Caitlin Clark reveals why she turned down WNBA All-Stars’ shoe requests originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Caitlin Clark’s first Nike signature basketball shoe will not officially arrive until Oct. 1, but some WNBA players were hoping to get their hands on a pair early. Unfortunately for those players, the Indiana Fever star had to turn down most of the requests she received during WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago.
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The issue was not Clark’s willingness to share. It was her extremely limited supply. Clark revealed before Saturday’s All-Star Game that she only had samples of the Caitlin 1 in her size, leaving few options for players who wanted to wear the highly anticipated shoes.
“I’ve had multiple people ask for them, but I only have size nine right now, so they are actually playing in my samples,” Clark said.
Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams and Seattle Storm guard Natisha Hiedeman were among the fortunate players who could make it work. The popular duo known as the StudBudz received access to Clark’s samples, with Williams wearing the shoes during the All-Star Game.
Caitlin Clark’s signature shoes take center stage
Clark’s first signature Nike shoe has generated significant interest since it was unveiled. The Caitlin 1 is not scheduled for a full public release until Oct. 1, meaning even Clark’s fellow WNBA stars have limited access for now. That made Williams’ decision to wear the unreleased shoes one of the more notable sneaker moments of the weekend.
Clark also used the All-Star stage to show off a colorful version of her signature model. She initially planned to wear an all-white pair but decided the simple look was not exciting enough for one of the league’s biggest events.
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“This is a pretty fun pairing you’re looking at,” Clark said. “I think it’s like Valentine’s Day edition. You got the charm on there. But I was gonna wear some all-white ones. I’m like, that’s not fun enough. We gotta break out some fire.”
The bright colorway proved to be a fitting choice for a night when Clark delivered plenty of fireworks from beyond the arc.
MORE: Paige Bueckers reveals why Fever star is WNBA’s hardest player to guard
Clark puts on a show in Team Spoon victory
Clark finished with 17 points, five assists and four rebounds as Team Spoon defeated Team Coop 129-122 at the United Center. The Fever guard gave the Chicago crowd an early show by making three consecutive 3-pointers from near the logo in the opening quarter. Her shooting display added even more attention to the shoes that had already become a popular topic among the players.
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Jonquel Jones earned All-Star MVP honors after recording 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for Team Spoon. Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 28 points while playing for Team Coop. Clark’s performance capped a memorable weekend that also included her third consecutive All-Star selection. She entered the break averaging 21.0 points, 7.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Her shoes will eventually become available to players and fans in a wider range of sizes. Until then, however, anyone hoping to receive an early pair may need to share Clark’s size-nine measurements.
