Following on from the airing of a Nike commercial during the Super Bowl featuring WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark, her former Iowa teammate issued a short but meaningful reaction
Kate Martin has demonstrated her enduring respect for former college teammate Caitlin Clark as she implored her not to “listen to haters” following the latter’s appearance in Nike’s Super Bowl ad.
The pair enjoyed a close friendship during their storied time with the Hawkeyes between 2020 and 2024 – making two national championship games in that period. The duo also helped their alma mater to four NCAA tournaments before pursuing professional careers by declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft.
In recent time, Martin and Clark have maintained their bond despite turning out for rival teams in the form of the Golden State Valkyries and Indiana Fever, respectively. Demonstrating her loyalty to her old pal, Martin also showed her unwavering support for her friend after she took part in a landmark commercial for sponsors Nike.
The ad in question, which featured Clark alongside household names including Jordan Chiles, Sabrina Ionescu, Sha’Carri Richardson and A’ja Wilson, aired during Super Bowl LIX on FOX Sports. The ad featured a voiceover by Doechii, with a montage of sporting stars shown over the backing track of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”.
During the commercial, Doechii makes a host of inspirational assertions, saying: “You can’t make demands. You can’t be proud. You can’t keep score. You can’t stand out… Whatever you do, you can’t win. So Win,
Clark later posted some images from her shoot for the Nike commercial on Instagram, alongside the caption: “You’ll be told you can’t do it. So do it anyway,” as former teammate Martin took to the comments section to offer up some words of wisdom, replying: “Never listen to the haters.”
Caitlin Clark starred in Nike’s first Super Bowl ad since 1998 alongside an ensemble of sporting icons (
Image:
Nike)
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Ionescu spoke in glowing terms about the ad, saying: “Women’s sport isn’t the future, it’s right now. We’re seeing it in packed arenas, in TV ratings, in the way people are showing up for the game like never before. Commanding attention isn’t about being the loudest in the room. It’s about making sure that when you step up, everyone takes notice.”
Nike CMO Nicole Hubbard Graham also explained the genesis of the idea for the commercial as she looked to highlight the achievements of women in sports. She told Fast Company: “Thinking about the Super Bowl and thinking about this moment, it felt very timely to tell this athlete story.
“Women are just absolutely shattering records right now, selling out stadiums, ticket sales, commanding contracts like you’ve never seen before, and being placed with probably some of the harshest expectations of how you’re supposed to act. And I think they will redefine what it means to be athletes and personalities of the future.
“This brand wasn’t built on Google ads or clicks, it was built on feelings, and big, disruptive, irreverent, emotional ideas. That has been a really important strategy for us, and obviously with our partners at Wieden. How do we make sure that we are very much athletes over algorithms?”
