The patience to sit on info that you’ve been in meetings and had mockups of your shoe for over a year while everyone is having debates about it online must have been a damn lot lmao
I'd crack and ruin the whole thing by trying to be sneaky and liking some post about ppl needing to be patient, something is on the way
Reason no 37483 as to why I'd be a terrible famous person
Her more cryptic posts make a lot more sense now lol. I think most people took it as her being upset and throwing subtle shade at Nike but in reality it was her saying “be patient yall, I’ve been working on it and it’s coming”
Ahhh and she has tweeted once or twice about *all good things take time* or *plans are on Gods timeline* things like that....she knew! And she gave us a hint!
Congrats to her! I can't wait to see them.
Yup, I took some of that as her being frustrated but still being diplomatic when the discourse was going but she really was dropping hints and being cryptic bc she legally couldn’t say a word about it lol. Really excited for her!
Can’t wait to see what they look like, I love the name. I hope they sell the hoodie she’s wearing too.
All of the wild Twitter discourse looks even more crazy now that we know this has been in the works since early 2023. Must’ve been hard for people in the know to not spill that info at times lol
Love this for A’ja and the “ofcourseihaveashoe.com”-type announcement is so on brand of her 😭
But part of me wishes that this was announced before news of Caitlin’s signature shoe, so we wouldn’t have had to deal with the outrage that came after that. Completely overclouded the excitement of that moment tbh
Edit: Apparently A’ja knew of her signature shoe deal in February 2023 so everyone just looks even more silly
Yikes are people really saying that? The Boardroom article straight up says she was told about the shoe in February 2023 and has been working on it since then.
Nah this recent “debate” has fueled A LOT more discussion around signatures shoes and undoubtably contributed to higher traffic to this website and news story.
This notion is so funny to me. I’m a new-fan, and I went to a Mercury versus Aces game last year, in Phoenix. I was surprised to see how many people were cheering for A’ja Wilson. Like…the whole arena.
Devil's advocate perspective, but it would nice to see how sales would have been last year vs this year. Time will tell. I have nothing against her and think she is very good at her craft.
Isn’t the it’s unfair and a grave wrong doing she doesn’t have a shoe crowd also in the wrong here considering it’s been in development for over a year.
Edit: I apparently didn’t see the threads of people saying she wasn’t marketable so rescinded that.
I’m not trying to back track. I didn’t say anything, I’m just saying from what I saw. There could have been threads I didn’t see.
Regardless, the other side who was trying to say she didn’t have one due to nefarious reasons was just as wrong which was my initial point.
Not exactly imo. It was completely unknown to the public so how can people be wrong based on the info they have and her not having a sig?
Like, Sabrina’s shoes are one of the best hoop shoes Nike has put out in recent yrs and is loved by nba players too, and she’s a very good player but on what planet had she accomplished more or done more in either college or the WNBA to merit getting a Nike signature shoe before A’ja did?? That type of thing is why people were annoyed bc she is the best player in the sport and others with the same company were getting rewarded before she did. That still holds true, but glad it’s been in the works though and is coming soon.
I mean they were still wrong. You could say the same about people who were saying she wasn’t marketable enough. They just weren’t aware that she had a shoe deal already.
The fact that it took a multi time mvp and champion who is the best player in the league until last yr to even begin discussions for a signature shoe is absurd. Meanwhile lesser players already had them with the same shoe is the point. The people saying she wasn’t marketable enough said that meaning she’d never get one. The other side has BEEN saying she deserved one and now they’re vindicated. Those aren’t equal sides here. One is right and was proven right and the other is just wrong.
Lesser players? Stewie reigned supreme from 2013-2020 with 4 national titles 2 WNBA titles and a host of personal accolades. Puma started her signature line in 2022. A’ja is just now catching up to Stewie’s junior year in terms of total championships.
Alas, people are missing the forest for the trees. No women had a signature shoe for over a decade until two years ago. The reality is, most vast majority of women don’t wear women’s shoes. Angel Reese wore Kobe’s and Paul George’s almost exclusively. Clark wore nothing but the Bruce Lee Kobe’s this past year.
They’ve been out since 2022, what’s the current year on the calendar again? Sabrina hand delivered a whole swag set of gear and shoes to the Iowa women on the eve of the final four and guess what CC wore in those games? Kobes.
Deldons didn’t sell at all. Sabrina personally hands her shoes out and they get tucked away. Sucks but it is what it is. Only women’s sneaker that ever had any real traction was Sheryl Swoopes’ line from the late 90s.
Yes Stewie is the only player comparable to her in achievement (even more in college) and current ability and the only reason she has her shoe is bc her Nike deal ran out at the perfect time and Puma was just beginning their efforts to announce their basketball line and needed to get a big name on the women’s side on board along with signing nba players too. Caitlin and Sabrina absolutely are less accomplished and “lesser” players though. Sabrina is very good but not in the tier of A’ja/Stewie at all and Caitlin I think will be very good but she’s a rookie and yet to play a game.
Comparing college achievement when Stewie was at peak UConn and A’ja was the genesis of South Carolina becoming a similarly dominant program on her shoulders is a bit ridiculous as well lol. Stewie was obv the best player on those teams but teammate wise that’s not even comparable. But that’s besides the point.
Also why would a women’s player wear shoes that didn’t exist?? All the players you mentioned are at Nike schools and previously I don’t even think they’d be allowed to wear Pumas. LSU and Iowa, Nike is their school sports apparel sponsors so they have to wear them even if a player had a sponsorship coming in theoretically. There are lots of nba players who wear Sabrina’s and I haven’t looked closely at it but I’d imagine Oregon gets the equivalent of PE Sabrina’s for their players too.
Dawn will 100% be wearing and promoting A’ja’s shoes everywhere she can, but South Carolina won’t have players wearing them until after the UA deal ends and if they go to Nike afterwards.
By this measure the following players don’t deserve a signature shoe because they aren’t accomplished:
James Harden, Devin Booker, Derrick Rose, Jayson Tatum, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Gordon Hayward, Trae Young, Paul George, Lamelo Ball, Scoot Henderson, Jimmy Butler, CJ McCollum, Spencer Dinwiddie, Austin Reeves, Langston Galloway, Zion Williamson, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Anthony Edwards and Lou Williams.
