting the luxury of having signature deals.

Commenting on the fact, Candace Parker spoke, “I don’t think anything is given. Everything on the women’s side is earned, and unfortunately, it’s been really hard the last 28 years. When you think about it, how many statistics, awards, medals, and championships do you have to win to even be considered for a shoe or a collection?”

However, the Chicago Sky legend also quickly pointed out, “We’ve seen that women can sell shoes and sell apparel. You just have to put the right designers and the right dollars behind it.” According to her plans, she will be doing just that. But how do Wilson and Clark play a part in improving WNBA’s fate?

Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson leading the charge as Candace Parker follows suit

Nike is changing the way signature shoe deals work in the WNBA. In this year itself, it has successfully launched Sabrina Ionescu’s Sabrina 2 with its wearables, announced dates for Wilson’s A’One collection, and signed Clark for a whopping $28 million/ 8-year deal. Certainly, a lot at once. But we can see why. The Indiana Fever rookie has been on the top charts, selling out anything and everything that she is associated with. From her No. 22 and WNBA All-Star jerseys to game tickets, she is the frontrunner in the sales department.

With her unmatchable MVP-esque season already, Wilson is turning heads, once again! While not the table topper this year, she has been at the high ranks of sales as the Las Vegas Aces try for their three-peat mission. Hence, the cash flow just keeps on continuing. Candace Parker, who signed with Adidas back in 2008, is now turning the tides for the brand.

According to her, she will be introducing new deals to give more support to the female athletes of the sport. However, she also mentioned that it can easily take her at least until next spring to really show the impact. While she only retired earlier this year, Candace Parker is certainly looking for a brighter future while still being connected to the sport she gave her life’s 16 years to.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.