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Two California soccer standouts, sisters Alyssa and Gisele Thompson, are the first high school students to sign a name, image and likeness deal with Nike.
The groundbreaking, multiyear agreement—with terms that have not yet been disclosed—was announced Tuesday, and quickly spread around social media:
BREAKING: Nike has signed their first High School NIL deal, inking a multi-year deal with sisters and youth soccer stars Alyssa and Gisele Thompson.
Both sisters currently star at LA’s Harvard-Westlake HS, are members of the US National Team system and are committed to Stanford. pic.twitter.com/SEaUuSBVhV
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) May 17, 2022
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It’s Nike’s third major NIL deal, with UCLA sophomore Reilyn Turner signing this past December, followed by Stanford sophomore Rachel Heck, who was Pac-12 Golfer of the Year in 2021.
The deals signal another progression in the NIL space for both men and women athletes, perhaps more so when considering Nike’s clout in the sports world.
As for Alyssa (a junior) and Gisele (a sophomore), both will suit up for Harvard-Westlake (Los Angeles, Calif.) in 2022 and have committed to play soccer at Stanford after graduation.
The sisters’ representation, Evan Sroka of A&V Sports, told the Los Angeles Times that they structured the deal with Nike alongside Stanford to guarantee that both would maintain NCAA eligibility.
Meanwhile, the Thompsons continue to shine. Alyssa, who started for USA’s U-20 team, and Gisele, a starter for the U-17 USA team, both earned Concacaf Championship nods in the past three months.