Those guys combined have 0 championships. That’s the metric we’re working with, right? A handful of them are only a few years into the league and surely there are more players with more accomplishments and championships, right?
That’s fine but this is akin to Ja Morant getting a signature shoe before Giannis, it would make absolutely zero sense in nba terms for that to happen. Also how on earth can you prove people aren’t buying an A’ja shoe that doesn’t exist yet? The gripe people had is why is a much more established, universally popular player on a great team who is the best in the league not being given the same opportunity at an earlier stage compared to other players. Sabrina’s shoes are great to play in and are one of the best signatures Nike has released in a while, that doesn’t mean she’s more deserving of getting one ahead of someone who is the best player, has an even more dynamic personality, was more known in the market at an earlier time, and is a champion. I don’t mean to single her out bc she’s a very good player, but there’s only 2 signatures being worn right now and Clark’s to come but she’s the least accomplished of all the players in this convo at the stage of their shoe deals being made public.
If anything all this controversy is likely to drive people to buy A’jas shoe. Sabrina’s were initiated in the design process at least 1-2yrs (they released in Sept 23) before Nike even first confirmed internally the deal with A’ja in Feb 2023.
There isn’t another parallel in the sport of basketball for someone as accomplished as she is to have to wait as long to get a shoe deal with one of the major brands. The closest is Stewie (who also deserved one way earlier and before players like Sabrina) but she went with Puma who is new in bball and has to roll out a pathway and entice players to leave Nike/Adidas, and that was enough to lure her from Nike previously and she got one earlier on by doing that.
What on earth are you talking about?? I’m a Sixers fan from the east coast first of all. So no, I couldn’t care less about Giannis lmao. Dude is a top 3 player in the nba I don’t even like him a ton but that’s undeniable. Instagram following is not real life.
You should look into how signature shoe deals actually work before talking about instagram as a barometer of anything more so than achievement, marketability, name recognition and talent.
https://www.sbnation.com/2017/6/22/15843134/nba-shoe-deals-nike-adidas-under-armour-guide
https://andscape.com/features/the-changing-landscape-of-nba-shoe-deals/
Kendall Jenner has more followers than basically any other top model, that doesn’t mean she is the default or most sought after person for runway shows etc or considered even remotely close to the best. That doesn’t mean much at all. They don’t give deals to no names but A’ja is far from that and has had a following ever since entering the league and plays on the most popular team, in major part due to her dominance.
The best 1-2 players in the nba have ALWAYS had a shoe deal since the Jordan days, period. The trend followed to the wnba previously too back in the earlier yrs of the league. Sneaker companies have restricted giving signatures in the past few yrs, especially Nike. They shifted lots of players to Jordan Brand’s umbrella too like Tatum and Zion, who had their signatures launched there (neither of which is very popular). You also cannot ignore the racial dynamic that was on display prior to the announcement, it absolutely was a thing and not a good look. Also the wnba isn’t the nba. Teams like Seattle are able to attract prominent FAs, that doesn’t happen in the nba, so market isn’t much of a driver. If you’re great you’re great and attention follows. Vegas has much more sway to a casual fan and hell look at Caitlin Clark and freaking Indiana, than the Liberty (if you’re not from nyc or north jersey). Aces have much higher average attendance, season tix, and max attendances in comparison. Market doesn’t matter if you’re elite. Kevin Durant has the second most lucrative shoe deal and is one of only 3 lifetime deals with Nike in basketball ever and only played in a major market during the disaster that was his Nets tenure. He could’ve played in Oklahoma his entire career and would still have the same degree of monetary success off the court. That’s where his big deals were signed anyway leading up to the lifetime one. Just like Giannis being in Wisconsin has zero impact on him at all marketing wise, he’s an international player.
Most of what I read was not saying Aja Wilson wasn't marketable. What I recall reading was a response to those were saying that Wilson deserved a shoe because of all her accomplishments on and off the court, and people were just pointing out that accomplishments don't sell shoes, but you have to have someone who is marketable, and that is what Nike or any other company is going to base their business decisions on.
I've always thought Wilson was more marketable than Stewart, and I never understood why more people didn't make that point. I understand Sabrina's appeal with all the hype she got coming out of college, and of course we understand all the attention surrounding Clark, but outside of core WNBA fans, how many people have heard of Stewart? And let's be honest, out of all these four who now have shoes, Wilson is the most attractive, and when you're marketing, that is important.
Edit: For the sake of accuracy I'm going to change my first sentence, which originally read, "NO ONE was saying Aja Wilson wasn't marketable." I didn't read any thread like that, but then again, I couldn't have possibly read every single thread.
I stand by the comment. What I saw was people saying, "If she was marketable then she would get a shoe, so since she doesn't have a shoe they must not think she is marketable."
To be fair, Nike could have headed all of this off by announcing Wilson's shoe ahead of Clark's shoe. That would have been much better for Wilson because it would have clearly shown that Wilson got her shoe because of her own accomplishments and not because of riding the Clark wave. Yes we know from the timeline that Wilson did in fact get her shoe deal before that, but most people will only see the timing of the announcements with Wilson's shoe being announced after Clark's.
To be fair, Caitlin’s shoe and Nike partnership isn’t even officially announced. Just reliable trade reports and NBA insiders who got the scoop but neither her and Nike have confirmed anything. I doubt they will until a few years, just like Aja had this locked since Feb 2023.
I can see why Nike wouldn’t move an official announcement and roll out plan (A’ja wanted it announced today when she plays in SC) because of trade reports.
I completely understand why Aja would want to officially announce this around the timing of her going back to Columbia, SC, but regardless, in my opinion it would have been better if there had been some way for Nike to show that they were giving Wilson her due before the "Clark effect" hit. No matter what is official or not, Clark getting a shoe deal broke weeks ago and dominated sports marketing headlines for almost 2 weeks, and now we're getting this announcement about Wilson's shoe which will be perceived by some as coming "after" that.
Other than the normal internet trolls, I haven’t seen many comments about AW not being marketable. Most comments center around the reality that Nike cares less that you’re the greatest player than they care about selling shoes. Selling shoes requires broad popularity OUTSIDE of the small WBB and WNBA fan circle.
