The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Iowa women’s basketball guard Caitlin Clark signs with Excel Sports Management

Clark joins Excel’s existing roster of prominent athletes including Peyton and Eli Manning, Tiger Woods, and Derek Jeter.
Iowa+guard+Caitlin+Clark+greets+fans+after+an+exhibition+women%E2%80%99s+basketball+game+between+Iowa+and+Clarke+University+at+Carver-Hawkeye+Arena+on+Sunday%2C+Oct.+22%2C+2023.+The+matchup+marks+Iowa%E2%80%99s+first+game+in+Carver-Hawkeye+Arena+for+the+23-24+season.+The+Hawkeyes+defeated+the+Pride%2C+122-49.
Grace Smith
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark greets fans after an exhibition women’s basketball game between Iowa and Clarke University at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023. The matchup marks Iowa’s first game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the 23-24 season. The Hawkeyes defeated the Pride, 122-49.

Just under two weeks away from Iowa women’s basketball’s season-opener, Caitlin Clark’s resume continues to build.

The point guard signed with Excel Sports Management, the agency announced Tuesday in a press release. The agency will be in charge of all brand-building efforts for the 2023 National Player of the Year. 

The agency represents other prominent athletes like Tiger Woods, Peyton and Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, and Nikola Jokić.

“I have grown up with role models who broke the mold of what it means to be an athlete, finding success beyond their sports and making a larger impact in the world,” Clark said. “There is a lot I want to accomplish, as a basketball player, in business and giving back to communities through the Caitlin Clark Foundation. I know the key to that is working with the right people, which is why I am so excited to join the Excel family.”

Clark will be represented by agency partner and Head of Talent Marketing Alan Zucker, joined by SVP Colleen Garrity and Vice President Erin Kane. Excel has won Sports Business Journal’s Best In Talent Representation and Management twice.  The agency has offices in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.

The West Des Moines, Iowa, native led the Hawkeyes to their first national championship appearance and was the fastest Division I basketball player, men’s or women’s, to reach 1,500 career points over the last 20 seasons.

Clark and the Hawkeyes broke the all-time attendance record for a women’s basketball game on Oct. 15 when over 55,000 spectators filtered into Kinnick Stadium to watch Iowa’s exhibition match against DePaul.

Clark, who is unsure if she will return for a fifth season, is on track to break the all-time NCAA women’s basketball scoring record. The star is 811 points away from surpassing the current leader Kelsey Plum, who played for Washington and earned unanimous first-team All-American honors as well as National Player of the Year in 2017.

She has partnerships with other big companies like State Farm, Nike, Buick, Bose, Goldman Sachs, H&R Block, Topps, and the Midwest grocery store chain, Hy-Vee.

“Caitlin is steadfast in what she wants to accomplish, both on the court and off of it, and we are so excited to work alongside her to build her legacy,” Zucker said. “As a catalyst behind the current momentum in women’s sports, there is no limit to what will be available to her, but we will be focused on strategic partnerships, projects, and larger opportunities that bring her specific vision to life.”

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About the Contributors
Kenna Roering
Kenna Roering, Sports Editor
she/her/hers
Kenna Roering is The Daily Iowan's sports editor. She is a junior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism with a minor in sports and recreation management. Kenna previously worked as a sports reporter for men's wrestling and volleyball and was the summer sports editor in 2023. This is her second year with the DI.
Grace Smith
Grace Smith, Senior photojournalist and filmmaker
she/her/hers
Grace Smith is a fourth-year student at the University of Iowa double majoring in Journalism and Cinematic Arts. In her four years at The Daily Iowan, she has held the roles of photo editor, managing summer editor, and visual storyteller. Outside of The Daily Iowan, Grace has held an internship at The Denver Post and pursued freelance assignments for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and the Des Moines Register.