Jemele Hill is stirring the Caitlin Clark pot once again.
Now, the outspoken sports journalist is upset that the first overall draft pick of the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark, will have her own signature shoe while WNBA star A’ja Wilson does not.
Jemele Hill has voiced her belief that A’ja Wilson should have her own signature shoe, especially after reports surfaced that Caitlin Clark would be receiving one before even playing in the WNBA.
Clark is poised to join the exclusive ranks of just three WNBA players with their own signature footwear and is nearing an eight-figure endorsement deal with Nike.
In contrast, Wilson, a two-time MVP, two-time champion, and five-time All-Star, still lacks her own shoe.
Hill highlighted Wilson’s impressive accolades, including her New York Times bestselling book “Dear Black Girls” and recent inclusion in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People list, to underscore her point.
The fact that the other two players with signature shoes, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, are white women like Clark, adds another layer to the discussion.
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Hill clarified that she doesn’t object to Stewart and Ionescu having their own shoes but believes Wilson deserves equal recognition.
Hill also responded to the notion that Wilson “isn’t as marketable.”
“Why isn’t A’ja Wilson marketable?
— College grad
— National & WNBA champion
— Best-selling author
— Olympic gold medalist
What is she missing? I’m happy to entertain any substantive ideas.”
Fox Sports Radio Host and former Oklahoma State guard Doug Gottlieb had a response to Hill.
“Jemele is confusing accomplished and talented with marketable.”
It brings a genuine debate as to what truly makes an athlete “marketable,” but it’s certainly true that for whatever the reasons behind it are, Clark has brought more attention to woman’s basketball than any player that has come before her.