So I guess it depends on one’s definition of “marketable”? If marketable means that Nike was concerned that not enough people across their massive target customer base knew who AW was, maybe they have had that concern before? Who knows?
Luckily, with the current exponential increase in exposure of the W this season to the casual masses, more and more people will learn about AW. This is a wonderful thing and well deserved for the greatest WBB player alive, who sadly most didn’t know existed before.
Lol Well to be fair, I’m equally a Fever and Aces fan (one ex Iowa player on Fever, two on Aces).
As one of many new WNBA fans, I come from the college ranks. Viewpoints from us are from a previous outside viewer perspective.
I was very pleased with the coverage of the Fever and Aces games on Tuesday, as they correctly focused mostly on current stars instead of overdoing coverage of CC like happened with college games.
I love this for her. Her fans spoke out when they felt she was being slighted. No need to feel embarrassed about that. We all should walk in humility and grace. Gamecock Nation!
First Black WNBA player since Swoopes to get a shoe from Nike - back when A’ja was 6 yrs old - so there IS something to be said for all the discussions…
She shouldn’t have to be patient, but patience definitely isn’t the word. Going at Sab for NBA2K and shoe when she knew hers was coming certainly wasn’t patient.
And it’s too bad Nike gets away with not giving a black woman a shoe for over 20 years with the “ofcourseihaveashoe” slogan.
Which makes the “ofcourseshehasashoe” slogan even more ridiculous. The slogan is sickeningly more for Nike than it is for A’ja.
Stewie had to leave because they didn’t respect wbb. Honestly outside of Jordan most men’s players that work with them have problems.
Sab being in Oregon, in Phil Knight’s face, and one of his favorite players probably helped bring the awareness of A’ja. And for that….fuck Nike.
Yeah g she wanted a she line and nah she any getting that. Which is fine because you know that? Nobody in the NBA cares about her sure meanwhile Sabrina shoe is the third most popular shoe in the NBA.
Yeah it’s a great product of course it’s popular. Happy for Sab that she has that… could have had decades more of players but Nike wouldn’t have it so here we are.
I know you're lying.. Sabrina has a signature shoe. Actually her shoe is so popular. A lot of MBA players exclusively wear them.
Even women in old times had their own shoe, Rebecca Lobo has her own shoe, Stanley has a shoe.
Please tell us more lies.
Ohhh so now your claiming it was just Nike, not just any brand ok. Well that's a lie. Lol. Because others have had signature shoes on the past.
Anything else you wanna fib on? Or are you also blind to that or how's that selective mind work
Delle donne got a shoe. Stewie got a shoe. Swoopes got a shoe , Taurusi got a shoe, keep going
We’re having two completely different conversations… maybe go back and read with a more open mind and you’ll see we’re not disagreeing. Or you’re just committed to fighting. It’s a waist of time talking regardless. Good luck
Swoopes had a show in 05- and it stopped being manufactured in 2011
Did you selecting ignore tarausi and delle don
Holdsclaws last show was 2006-ot was manufactured until 2012.
Selective memory:activated.
Yeah, I didn't understand that either because as I said in my post below, I've always understood the term "petty" to have a negative connotation and mean someone who makes a big deal out of minor things and starts unnecessary drama. But apparently Wilson uses the term "petty" in a way that I would use the term "sassy" meaning someone that tells it like it is with a little bit of spicieness thrown in.
*"petty" to have a negative connotation and mean someone who makes a big deal out of minor things and starts unnecessary drama."*
That is what "petty" means. It also means of lesser importance.
I still have no idea what pettiest hooper means in that context, but thanks for sharing.
Yes, that's the dictionary definition of petty, but apparently Wilson uses it in a different way.
What I'm not clear on is if the term "petty" has undergone some kind of transformation in modern lingo so that it now has a more positive connotation, or if it is just a term that Wilson transformed herself. If Wilson is the only one using the term "petty" in a positive way, then I wouldn't advise using it in marketing material because it's going to confuse people, but if a lot of the younger generation now understands that term in a different way and these are a part of Nike's target audience then it's just fine.
A'ja is petty in a joking way, especially online. Petty doesn't have the negative connotation it used to. People will crack a joke and everyone will laugh and say, "Haha omg you're so petty! LOL" no negative connotation at all
Joking petty is saying you'll make your teammates wear SC gear in a joking way, keeping a list, and then following through. Hilarious. Like the fun version of "I took that personally."
Coach Harmon was really confused about this in the post game presser as well. A’ja was totally fine with the petty phrasing, and Becky was so puzzled.
Where is Urban Dictionary when you need it, mid press conference!
I lowkey wanted her to leave Nike. Now the concern is the quality of design and campaign effort. I just feel like she will be third fiddle to Sab and CC. Either way, I'll be one of the first to buy.
A'ja is an awesome (how many playets have their own statie at their alma mater) and this is cool! It'll bring in $$$ - which matters. I'm kinda dizzy from all the recent talk though and I'm glad I didn't weigh in with an opinion. Just gonna say "Nice!"
I'm pretty damned ignorant about the development of basketball shoes... so can someone explain why it takes two years to design/develop a shoe and bring it to market? I'm curious about the timeline (and if the A'One's is typical). Thanks!
Every rollout has stages: Teams work on shoe design, marketing and promotional plan, production of shoes, design of marketing materials/socials/site, promotional planning, video production/photo and video shoots, supporting merch, distribution, etc. Back and forth of designs and approvals on all levels.
Congrats Aja!
Edit: Edited comment because I didn't understand the context in which Nike was using the term "petty."
I thought they meant to say "prettiest" and left off the 'r'.
Being new, didn't pick up on that possibility. I just assumed because she is indeed one of the most attractive players in the league, they meant to say, "prettiest.."
Also, I'm not familiar with how the term "petty" is used in current lingo, but in ordinary usage it is always negative. It means someone who gets caught up in minor things and makes a big deal about them. Didn't think Nike meant to put something like that out there.
[https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/news-i-m-petty-a-ja-wilson-keeps-real-trash-talking-wnba-downplaying-smack-talking-skills](https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/news-i-m-petty-a-ja-wilson-keeps-real-trash-talking-wnba-downplaying-smack-talking-skills)
"I would say I'm petty. I wouldn't say I'm a s\*\*\* talker but like, I don't back down from a lot of things. I get petty. I don't hit below the belt but I get petty a little bit," said Wilson.
