After signing an NIL deal with Nike during her high school senior year in 2022, USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins has signed a contract extension with Nike. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the deal is “one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball.”
JuJu became the all-time leading scorer among first-year students in NCAA Divison I women’s basketball history when she surpassed Tina Hutchinson’s record of 898 points, scoring 920 points in the 2023-2024 season. As she enters her sophomore year, she was voted the AP’s Preseason Player of the Year and is expected to be among the best stars in women’s college basketball.
Sources have told Sole Retriever that JuJu is expected to be a “focal point” for Nike in the coming year, though specifics weren’t shared. We will likely see her lace up the latest performance basketball models from The Swoosh, receive her colorways of these sneakers, and participate in Nike Basketball campaigns. Another college star who is set to play a significant role for Nike is Paige Bueckers, who will get her own Nike GT Hustle 3 colorway later this year.
As the popularity of women’s basketball increases, we’ve seen more and more women receive their signature models. Recently, Sabrina Ionescu debuted her second signature shoe, and Nike announced that A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark would get their model. If JuJu continues dominating in the NCAA and enters the WNBA as a shining star, we may see her get her signature model. However, the terms of this new deal have yet to be made public, so it's unconfirmed whether this will be the case.
Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
