STEPH CURRY LEFT Under Armour BECAUSE WOMEN NOW RUN SNEAKER CULTURE, & UA WAS TOO BUSY MAKING GOLF POLOS TO NOTICE

STEPH SAW WHAT WAS COMING, A WOMEN’S-LED SNEAKER EMPIRE

Someone would think if they had the best shooter in NBA history, a global superstar, and one of the most marketable athletes rolled into one, that they’d not only be successful, but they’d listen to his wisdom.

However, for Steph Curry and Under Armour, that didn’t happen.

Curry in a shocking move (to no one) is leaving Under Armour after his contract expires and will be a sneaker free agent. However, Curry didn’t walk away from Under Armour because of “creative differences” or “brand alignment.” He didn’t leave because of money, ego, or contract drama.

No.

He left because Under Armour still acts like it’s 2012, and hasn’t realized women are just as important to basketball culture AND sneaker culture now.

Simply put, Steph saw the future and Under Armour did not.

And that’s how you lose the greatest shooter alive.

The Curry Brand was supposed to become his Jordan Brand. A brand that was revolutionary, and funny enough, taking it a step further because he’d had signature athletes from men’s and women’s league donning the “30”.

Steph didn’t want it built his brand solely on “NBA bros.”

He wanted the FUTURE, and the future is women.

His dream starting lineup for the brand would probably win an WNBA Championship.

• Azzi Fudd, the cleanest jumper in the NCAA

• Angel Reese, NIL fashion superstar & cultural icon

• Paige Bueckers, the silent assassin with sneakerhead cult status

• Sabrina Ionescu, the reigning queen of women’s sneaker game

• Caitlin Clark, the most watched basketball player on Earth

That’s a billion-dollar empire.

That’s the first truly women-led sneaker dynasty in history.

That’s the Jordan Brand blueprint flipped and reborn.

But what did Under Armour do?

They fumbled the bag like a rookie punt returner with greased gloves.

They didn’t sign Azzi.

They didn’t chase Angel.

They didn’t prioritize Paige.

Nor did they put emphasis on Caitlin…speaking of Caitlin…

THE “CAITLIN CLARK EFFECT PULLED UP TO THE NBA & PARKED IN THE FRONT ROW

Under Armour had the opportunity to sign Clark if they would’ve just simply given her more money.

Between her annual deal with Nike, and her deal with Under Armour, UA had more annual money. Under Armour’s reported four-year, $16 million offer trailed Nike’s eight-year, $28 million deal in total amounts only. Annually Clark would’ve ben paid more, and had the opportunity to renegotiate for a bigger deal. But the bigger question is why not offer Clark 28 million for 4 years? Or better yet, more than that. You would think having Clark under a roster with another superstar in Curry and being paired would’ve been the icing on the cake.

UA failed to give Clark an offer she couldn’t refuse, and thus…she refused.

Instead, they gave her a BARELY engaged with Clark,  even after Steph PERSONALLY pitched her.

Nike saw the opening, drove a Brinks truck through it, and handed Caitlin the biggest women’s basketball shoe deal eve and Under Armour stood there like they were pricing cargo shorts at Kohl’s.

That was the beginning of the end.

Now keep this in mind This graphic.

THIS. GRAPHIC.

NBA players, grown men, are wearing Caitlin Clark shoes more than superstar men’s colorways.

The Nike Kobe 6 “Caitlin Clark” was one of the MOST-WORN shoes in the NBA in November.

Let me repeat:

NBA players are HOOPING in a Caitlin Clark colorway.

Over Ja Morant.

Over Luka Doncic.

Over James Harden.

Over Dame.

Over KD.

THEY ARE CHOOSING HER SHOE.

The Caitlin Clark Effect just pulled up to the NBA and parked in the head coach’s spot.

That’s not influence.

That’s dominance, and Under Armour failed once again to see the forest from the trees. 

WOMEN AREN’T “ON THE RISE.” THEY ARE THE ECONOMY.

Who knows what Under Armour was thinking when it came to these women athletes because every other brand wised up.

Instead of having signature athletes on their brand, Angel Reese signed with Reebok, where she’s spearheading the comeback of the brand in a grand way. Reese is featured as the premier athlete of the brand and watching as her merchandise is being sold out on the same day when her collections drop.

Meanwhile Nike decided to have every single premier guard in the league sign with their brand. Sabrina Ionescu has been with the swoosh and watching her shoes become one of the most popular on the planet. Paige Bueckers is leading the revolution when it comes to bringing back the Nike GT Cut series and is releasing exclusive colorways she’s featured in. Clark has done the same concept as Bueckers with the GT Cut, with the Kobe line having insane colorways such as the Cookie Monster Kobe’s. It’s only a matter of time before both Bueckers and Clark will be donning their own signature shoes.

Let’s not forget about A’ja Wilson (although Curry wasn’t able to pitch to her for joining UA). Her A’One shoes have had a tremendous amount of success and her colorways have been a cultural shift for basketball.

This isn’t up for debate.

This isn’t a “trend.”

Women’s basketball is the most valuable marketing engine in the sport:

         They dominate TV ratings
         They move jerseys
They break NIL records
They run TikTok & Threads
They have the most loyal fanbases
They spark viral moments on command

Reese breaks the internet weekly.

Bueckers could sell out a signature shoe tomorrow.

And Caitlin Clark?

She had dudes from SEC football schools turning on Iowa games (and now Indiana Fever games) like it’s Game 7.

These women don’t “deserve more attention.”

They ARE the attention.

They ARE the culture.

They ARE the revenue.

Steph Curry understood this better than any brand exec in the world.

Under Armour did not.

THE SNEAKER CULTURE SHIFT IS COMPLETE & ONLY ONE BRAND MISSED IT

Nike knows. Puma knows. Adidas knows. New Balance knows. Panini trading cards know. The NBA knows. The WNBA absolutely knows.

Under Armour is the only one still pretending women’s basketball is a niche.

And now their punishment is eternal. Not only did they lose out on signing some of the most popular athletes in sports, they also lost one of the most popular athletes in sport.

They lost Steph Curry, the ONE superstar who was willing to build a women-led sneaker empire.

Steph wasn’t doing “girl dad PR.”

He wasn’t chasing clout.

He wasn’t riding a wave.

HE WAS BUILDING THE FUTURE.

And UA said no.

So Steph left , and now he’s free to build the empire he always wanted, without being held back by a company still designing dad joggers for suburban yard work.

Steph didn’t leave for money.

He didn’t leave for ego.

He didn’t leave because he was unhappy.

He left because the greatest shooter alive wanted the greatest women’s players alive, and Under Armour said no.

Nike said yes.

And the world followed.

Women run culture, NIL, viewership, fashion, influence and now they’re running the sneaker market.

Steph saw it.

Under Armour didn’t.

And that’s how you lose a superstar…

…and accidentally hand Nike the future of basketball on a silver platter.