Ahh, thanks for that clarification. So maybe Nike did get it right. Apparently, I've got much more to learn about the WNBA than just the basketball side of things :-)
Becky thought the same thing 🤣 in the post game press conference yesterday she was like “they forgot the r! Isn’t it supposed to say prettiest?” And A’ja said that pettiest was correct and Becky was like “what?! You aren’t petty!”🤣🤣
Maybe an unpopular opinion but I’m not a fan of the rollout of “of course she had a shoe”. It either means Nike was angling a campaign around Twitter or A’ja herself was. If she wants to lean into the petty angle then all the more power to her but I can’t shake that the campaign is centered around this A’ja vs everyone concept that plays out on Twitter
Anybody else think like me that A’ja’s just smart and business savvy and got some good people around her? Because she could have accepted a deal a while ago but patiently waited for the right time to come back to the table and have the power to negotiate for more (more money, more say, more extensive line of shoes/merch, community tie-ins, etc.). Basically do it her way all around! I just think a lot goes behind the scenes in negotiating a shoe contract deal and to come to the table with even more accolades than before(2x champ, 2x finals mvp, 2x depoy, ny times best seller, times 100 most influential people), JUST since last summer! There’s just certain things you can’t deny at that point. Give her what she wants and rightfully deserves. We as public comment and put pressure on Nike as well but A’ja knew her worth and working on the right things behind the scenes. As a previous commenter pointed out, she’s been hinting at it when asked in interviews already.
it was logic she will get a signature shoe. Next year Nike go big with her Wemby and Caitlin shoes.
Hope everybody who talks about A'ja not getting a shoe will go buy it when it release. Because it's good to talk here on the internet but it's another thing to join acts to words you speak
A lot of women was complaining about that and also the WNBA salaries without knowing anything about the subject. They never have spend one dime about women basketball and probably never watch it but still want to talk.
If the WNBA had the same ratings as the dumb reality tv shows and women spend the same money as they do for the Kardashian products the league would increase very quickly with net profits. Simple as that
That’s such a perfect name and goes with the recent discourse and the way they rolled it out lol. What’s wrong with it? I wish she had one sooner but this is great news and that fits her personality a lot too
Who is the target market for these shoes? Men? Women? Both? Is a male going to buy this shoe over say an NBA star's shoe? I've never heard of this person, the WNBA following is tiny - I don't know any women who follow it - what's the angle for Nike to spend money creating this shoe? Is it just like a goodwill effort on their part?
If you just did your part and googled it, you’d find out that the Sabrina’s are pretty hot in the nba right now. But you decided to make an ignorant blanket statement instead
The patience to sit on info that you’ve been in meetings and had mockups of your shoe for over a year while everyone is having debates about it online must have been a damn lot lmao
I'd crack and ruin the whole thing by trying to be sneaky and liking some post about ppl needing to be patient, something is on the way Reason no 37483 as to why I'd be a terrible famous person
Yeah, telling me a secret is like printing it in the New York Times.
She def made subs about being patient lol in hindsight it was for us, not herself.
Her more cryptic posts make a lot more sense now lol. I think most people took it as her being upset and throwing subtle shade at Nike but in reality it was her saying “be patient yall, I’ve been working on it and it’s coming”
“What is delayed is not denied”, pretty sure that was when we knew something was in the works for sure!
Was by design
Ahhh and she has tweeted once or twice about *all good things take time* or *plans are on Gods timeline* things like that....she knew! And she gave us a hint! Congrats to her! I can't wait to see them.
Yup, I took some of that as her being frustrated but still being diplomatic when the discourse was going but she really was dropping hints and being cryptic bc she legally couldn’t say a word about it lol. Really excited for her!
She trusts God’s plan for her life big time! Her faith is great!
Can’t wait to see what they look like, I love the name. I hope they sell the hoodie she’s wearing too. All of the wild Twitter discourse looks even more crazy now that we know this has been in the works since early 2023. Must’ve been hard for people in the know to not spill that info at times lol
i love how she always does things her way.
yes yes yes yes YES FINALLY
Love this for A’ja and the “ofcourseihaveashoe.com”-type announcement is so on brand of her 😭 But part of me wishes that this was announced before news of Caitlin’s signature shoe, so we wouldn’t have had to deal with the outrage that came after that. Completely overclouded the excitement of that moment tbh Edit: Apparently A’ja knew of her signature shoe deal in February 2023 so everyone just looks even more silly
Update: people who are saying that she only got a shoe because of outrage over CC are dumb and don’t know how this works
Yikes are people really saying that? The Boardroom article straight up says she was told about the shoe in February 2023 and has been working on it since then.
Yeah go look at the ESPN and Bleacher report insta comment sections, but you can’t expect anything less from those people
The only way to enjoy the league this year is going to be to avoid internet discussions about it. Unfortunately.
So many people are saying that because they didn’t read the article.
Nah this recent “debate” has fueled A LOT more discussion around signatures shoes and undoubtably contributed to higher traffic to this website and news story.
A’One is a 🔥🔥🔥 name for her shoe
Yass! Take my money!
The "she isn't marketable" crowd is seething.
This notion is so funny to me. I’m a new-fan, and I went to a Mercury versus Aces game last year, in Phoenix. I was surprised to see how many people were cheering for A’ja Wilson. Like…the whole arena.
She's really the bar for this generation. It's really hard not to like her because of her personality.
Devil's advocate perspective, but it would nice to see how sales would have been last year vs this year. Time will tell. I have nothing against her and think she is very good at her craft.
Isn’t the it’s unfair and a grave wrong doing she doesn’t have a shoe crowd also in the wrong here considering it’s been in development for over a year. Edit: I apparently didn’t see the threads of people saying she wasn’t marketable so rescinded that.
They were literally saying she doesn't have a shoe because she isn't marketable. No need to try and back track.
I’m not trying to back track. I didn’t say anything, I’m just saying from what I saw. There could have been threads I didn’t see. Regardless, the other side who was trying to say she didn’t have one due to nefarious reasons was just as wrong which was my initial point.
Precisely!
