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It didn’t take very long for Caitlin Clark’s new jersey to sell out after she was drafted by the Indiana Fever with the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft, and it sounds like anyone hoping to get their hands on one is going to have to endure a very lengthy wait.
There’s not a single women’s basketball player in history who’s been able to generate the kind of hype Caitlin Clark found herself surrounded by when her time with the Iowa Hawkeyes came to an end, and given the amount of time the WNBA had to prepare for her arrival, you’d think its official apparel partner would have been ready for what was in store.
However, it does not seem like that was the case.
On Monday, fans got the chance to scoop up the #22 jersey Clark will be rocking for the Indiana Fever when her rookie season kicks off on May 3rd. However, plenty of people (including Barry Sanders) weren’t able to get their hands on an incredibly hot ticket item that saw its stock exhausted around an hour after going on sale.
UPDATE: A previous version of this story incorrectly described Fanatics’ role in the production of WNBA jerseys. It has been updated to provide a more accurate account manufacturing and distribution process.
Contrary to what you may assume, there was not a massive warehouse filled with Cailtin Clark Fever jerseys that were ready to be shipped when the franchise made the announcement on draft night. While Fanatics was able to use blank jerseys already in its possession to fill some initial orders, Nike is tasked with the mass production that didn’t begin until the newest member of the team officially selected her jersey number.
As a result, if you head to the digital storefront where you can buy one of Clark’s Fever jerseys, you’ll be greeted with a message informing prospective buyers they won’t ship until August (allegedly no later than the 14th) due to “Nike’s manufacturing times.”
While Nike (and, in turn, Fanatics) decided to stick with what is standard operating procedure when it comes to professional sports drafts, the inability to figure out a way to prepare for the demand that would greet the ascension of a generational player the likes of which the WNBA has never seen certainly feels like a huge oversight.