Caitlin Clark doesn't have much longer to wait for her first signature shoe to come out.
They will be available starting Oct. 1 in the U.S. and a week earlier in China.
“I’m just super excited,” she told The Associated Press in Germany last week. “I look down at my feet and I’m, man, I’m wearing my shoes. There’s not many people that get a Nike signature shoe.”
Clark will be the fifth active player to have a signature shoe, joining fellow Nike athletes Sabrina Ionescu and A’ja Wilson. Angel Reese has one with Reebok and Breanna Stewart with Puma. Sheryl Swoopes was the first women’s basketball player to have her own one in 1995. Elena Delle Donne’s signature shoe debuted at the same time as Stewart in 2022. They were the first players with signature shoes since Candace Parker in 2011.
“I don’t even think that’s something I dreamed about as a kid, because it felt so far away from something that I could ever achieve," Clark said of having her own shoe. "I was always a kid that wanted the coolest shoes and I’m so excited.”
The shoe will sell for $140, putting it around the same as Wilson and Ionescu's shoes. It will be available in "Caitlin Blue" and "Warning Code Yellow" when it first comes out.
“I hope when people put the shoe on, they can feel a part of me,” Clark said. “I hope more than anything, it gives people confidence that they can dream to achieve whatever they want and they feel like they can be me in the shoe.”
Clark, who gifted the shoes to her Indiana Fever teammates when she returned from helping the U.S. win a gold medal at the women's FIBA World Cup, said a lot of her personality has come through in the shoe with the colors that she wears.
“It’s just been really cool and a fun process. I hope everybody knows that I put a lot of time and effort into it. It’s not just like Nike mocked this up and I check the box,” she said. “This was something that was super important for me because I really want my fans to feel connected and to feel like they can play just like how I play.”
Clark said there are many more colors coming down the road. They'll also be a signature line of apparel coming out as well with T-shirts, jackets and sweatshirts.
“It’s been a really fun process and it never gets old," Clark said. "Lacing up your shoes that have your logo on it and that you designed and have a Nike swoosh — I don’t think it gets much better than that, to be honest."
See AP’s full WNBA coverage here
Caitlin Clark of the United States, poses with the trophy after the Women's Basketball World Cup final match between the United States and France in Berlin, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
In this image taken with a smartphone, WNBA basketball player Caitlin Clark's signature Nike shoe is shown Sept. 10, 2026, in Berlin, Germany. (AP Photo/Doug Feinberg)
ATLANTA (AP) — The NFC South suffered the indignity of having four teams finish with losing records last season and take Week 1 losses to open the 2026 season.
Last week's poor showing makes division matchups, including Carolina's visit to Atlanta on Sunday, especially important.
Though the Panthers finished with the same 8-9 regular-season record as Atlanta and Tampa Bay last season, they swept the two games against the Falcons on their way to winning the division title tiebreaker.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young says coach Dave Canales has stressed that the best route to the playoffs is winning in the division.
“Coach talks about it all of the time," Young said. ”Our first goal is to win the South. Obviously those division wins mean so much when you’re trying to accomplish that goal. You have the same process for every game — you don’t get too high or too low, but this is a business and we are all players and we understand what is at stake every time there is a division opponent. We know what this game means.”
Atlanta's home opener follows a 20-13 opening loss at Pittsburgh last week. The Falcons were forced to start third-string quarterback Cooper Rush after Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury in practice and Michael Penix Jr. continued his recovery from a 2025 season-ending left knee injury.
Rush threw two interceptions, including T.J. Watt’s pick-6 in the fourth quarter.
Despite continued uncertainty at quarterback this week, the Falcons' bigger problem may be finding a way to contain Young and the Panthers' passing game. Young set a franchise record by passing for 448 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in Carolina's 30-27 overtime win at Atlanta to sweep the Falcons last season.
“He’s a very smart quarterback,” said Falcons safety Jessie Bates III of Young. "I think they’ve done a lot of really good things to help him bring out his strengths in his game, whether that’s them going to empty or rhythm-type of throws to help them out. I think that he’s definitely become a really high-level quarterback in this league for sure.”
Young's top playmakers are Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, an undrafted rookie in 2024 who had eight catches for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns in last week's 59-37 loss to Chicago.
Carolina (0-1) at Atlanta (0-1)
When/where to watch: Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, Fox
Latest odds: Panthers by 2 1/2.
Against the spread: Panthers 0-1; Falcons 0-1.
Last week: Panthers lost Bears 59-37; Falcons lost to Steelers 20-13.
Last meeting: Panthers beat Falcons 30-27 in overtime in Atlanta on Nov. 16, 2025.
Series record: Falcons lead 37-25.
Panthers run defense vs. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. The Panthers allowed two Chicago running backs to reach 100 rushing yards in the Bears' 59-37 win last week in Charlotte. Overall, the Bears rushed for 291 yards and six touchdowns and averaged 7.5 yards per carry. Robinson had 21 carries for 83 yards and eight receptions for 90 yards in the Falcons' 20-13 loss at Pittsburgh as the focal point of an offense that had a limited passing game.
— The Panthers and Bears combined to score 96 points in Week 1, making it the highest-scoring season-opening game in NFL history. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they gave up 59 of those points, the most in franchise history.
— Panthers WR Jalen Coker had eight catches for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 1 shootout with the Bears.
— RB Chuba Hubbard had a touchdown rushing and a touchdown receiving in Week 1 and remains the Panthers top option in the backfield.
— The Panthers defense allowed six touchdowns rushing against the Bears and two TDs in each quarter.
— Young is 4-1 against the Falcons, completing 110 of 165 pass attempts (66.7%) for 1,133 yards and seven touchdowns. He is 10-30 as a starter against the rest of the league.
— With Rush at quarterback, Drake London had only two catches for 29 yards and Kyle Pitts had no catches and only one target against Pittsburgh. London, Atlanta’s go-to wide receiver and Pitts, coming off a productive season at tight end, each received new contracts in the offseason.
— Tagovailoa did not participate in practice Wednesday and Thursday. Cornerback A.J. Terrell (shoulder) was a full participant on Thursday after being held out Wednesday. RG Chris Lindstrom (concussion protocol) was limited on Thursday after being held out Wednesday.
— The Falcons are 21-10 at home in the rivalry.
— The Falcons ranked 31st in passing yards and 30th in total yards following their weak offensive showing in their opener.
AP Sports Writer Steve Reed in Charlotte, N.C., contributed to this report.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush (13) reacts after a sack during an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs the ball in for a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs in for a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