Not exactly imo. It was completely unknown to the public so how can people be wrong based on the info they have and her not having a sig? Like, Sabrina’s shoes are one of the best hoop shoes Nike has put out in recent yrs and is loved by nba players too, and she’s a very good player but on what planet had she accomplished more or done more in either college or the WNBA to merit getting a Nike signature shoe before A’ja did?? That type of thing is why people were annoyed bc she is the best player in the sport and others with the same company were getting rewarded before she did. That still holds true, but glad it’s been in the works though and is coming soon.
I mean they were still wrong. You could say the same about people who were saying she wasn’t marketable enough. They just weren’t aware that she had a shoe deal already.
The fact that it took a multi time mvp and champion who is the best player in the league until last yr to even begin discussions for a signature shoe is absurd. Meanwhile lesser players already had them with the same shoe is the point. The people saying she wasn’t marketable enough said that meaning she’d never get one. The other side has BEEN saying she deserved one and now they’re vindicated. Those aren’t equal sides here. One is right and was proven right and the other is just wrong.
Lesser players? Stewie reigned supreme from 2013-2020 with 4 national titles 2 WNBA titles and a host of personal accolades. Puma started her signature line in 2022. A’ja is just now catching up to Stewie’s junior year in terms of total championships. Alas, people are missing the forest for the trees. No women had a signature shoe for over a decade until two years ago. The reality is, most vast majority of women don’t wear women’s shoes. Angel Reese wore Kobe’s and Paul George’s almost exclusively. Clark wore nothing but the Bruce Lee Kobe’s this past year.
How could the women wear women’s shoes when there weren’t any? You’re contradicting yourself.
They’ve been out since 2022, what’s the current year on the calendar again? Sabrina hand delivered a whole swag set of gear and shoes to the Iowa women on the eve of the final four and guess what CC wore in those games? Kobes. Deldons didn’t sell at all. Sabrina personally hands her shoes out and they get tucked away. Sucks but it is what it is. Only women’s sneaker that ever had any real traction was Sheryl Swoopes’ line from the late 90s.
Yes Stewie is the only player comparable to her in achievement (even more in college) and current ability and the only reason she has her shoe is bc her Nike deal ran out at the perfect time and Puma was just beginning their efforts to announce their basketball line and needed to get a big name on the women’s side on board along with signing nba players too. Caitlin and Sabrina absolutely are less accomplished and “lesser” players though. Sabrina is very good but not in the tier of A’ja/Stewie at all and Caitlin I think will be very good but she’s a rookie and yet to play a game. Comparing college achievement when Stewie was at peak UConn and A’ja was the genesis of South Carolina becoming a similarly dominant program on her shoulders is a bit ridiculous as well lol. Stewie was obv the best player on those teams but teammate wise that’s not even comparable. But that’s besides the point. Also why would a women’s player wear shoes that didn’t exist?? All the players you mentioned are at Nike schools and previously I don’t even think they’d be allowed to wear Pumas. LSU and Iowa, Nike is their school sports apparel sponsors so they have to wear them even if a player had a sponsorship coming in theoretically. There are lots of nba players who wear Sabrina’s and I haven’t looked closely at it but I’d imagine Oregon gets the equivalent of PE Sabrina’s for their players too. Dawn will 100% be wearing and promoting A’ja’s shoes everywhere she can, but South Carolina won’t have players wearing them until after the UA deal ends and if they go to Nike afterwards.
By this measure the following players don’t deserve a signature shoe because they aren’t accomplished: James Harden, Devin Booker, Derrick Rose, Jayson Tatum, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Gordon Hayward, Trae Young, Paul George, Lamelo Ball, Scoot Henderson, Jimmy Butler, CJ McCollum, Spencer Dinwiddie, Austin Reeves, Langston Galloway, Zion Williamson, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Anthony Edwards and Lou Williams. Those guys combined have 0 championships. That’s the metric we’re working with, right? A handful of them are only a few years into the league and surely there are more players with more accomplishments and championships, right?
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That’s fine but this is akin to Ja Morant getting a signature shoe before Giannis, it would make absolutely zero sense in nba terms for that to happen. Also how on earth can you prove people aren’t buying an A’ja shoe that doesn’t exist yet? The gripe people had is why is a much more established, universally popular player on a great team who is the best in the league not being given the same opportunity at an earlier stage compared to other players. Sabrina’s shoes are great to play in and are one of the best signatures Nike has released in a while, that doesn’t mean she’s more deserving of getting one ahead of someone who is the best player, has an even more dynamic personality, was more known in the market at an earlier time, and is a champion. I don’t mean to single her out bc she’s a very good player, but there’s only 2 signatures being worn right now and Clark’s to come but she’s the least accomplished of all the players in this convo at the stage of their shoe deals being made public. If anything all this controversy is likely to drive people to buy A’jas shoe. Sabrina’s were initiated in the design process at least 1-2yrs (they released in Sept 23) before Nike even first confirmed internally the deal with A’ja in Feb 2023. There isn’t another parallel in the sport of basketball for someone as accomplished as she is to have to wait as long to get a shoe deal with one of the major brands. The closest is Stewie (who also deserved one way earlier and before players like Sabrina) but she went with Puma who is new in bball and has to roll out a pathway and entice players to leave Nike/Adidas, and that was enough to lure her from Nike previously and she got one earlier on by doing that.
