Gatorade, Adidas sign Parker to huge deals
After winning two consecutive national championships with Tennessee, basketball star Candace Parker signed back-to-back multi-million-dollar deals with Gatorade and adidas on Tuesday that will create even more national exposure for the WNBA's No. 1 draft pick.
Details of the 1-2 marketing punch weren't officially released, but a report at Brandweek.com cited anonymous industry analysts who put the deals in the $3 million to $4 million range combined.
Gatorade announced it closed its deal first Tuesday.
"It's only fitting for me to announce Gatorade as my first partner as I begin my professional basketball career," Parker, a former Naperville Central star, said in a statement released by the company. "They have been part of my life since the day I first picked up a basketball.
"It still means a lot to me that in high school I was honored as a two-time Gatorade High School Basketball Player of the Year and as a college athlete at the University of Tennessee, Gatorade was always on the sidelines."
The deal with adidas was announced in a statement several hours later.
"There were a number of companies looking to partner with me, but adidas' commitment to the game of basketball, their WNBA partnership, their future direction and how I could be an extensive part of that made me feel like this was the perfect fit for my future," Parker said.
With Gatorade, the 22-year-old Parker joins a marketing roster that includes several female athletes such as soccer legend Mia Hamm, tennis star Maria Sharapova, U.S. women's national soccer team player Abby Wambach and AVP player and Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh.
Goodwin Sports Management, headed by twin brothers Eric and Aaron Goodwin of Seattle, is the marketing agency that will represent the 6-foot-4 Parker. The Goodwin brothers, who once represented LeBron James, have other high-profile NBA clients such as Dwight Howard and Kevin Durant.
"Candace has the potential to become the most recognized woman in sports, and our partnership with adidas will help propel her to that platform," said Aaron Goodwin. "Young girls will resonate with Candace and someday lace up basketball shoes with her name on the sides."
With adidas, Parker joins a marketing group that includes Chauncey Billups, Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady.
According to a report at cnbc.com, sources told reporter Darren Rovell that Parker won't have an adidas signature shoe for her first WNBA season. She wore the Pilrahna 3 shoe at Tennessee, but Parker will get her own brand and become the face of adidas' merchandise for women's sports.