The WNBA wisely chose to highlight its most prominent rivalry on opening weekend, pitting Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky. In capitalizing on the high viewership that comes with such a matchup, Clark and Nike Basketball took it as a chance to unveil her latest Kobe Bryant sneaker; a Kobe 5 Protro “Rookie Of The Year” PE inspired by her historic 2024 rookie campaign.
Already, Caitlin Clark has become the face of Kobe Bryant shoes in the WNBA. She trotted out a handful of Kobe 6 and Kobe 5 PEs last season, including some that will end up releasing like the Kobe 5 “Indiana Fever” earmarked for June 2025. With that being said, she won’t be rocking Kobe’s forever as a signature Caitlin Clark shoe is already in the works.
Clark’s “Rookie Of The Year” Kobe 5 PE is jointly inspired by Indiana Fever uniforms and the ROY award, taken with metallic silver treatments on the base and midsole. The heel features a similar yet more iridescent finish, while contrasting red accents are placed on the Swoosh, tongue, collar, and outsole. Caitlin Clark was a near unanimous Rookie Of Year recipient in 2024, receiving 66 out of 67 total possible first place votes (the other went to Angel Reese). She led the league and broke a WNBA record with 337 assists, led all players with 122 made three-pointers, and ranked seventh overall in scoring.
These “Rookie Of The Year” Kobe 5s won’t see a public release, but as mentioned, Nike plans to drop a handful of other Caitlin Clark Kobes in 2025. The Kobe 5 “Indiana Fever” is currently penciled in for June, while her Kobe 6 “Light Armory Blue” is due out during the Holiday 2025 window.