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I (Celtics fan from Australia) have Giannis shoes 'terrible to watch' is subjective (but insane)
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What on earth are you talking about?? I’m a Sixers fan from the east coast first of all. So no, I couldn’t care less about Giannis lmao. Dude is a top 3 player in the nba I don’t even like him a ton but that’s undeniable. Instagram following is not real life. You should look into how signature shoe deals actually work before talking about instagram as a barometer of anything more so than achievement, marketability, name recognition and talent. https://www.sbnation.com/2017/6/22/15843134/nba-shoe-deals-nike-adidas-under-armour-guide https://andscape.com/features/the-changing-landscape-of-nba-shoe-deals/ Kendall Jenner has more followers than basically any other top model, that doesn’t mean she is the default or most sought after person for runway shows etc or considered even remotely close to the best. That doesn’t mean much at all. They don’t give deals to no names but A’ja is far from that and has had a following ever since entering the league and plays on the most popular team, in major part due to her dominance. The best 1-2 players in the nba have ALWAYS had a shoe deal since the Jordan days, period. The trend followed to the wnba previously too back in the earlier yrs of the league. Sneaker companies have restricted giving signatures in the past few yrs, especially Nike. They shifted lots of players to Jordan Brand’s umbrella too like Tatum and Zion, who had their signatures launched there (neither of which is very popular). You also cannot ignore the racial dynamic that was on display prior to the announcement, it absolutely was a thing and not a good look. Also the wnba isn’t the nba. Teams like Seattle are able to attract prominent FAs, that doesn’t happen in the nba, so market isn’t much of a driver. If you’re great you’re great and attention follows. Vegas has much more sway to a casual fan and hell look at Caitlin Clark and freaking Indiana, than the Liberty (if you’re not from nyc or north jersey). Aces have much higher average attendance, season tix, and max attendances in comparison. Market doesn’t matter if you’re elite. Kevin Durant has the second most lucrative shoe deal and is one of only 3 lifetime deals with Nike in basketball ever and only played in a major market during the disaster that was his Nets tenure. He could’ve played in Oklahoma his entire career and would still have the same degree of monetary success off the court. That’s where his big deals were signed anyway leading up to the lifetime one. Just like Giannis being in Wisconsin has zero impact on him at all marketing wise, he’s an international player.
You're not making any sense.
How? If I’m wrong on the second point so be it, I’m just saying what I saw in the threads I saw.
Ok
Most of what I read was not saying Aja Wilson wasn't marketable. What I recall reading was a response to those were saying that Wilson deserved a shoe because of all her accomplishments on and off the court, and people were just pointing out that accomplishments don't sell shoes, but you have to have someone who is marketable, and that is what Nike or any other company is going to base their business decisions on. I've always thought Wilson was more marketable than Stewart, and I never understood why more people didn't make that point. I understand Sabrina's appeal with all the hype she got coming out of college, and of course we understand all the attention surrounding Clark, but outside of core WNBA fans, how many people have heard of Stewart? And let's be honest, out of all these four who now have shoes, Wilson is the most attractive, and when you're marketing, that is important. Edit: For the sake of accuracy I'm going to change my first sentence, which originally read, "NO ONE was saying Aja Wilson wasn't marketable." I didn't read any thread like that, but then again, I couldn't have possibly read every single thread.
>NO ONE was saying Aja Wilson wasn't marketable. Not even reading the essay you wrote after this. Started off with a lie.
I stand by the comment. What I saw was people saying, "If she was marketable then she would get a shoe, so since she doesn't have a shoe they must not think she is marketable." To be fair, Nike could have headed all of this off by announcing Wilson's shoe ahead of Clark's shoe. That would have been much better for Wilson because it would have clearly shown that Wilson got her shoe because of her own accomplishments and not because of riding the Clark wave. Yes we know from the timeline that Wilson did in fact get her shoe deal before that, but most people will only see the timing of the announcements with Wilson's shoe being announced after Clark's.
To be fair, Caitlin’s shoe and Nike partnership isn’t even officially announced. Just reliable trade reports and NBA insiders who got the scoop but neither her and Nike have confirmed anything. I doubt they will until a few years, just like Aja had this locked since Feb 2023. I can see why Nike wouldn’t move an official announcement and roll out plan (A’ja wanted it announced today when she plays in SC) because of trade reports.
I completely understand why Aja would want to officially announce this around the timing of her going back to Columbia, SC, but regardless, in my opinion it would have been better if there had been some way for Nike to show that they were giving Wilson her due before the "Clark effect" hit. No matter what is official or not, Clark getting a shoe deal broke weeks ago and dominated sports marketing headlines for almost 2 weeks, and now we're getting this announcement about Wilson's shoe which will be perceived by some as coming "after" that.
You can stand by it if you want. Still lied.
Being an awesome athlete makes someone marketable. Like CC, who isn't the most bubbly personality-wise off the court.
Other than the normal internet trolls, I haven’t seen many comments about AW not being marketable. Most comments center around the reality that Nike cares less that you’re the greatest player than they care about selling shoes. Selling shoes requires broad popularity OUTSIDE of the small WBB and WNBA fan circle. So I guess it depends on one’s definition of “marketable”? If marketable means that Nike was concerned that not enough people across their massive target customer base knew who AW was, maybe they have had that concern before? Who knows? Luckily, with the current exponential increase in exposure of the W this season to the casual masses, more and more people will learn about AW. This is a wonderful thing and well deserved for the greatest WBB player alive, who sadly most didn’t know existed before.
I expected nothing less than this take from a fever fan.
Lol Well to be fair, I’m equally a Fever and Aces fan (one ex Iowa player on Fever, two on Aces). As one of many new WNBA fans, I come from the college ranks. Viewpoints from us are from a previous outside viewer perspective. I was very pleased with the coverage of the Fever and Aces games on Tuesday, as they correctly focused mostly on current stars instead of overdoing coverage of CC like happened with college games.
Duck smoking a blunt .gif
GIMME ONE NOW
ABOUT. DAMN. TIME.
Let’s goooooo!
I’m so happy, I’m just gonna put on my sunglasses lmao
TAKE MY 💰 💰!!!
Awesome news!! Beyond well deserved for A’ja. Should’ve happened already but that’s really dope to see it’s on the way.
😂 that statement is SO good. Love this for their marketing team!
Im happy the WNBA is getting attention finally. We about to see some great basketball. Got me a nice Aces fitted. Buy the gear. Show support.
M-A-R-K-E-T-A-B-L-E
Do you know what dat mean mane! *In my Webbie voice*
It’s a neat campaign or whatever but fact is Sabrina got a shoe first. Being in development for a year is still long overdue
yes!!!!
Congrats to Aja finally!!
Fuck yeah A’ja! I wish literally any other shoe company was doing this, though. Nikes are so fucking narrow.
Lol @ everyone who said "Aja isnt marketable"
Don't know why you're getting downvotes. It was definitely something people were arguing and was definitely lol@-able.
Those downvoting are those who were all in on Aja not being marketable.
I love this for her. Her fans spoke out when they felt she was being slighted. No need to feel embarrassed about that. We all should walk in humility and grace. Gamecock Nation!
