Caitlin Clark has been all over the WNBA and national headlines as of late. Usually, it has nothing to do with her play on the court.
The latest talk surrounding her is much lighter. She recently posted an Instagram story celebrating one of her most notable fans.
Caitlin Clark shares IG story featuring star of Ted Lasso
Jason Sudeikis is a global star whose career has arguably gone to new heights thanks to his portrayal of Ted Lasso. In the show, he plays an American who heads over to England to coach a professional soccer team, and in the newly premiered Season 4 he’s running AFC Richmond’s first women’s side. Without sharing any spoilers, the show is a heartwarming watch.
Sudeikis is also a genuine WNBA fan, one who has turned up courtside for the Liberty and worn an “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” shirt in public. He decided to represent Clark by wearing her signature shoes to the Season 4 premiere.
Jason Sudeikis pulled up to the “Ted Lasso” premiere in the Caitlin 1s@JasonSudeikis 🤝 @CaitlinClark22 pic.twitter.com/jc5dShof4j
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) August 5, 2026
The actor was seen rocking the “Caitlin 1” in the “Racer Blue” colorway, not far off AFC Richmond’s kit, which officially releases to the public in October.
Clark took to her Instagram story to give Sudeikis a shoutout, sharing a series of fire emojis and a handshake emoji showing a hypothetical handshake between Ted Lasso and the Caitlin 1s.
This is a nice, fun story for Clark to focus on amidst all the drama surrounding her in the WNBA this season.
The storyline dominating the league right now traces to a wide-ranging ESPN feature published July 21, in which Fever guard Sophie Cunningham voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports. It has since drawn rallies outside multiple Fever road games. No transgender woman currently plays in the WNBA, and the collective bargaining agreement signed in March states only that players who are women are eligible, without defining the term further.
Clark, Cunningham’s teammate in Indiana, addressed it for the first time after Sunday’s loss to the Lynx. She said it wasn’t something the team discussed in the locker room and that it was for leagues and governing bodies to work out with their athletes, declining to take a position either way.
Discussing her new signature shoe is much more lighthearted, just like Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso character. His character is all about positivity and motivating players through kind-hearted actions. That gets back to the core of what sports are all about.
Clark’s first signature shoe drops in October, and it should be the first of many as she continues to reach more fans on a daily basis. That remains true even if some talking heads go after her in a negative fashion.
She has emerged as a superstar in the sport of basketball, spanning both the men’s and women’s sides. Getting a shoe with Nike at the age of 24 shows just how much faith the company has in her to continue making herself and Nike money as the years go on.
A celebrity like Sudeikis rocking the shoe before it’s even out helps make Clark’s case as a face of the WNBA.
