Is there even a debate at this point? If there’s one player in the WNBA who embodies that ‘Mamba Mentality’ like Kobe Bryant, it’s Caitlin Clark. No question. From fangirling to preparing ‘his way,’ CC has never been shy about her admiration for the Lakers legend. And what better way to show it than by rocking his kicks on the court?

She’s been doing that since college—heck, she even broke the NCAA scoring record wearing the Kobe 5 “Bruce Lee,” torching defenses in those black and yellow beauties. Well, we know how she loves that swoosh! “I like the gold swoosh. It’s the black and yellow. You can’t go wrong. It’s just the best color. Honestly, I didn’t design these ones. I just said, ‘yes, I love them, please give them to me.’ So, they do their job, they do it really well. So they’re pretty cool,” she had said, speaking about another pair. And when she next surpassed Pistol Pete Marvich for the all-time NCAA scoring record, she was again flaunting a Kobe 6 in the White Del Sol colorway. 

Fast forward to her rookie year with the Indiana Fever, and she’s still loyal to Kobe’s line, starting with general-release models. But Nike soon caught on to her star power, designing exclusive player-only (PE) colorways. One of the best? That jaw-dropping Indiana Fever-themed Kobe 5 Protro she laced up right before her playoff debut against the Connecticut Sun. Then in August, Nike hooked her up with a sky-blue Kobe 6 PE and even custom golf cleats for The Annika Pro-Am—because why not flex off the court too?

Normally, PEs never make it to the stores—locked away from us mere mortals. But Nike’s breaking tradition for their golden girl, who also recently inked an eight-year, $28 million deal in April 2024—the richest contract for a women’s basketball player ever.

So, when the latest ‘shoe news’ dropped, you already know this is just as much a delight for her as it is for sneakerheads and hoops fans. Per KicksFinder, the Caitlin Clark x Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Indiana Fever” is officially dropping on June 1, 2025. The shoe sticks to the Kobe 5’s lightweight and performance-driven legacy but now comes in a fresh Indiana Fever-inspired design. 

We’re talking a navy leather upper with crimson laces and university gold accents—crimson and gold details on the tongue, branding, and Swoosh outline, all tying in perfectly with the Fever’s colors. Obviously, it still features Flywire support and Zoom Air cushioning, making sure it’s just as game-ready as its previous iterations. Retail price is $190 USD, per Sneaker Bar Detroit. 

But you know, this comes right after other sneaker news sources like Sole Retriever initially denied the reports that these shoes would actually hit shelves. And we know that CC’s fandom was already giving Nike heat for not dropping a signature shoe for her yet. So, this only added more fuel to the fire.

And hold up—there’s more. Clark’s not just getting PEs; she’s making her own legacy. “We had Caitlin Clark in here, she was in yesterday working on her signature shoe,” Nike CEO Elliott Hill spilled to Fortune in January, hinting at a 2026 drop. Imagine her reaction at Nike HQ, sketching designs, knowing she’s following Kobe’s path—he didn’t get his Nike deal until 2003 and his first signature sneaker until 2005, years after his rookie Adidas run. Clark’s already ahead of the game.

And you know Clark must be over the moon about all of this. I mean, how could she not be? She’s been repping Kobe’s legacy in every way possible—not just by wearing his kicks, but also by embodying his mindset on and off the court.

When Caitlin Clark recreated an iconic Kobe moment

Before Caitlin Clark became the biggest thing in the WNBA, Kobe Bryant was already a huge advocate for women’s basketball. Maybe that’s why she gravitated toward his style of play in the first place. Throughout her record-breaking season, she consistently laced up Kobe’s signature sneakers, particularly favoring the Kobe 5s and 6s.

But it wasn’t just about what she wore—it was about how she played. Kobe was obsessed with film study, breaking down every little detail of the game to get an edge. “Film study is all about detail… I went from watching what happened to what could have and should have happened,” Bryant once said. Clark followed the same. 

As 2008 NBA champion Kendrick Perkins told ESPN, “Kudos to her because that means not only has she been putting in the work behind the scenes but that means she’s been a student of the game and in the film room.” It paid off in a massive way for her. But it goes even beyond that. Clark hasn’t just taken inspiration from Kobe’s game, she’s drawn from his off-court moments, too.

Like, the one time she recreated one of his most iconic photos.

During her final college season, the former Hawkeye star led Iowa to its third straight Big Ten championship with a 94-89 overtime win over Nebraska. With another trophy secured, photographer Bri Lewerke had a flashback to Kobe’s legendary 2001 post-Finals photo, where he sat in the locker room, trophy in hand, soaking in the moment. 

The resemblance between the Big Ten trophy and the Larry O’Brien Trophy was uncanny, and Lewerke asked Clark if she wanted to recreate the shot. She was all in.  “I think it’s an opportunity to pay homage to one of the greatest basketball players of all time,” Lewerke later told ESPN. “And Kobe was also a huge supporter of women’s sports and women’s basketball specifically. That tie-in there is really special.”

And that’s what makes this whole Caitlin Clark x Kobe connection so incredible. It’s not just about the sneakers, the style, or even the mentality, it’s about carrying on a legacy. And right now, Caitlin Clark seems to be doing just that.