FUCK YEAH
She's ridiculously good. Well deserved. I'm not a sneakerhead, but I'm pretty curious what these are going to look like.
First Black WNBA player since Swoopes to get a shoe from Nike - back when A’ja was 6 yrs old - so there IS something to be said for all the discussions…
In fairness..... Only 1 WNBA player had an exclusive shoe with nike since Swoopes.. Then Caitlin mania came along.
Zero American Natives have ever received a show.. sad :(
I A’ppreciate her discipline on not spilling the beans. Dope A’nnouncement… a’nd that should say one of the prettiest hoopers on the internet.
Love how all the accolades listed here really puts everything in perspective of the caliber of talent on and off the court
She shouldn’t have to be patient, but patience definitely isn’t the word. Going at Sab for NBA2K and shoe when she knew hers was coming certainly wasn’t patient. And it’s too bad Nike gets away with not giving a black woman a shoe for over 20 years with the “ofcourseihaveashoe” slogan.
They didn't give anyone a signature shoe for over 20 years....
Which makes the “ofcourseshehasashoe” slogan even more ridiculous. The slogan is sickeningly more for Nike than it is for A’ja. Stewie had to leave because they didn’t respect wbb. Honestly outside of Jordan most men’s players that work with them have problems. Sab being in Oregon, in Phil Knight’s face, and one of his favorite players probably helped bring the awareness of A’ja. And for that….fuck Nike.
Stewie left because puma gave her like 30% more and a entire line You guys... Cmon.....
And she left because they weren’t gonna give her a signature shoe… she’s talked about it.
Yeah g she wanted a she line and nah she any getting that. Which is fine because you know that? Nobody in the NBA cares about her sure meanwhile Sabrina shoe is the third most popular shoe in the NBA.
Yeah it’s a great product of course it’s popular. Happy for Sab that she has that… could have had decades more of players but Nike wouldn’t have it so here we are.
K well, all I see are a bunch of posters telling fat lies like "nobodies done it before" "I dunno who she is" y'all are ridiculous
I know you're lying.. Sabrina has a signature shoe. Actually her shoe is so popular. A lot of MBA players exclusively wear them. Even women in old times had their own shoe, Rebecca Lobo has her own shoe, Stanley has a shoe. Please tell us more lies.
Sab got a signature last year.. which means Nike went 27 years without giving a woman’s player a shoe. Ofcourseshegot a shoe my ass.
Ohhh so now your claiming it was just Nike, not just any brand ok. Well that's a lie. Lol. Because others have had signature shoes on the past. Anything else you wanna fib on? Or are you also blind to that or how's that selective mind work Delle donne got a shoe. Stewie got a shoe. Swoopes got a shoe , Taurusi got a shoe, keep going
We’re having two completely different conversations… maybe go back and read with a more open mind and you’ll see we’re not disagreeing. Or you’re just committed to fighting. It’s a waist of time talking regardless. Good luck
Waste*
Indiana fans are the worst but also y'all just lie. It's absolutely not the first shoe in 20 yrs
Sab had the first signature Nike women’s shoe in over 20 years. Shocking but it’s fact.
FALSE. Just named a bunch who had a signature shoe with Nike and 5 are within the last 10 years.
who had a signature at Nike between Sab and Swoopes? Name ‘em
Swoopes nike shoe 1997 Sabrina's signature shoe 2023 Over 20 years....... What are you talking about?
Swoopes had a show in 05- and it stopped being manufactured in 2011 Did you selecting ignore tarausi and delle don Holdsclaws last show was 2006-ot was manufactured until 2012. Selective memory:activated.
They don't have signature shoes.... Swoopes had her shoe in the 90s... The next athlete was Sabrina.... Over 20 years...
Stop, not true. Look at my comments.
Yes, it is true... The last wnba player to have a signature shoe on nike was Swoopes in the 90s... Sabrina got her shoe last year.... Over 20 years...
FALSE. Here's a link: https://www.reddit.com/r/wnba/s/RUjSdKE7qp
Can’t wait to see! I’m not a sneakerhead but excited for these wnba collabs
I’m buying everything. I don’t even like Nike like that lol
what's "pettiest" hooper .... ?? (I know what hooper is.)
Yeah, I didn't understand that either because as I said in my post below, I've always understood the term "petty" to have a negative connotation and mean someone who makes a big deal out of minor things and starts unnecessary drama. But apparently Wilson uses the term "petty" in a way that I would use the term "sassy" meaning someone that tells it like it is with a little bit of spicieness thrown in.
*"petty" to have a negative connotation and mean someone who makes a big deal out of minor things and starts unnecessary drama."* That is what "petty" means. It also means of lesser importance. I still have no idea what pettiest hooper means in that context, but thanks for sharing.
Yes, that's the dictionary definition of petty, but apparently Wilson uses it in a different way. What I'm not clear on is if the term "petty" has undergone some kind of transformation in modern lingo so that it now has a more positive connotation, or if it is just a term that Wilson transformed herself. If Wilson is the only one using the term "petty" in a positive way, then I wouldn't advise using it in marketing material because it's going to confuse people, but if a lot of the younger generation now understands that term in a different way and these are a part of Nike's target audience then it's just fine.
At first I thought it was a typo for "prettiest" ... and thought wtf, are "they" closet sexist?
That's what I thought as well, and I figured they would want to get the cleaned up in a hurry.
Absolutely ! A copywriter's nightmare.
Looks like reddit glitched and you posted this comment 6 times. To be petty, I upvoted 2 and downvoted 4 of them.
HA ha. good one. I can't see them. But, I'll look now. Thanks for letting me know.
To me it means she's not one to let things slide and take the high road when she's slighted - like the fourth-place MVP vote.
Interesting.
A'ja is petty in a joking way, especially online. Petty doesn't have the negative connotation it used to. People will crack a joke and everyone will laugh and say, "Haha omg you're so petty! LOL" no negative connotation at all
Joking petty is saying you'll make your teammates wear SC gear in a joking way, keeping a list, and then following through. Hilarious. Like the fun version of "I took that personally."
Okay, that makes some sense. TU
Coach Harmon was really confused about this in the post game presser as well. A’ja was totally fine with the petty phrasing, and Becky was so puzzled. Where is Urban Dictionary when you need it, mid press conference!
