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Quick Facts:
- Flau'jae Johnson is the nation's most valuable women's basketball player with ~$1.5M NIL valuation – partnering with Puma, JBL, Amazon, Meta, Samsung, and signed to Jay-Z's music label
- Top NIL valuations range from $300K to $1.5M – proving it's not just top players at elite schools who can monetize; Shelomi Sanders at Alabama A&M ($300K) landed a historic deal with Rihanna's Savage x Fenty
- College athletes can now cash in on March Madness: Players like Juju Watkins (USC, ~$750K) and Azzi Fudd (UConn, ~$1M) are partnering with major brands while also investing in women's sports leagues like Unrivaled and NWSL
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Source: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Even if you don’t consider yourself a sports fan, chances are you’ve watched some March Madness during your time. The college basketball tournament has become so popular over the years in large part due to its endless potential for dynamic storytelling. We have dynasties and Cinderella stories, rivalries and record breakers. We have fiery personalities and stoic leaders, freshmen phenoms and super seniors somehow still sticking around. (I mean seriously, how old are some of these college kids?)
For years, the athletes themselves couldn’t cash in on the cinema that is this tournament, but all that has changed. Athletes can now monetize the madness, and raise the stakes even higher. Brands have realized the potential in partnering with these college stars, and this month we’re shining the spotlight on some of college basketball’s biggest deals. Even better? We’re sharing some ideas for the next great stars for you to partner with.
The bottom line? It always pays to pay female athletes.
Position: Guard
School: LSU
Year: Senior
Approximate NIL Valuation: $1.5 million
Flau’jae is the nation’s most valuable women’s basketball player, and for good reason: she is really one of one. She’s famous for refusing to “stay in her lane” and has flourished in her career both as an athlete and a musician. Her NIL deals include some of the nation’s biggest brands: Puma, JBL Audio, Amazon, Meta and Samsung to name a few. She also signed onto Jay-Z’s label last year and has been making her own music along with star-studded collabs. Make sure to tune in to watch Flau’jae’s last dance, alongside her ever-colorful, at times controversial head coach, Kim Mulkey.
Looking to partner with someone like Flau’jae? She might not be a rapper, but sophomore Mikayla Blakes at Vanderbilt is poetry in motion. She has had 10 30-point performances this year and is averaging almost 30 points per game in SEC play. With 17k Instagram followers and an available Opendorse profile, Mikayla could be your brand’s next big star.
Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) shoots over UNC Greensboro Spartans guard Nya Smith (22) during the second quarter of an NCAA Tournament game at Galen Center. Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Position: Guard
School: USC
Year: Junior
Approximate NIL Valuation: $750,000
Juju has been a huge star since high school, and her decision to attend USC changed the program, and college women’s basketball, forever. Since then she has shown up on the biggest basketball stages, and signed some of college’s biggest deals: State Farm, Gatorade, NYX Cosmetics, United and Nike are just a few of the names sitting in her portfolio. Sadly, Juju is sitting out this season with an ACL tear. But while her game on the court is taking a pause, Juju’s money is moving. She knows that women are the best investment there is, and hasn’t slept on new leagues and opportunities. She has personally invested in Unrivaled, the 3x3 offseason league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, and the National Women’s Soccer League.
Looking for a dynamic guard but can’t get Juju on the phone? Zoe Brooks at NC State might be your girl. 2024-2025 ACC Most Improved Player and a member of Kelsey Plum’s DAWG Class, Zoe is one to watch. You can inquire about working with Zoe here.
Position: Center
School: Iowa State
Year: Junior
Approximate NIL Valuation: $1.5 Million
Audi Crooks is one of those basketball players who seems impossible to guard. She is the only player in the country with multiple 40 point games this season… and she’s had four of them. Her NIL portfolio is headlined by local brands, like the Iowa Pork Producers Association or ClaimDoc, a Des Moines-based medical auditing company. Although she might be young, Audi has already made her mark both on the court and off of it, by founding the Audi Crooks Foundation. Her foundation helps close the gaps left by public systems to give all children equal opportunities. Watch out for the cyclones this March!
Looking for a big who’s got next? Clara Silva could be your next pick and roll. This 6’7” sophomore helped Kentucky earn a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament her freshman year before transferring to TCU where she has been turning heads her sophomore year. She’s got international experience and the smoothest fadeaway in Texas: Go Frogs!
Mar 8, 2026; Uncasville, CT, USA; UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) is introduced before the start of the game against the Creighton Bluejays at Mohegan Sun Arena. Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Position: Guard
School: University of Connecticut
Year: Senior
Approximate NIL Valuation: $1 Million
We have started to talk about Azzi, but, honestly, not enough. This season she is averaging almost 18 points per game and is shooting 49% from the floor. Forty-nine percent!! She has partnered with brands like Bose, Madison Reed and Doordash, along with SC30 Inc., Steph Curry’s brand. She was also one of 14 college players (along with Flau’jae, Audi and Juju) signed to an NIL deal with Unrivaled (the aforementioned 3x3 league). What is she doing with all of her money? Spending at least part of it to pull off incredible courtside looks to outshine support girlfriend Paige Bueckers.
Looking for an Azzi Fudd across the border? Syla Swords is a sophomore guard at Michigan who is putting everyone on notice. In 2024, she became the youngest player ever to represent Canada at the Olympics at just 18 years old. At Michigan, she has been a program-defining player. One of the only teams to give UConn a tight game this year, watch out for Syla and the Wolverines.
Position: Guard
School: Alabama A&M
Year: Senior
Approximate NIL Valuation: $300,000
We wanted to include Shelomi Sanders on this list not only because she makes bank (get it girl), but because it’s not only the top players in the country at the best basketball schools who are inking NIL deals. Shelomi’s NIL portfolio includes a historic deal with Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty and also brands like Dexcom, a continuous glucose monitoring system. Shelomi has Type 1 Diabetes and is helping destigmatize the disease by showing people everywhere that her diagnosis does not define her. Players like Shelomi are also helping grow the narrative of committing to an HBCU: it’s not just about playing time. It’s about choosing black excellence and leadership, on and off the court.
If Shelomi’s profile is up your brand’s alley but you’re not, you know, Rihanna, check out A’treonia Garner. A junior at Clark Atlanta, she dropped 41 points in the season opener and hasn’t slowed down since. A’treonia is now leading all HBCU scorers across DI and DII: a walking bucket.
Whether you’re watching March Madness for the buckets or the runways, we can’t wait to celebrate all of the divas taking center stage. And if you’ve been thinking of involving an athlete in your latest campaign, take this as your sign to do it! Right now! College stars have some of the most dedicated fanbases there are, and they are waiting for you.
About Parity, a Group 1001 Company
Parity is a women’s sports consultancy focused on professional women athlete partnerships. With a mission to close the gender income gap in sports and beyond, Parity connects brands with a diverse network of more than 1,400 women’s sports athletes across 85+ sports, including 300+ Olympians and Paralympians. Through sponsorship activations, content collaborations, and strategic advisory, Parity helps brands authentically engage the most trusted voices in sports today. For more information, visit www.paritynow.co, or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.
