Kaitlyn Clarke landed a historic endorsement deal with Wilson

Women’s basketball star Kaitlyn Clarke has signed a sponsorship deal with US sporting goods company Wilson in a move not seen since Michael Jordan.

The company is launching a special collection of items featuring Clark, including limited edition basketballs.

Jordan, an NBA legend, was the last athlete to conclude such a deal with Wilson.

This arrangement adds to a growing list of sponsorships received by Clark, who has become one of the biggest names in American sports.

Through the multi-year sponsorship deal, Clark will become a brand ambassador and launch additional items with Wilson, a century-old sporting goods brand.

“Wilson has been with me through some of the most important moments of my career to date,” Clark said in a press release.

“I couldn’t be more excited to continue driving basketball forward alongside them. It’s a surreal feeling to have my own basketball collection.”

Clark also has endorsement deals with sports brand Nike, sports drink brand Gatorade, insurance company State Farm and more.

The 22-year-old entered the NBA this year as the first overall pick, joining the WNBA’s Indiana Fever after a prolific college career with the University of Iowa.

As a college athlete, she rose to fame by breaking dozens of basketball records and created an international fan base that now includes more than 2 million followers on Instagram.

Her influence on the game has been called the Caitlin Clark Effect.

Among the collegiate records Clark broke was the most three-point shots made in a single season, a record previously held by the NBA’s Steph Curry.