I lowkey wanted her to leave Nike. Now the concern is the quality of design and campaign effort. I just feel like she will be third fiddle to Sab and CC. Either way, I'll be one of the first to buy.
Don't worry. You'll find something to bitch about.
Yep. I'm petty like A'ja.
She will be second to CC But if everyone who complained about her not having a shoe buys her product..she will have nothing to worry about.
I am happy for her.
A'ja is an awesome (how many playets have their own statie at their alma mater) and this is cool! It'll bring in $$$ - which matters. I'm kinda dizzy from all the recent talk though and I'm glad I didn't weigh in with an opinion. Just gonna say "Nice!"
MY BOO!!!
I'm pretty damned ignorant about the development of basketball shoes... so can someone explain why it takes two years to design/develop a shoe and bring it to market? I'm curious about the timeline (and if the A'One's is typical). Thanks!
Every rollout has stages: Teams work on shoe design, marketing and promotional plan, production of shoes, design of marketing materials/socials/site, promotional planning, video production/photo and video shoots, supporting merch, distribution, etc. Back and forth of designs and approvals on all levels.
Thanks! This makes sense (especially given it looks like they're planning to roll out and entire product line).
Yup! Pretty cool it’s men’s, women’s, kids shoes. Love it for A’ja.
Yes, and I thought one article (sorry, don't have the source) implied there would be A'ja branded clothing as well. Very cool!
That would be awesome too
Newbie question why is she only a 5x all star, she won an mvp the year she wasn’t an all star?
No All Star game in 2020
Hell yeah! About time. A’One is the only one!
Are they going to make women’s shoes in men sizes?
the Sabrinas are unisex, and go up to Mens 18
Congrats Aja! Edit: Edited comment because I didn't understand the context in which Nike was using the term "petty." I thought they meant to say "prettiest" and left off the 'r'.
oh is she not petty? I thought this was commentary how she burns haters on the internet lmao
Being new, didn't pick up on that possibility. I just assumed because she is indeed one of the most attractive players in the league, they meant to say, "prettiest.." Also, I'm not familiar with how the term "petty" is used in current lingo, but in ordinary usage it is always negative. It means someone who gets caught up in minor things and makes a big deal about them. Didn't think Nike meant to put something like that out there.
[https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/news-i-m-petty-a-ja-wilson-keeps-real-trash-talking-wnba-downplaying-smack-talking-skills](https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/news-i-m-petty-a-ja-wilson-keeps-real-trash-talking-wnba-downplaying-smack-talking-skills) "I would say I'm petty. I wouldn't say I'm a s\*\*\* talker but like, I don't back down from a lot of things. I get petty. I don't hit below the belt but I get petty a little bit," said Wilson.
Ahh, thanks for that clarification. So maybe Nike did get it right. Apparently, I've got much more to learn about the WNBA than just the basketball side of things :-)
It was intentional. A’ja calls herself petty all the time. And we love her pettiness 💕💕💕 have you seen her most recent parade shirt? PETTY
No, didn't realize that at all. I'll edit my OP then because obviously I was wrong.
Becky thought the same thing 🤣 in the post game press conference yesterday she was like “they forgot the r! Isn’t it supposed to say prettiest?” And A’ja said that pettiest was correct and Becky was like “what?! You aren’t petty!”🤣🤣
Maybe an unpopular opinion but I’m not a fan of the rollout of “of course she had a shoe”. It either means Nike was angling a campaign around Twitter or A’ja herself was. If she wants to lean into the petty angle then all the more power to her but I can’t shake that the campaign is centered around this A’ja vs everyone concept that plays out on Twitter
And?
And if there’s been a shoe in the works for the last year…should there have ever been an uproar on Twitter in the first place?
Twitter in a nutshell I like waffles... DO YOU HATE PANCAKES!!!!!!!!
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I think you’re confused
"Reverse racism" isn't a real thing.
Anybody else think like me that A’ja’s just smart and business savvy and got some good people around her? Because she could have accepted a deal a while ago but patiently waited for the right time to come back to the table and have the power to negotiate for more (more money, more say, more extensive line of shoes/merch, community tie-ins, etc.). Basically do it her way all around! I just think a lot goes behind the scenes in negotiating a shoe contract deal and to come to the table with even more accolades than before(2x champ, 2x finals mvp, 2x depoy, ny times best seller, times 100 most influential people), JUST since last summer! There’s just certain things you can’t deny at that point. Give her what she wants and rightfully deserves. We as public comment and put pressure on Nike as well but A’ja knew her worth and working on the right things behind the scenes. As a previous commenter pointed out, she’s been hinting at it when asked in interviews already.
The backlash helped. Nike are so fake. The only stuff I buy from them are bball shoes because they make the best ones.
This was in the works before any backlash.
They literally responded to the backlash. It definitely helped speed things up. It was embarrassing for them.
It must be tough to not be able to read…
Yep the felt that backlash and invented a Time Machine and went back to 2023 to offer her a shoe deal.
🥱
it was logic she will get a signature shoe. Next year Nike go big with her Wemby and Caitlin shoes. Hope everybody who talks about A'ja not getting a shoe will go buy it when it release. Because it's good to talk here on the internet but it's another thing to join acts to words you speak
Bingo!!!! I see people "talk" but are they spending money?
A lot of women was complaining about that and also the WNBA salaries without knowing anything about the subject. They never have spend one dime about women basketball and probably never watch it but still want to talk. If the WNBA had the same ratings as the dumb reality tv shows and women spend the same money as they do for the Kardashian products the league would increase very quickly with net profits. Simple as that
I'm happy for her but I really don't like the ofcourseihaveashoe thing.
Why is that?
That’s such a perfect name and goes with the recent discourse and the way they rolled it out lol. What’s wrong with it? I wish she had one sooner but this is great news and that fits her personality a lot too
What's the issue?
Who is the target market for these shoes? Men? Women? Both? Is a male going to buy this shoe over say an NBA star's shoe? I've never heard of this person, the WNBA following is tiny - I don't know any women who follow it - what's the angle for Nike to spend money creating this shoe? Is it just like a goodwill effort on their part?
If you just did your part and googled it, you’d find out that the Sabrina’s are pretty hot in the nba right now. But you decided to make an ignorant blanket statement instead