Former University of Tennessee standout and WNBA top draft pick Candace Parker has signed her first two endorsement deals, CNBC has learned.
Parker, who will play with the Los Angeles Sparks, has agreed to a multi-million dollar shoe deal with adidas as well as a sports drink deal with Gatorade.
The race to sign Parker to the shoe deal was a two-horse race between Nike and adidas, which Parker wore throughout her years at Tennessee.
It will be interesting to see what adidas will do with Parker, who we have previously said has all the ingredients to be the most marketable women's basketball player of all-time. Parker is represented by the Goodwin Brothers, Eric and Aaron Goodwin, who declined to comment on the deals.
Gatorade is going through an interesting time in its history. I hope that they have a good plan for Parker because I think she's a good weapon to have against Coke's Vitaminwater brand, which curiously doesn't seem to have a whole lot of women athletes marketing for them.
Update: Sources are telling me that Parker won't immediately have an Adidas signature shoe for this WNBA season. She's scheduled to wear the Pilrahna 3 shoe, the same model she wore at Tennessee. Plans tentatively call for Parker to be the seventh basketball brand endorser along with Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billips and Tracy McGrady and to be incorporated in basketball advertising. Parker could also become the face of Adidas' women's and training categories.
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