Key Takeaways
- New Balance signed nine women athletes to NIL partnerships on October 15, plus boys’ basketball prospect Jordan Smith Jr. in a separate announcement
- UCLA freshman Sienna Betts (ranked No. 3 by Rivals, No. 2 by other services) and high school guard Haylen Ayers (class of 2027) lead the women’s basketball additions
- Liga MX Femenil sisters Tatiana Flores (over 1 million Instagram followers) and Silvana Flores (137,000 followers) joined in June 2025
- Tennessee softball pitcher Karlyn Pickens, who holds the NCAA record for fastest pitch at 79.4 mph, represents the brand’s first major collegiate softball NIL deal
- Jordan Smith Jr., a five-star guard from Washington, D.C., carries a $1.4 million On3 NIL Valuation, ranking No. 3 among high school basketball prospects
UCLA Forward Leads Basketball Additions
New Balance announced NIL deals with nine women athletes on October 15, spanning basketball, soccer, softball, and track, per The GIST. The brand also signed boys’ basketball prospect Jordan Smith Jr. in a separate announcement.
UCLA freshman forward Sienna Betts headlines the women’s signings. Rankings for Betts vary by service: she was called the No. 2-ranked basketball player of the 2025 high school class in her August Andscape interview, while Rivals Industry Ranking lists her as the No. 3 overall player from the 2025 cycle, per On3.
Betts, a 6-foot-4 forward who was named the 2025 Morgan Wooten National Player of the Year, signed a multiyear footwear and apparel deal with the brand. She joins her older sister Lauren on UCLA’s roster and already holds partnerships with Gorjana jewelry and the Unrivaled basketball league, according to her August interview with Andscape.
Haylen Ayers, a 17-year-old shooting guard from the class of 2027, also joined New Balance’s basketball roster. The brand added Jordan Smith Jr., a five-star shooting guard from Washington, D.C., who ranks No. 3 overall in the 2026 class according to Rivals Industry Ranking. Smith carries a $1.4 million On3 NIL Valuation, ranking No. 3 in high school basketball NIL rankings and No. 65 in the On3 NIL 100, per On3.
“I just felt like New Balance was a very family-oriented brand,” Betts told Andscape in late August. “They aren’t trying to change my style, my background, or how I am on the court. It’s very special to feel like a brand likes you for who you actually are.”
Smith Jr., represented by Klutch Sports Group, echoed similar sentiments. “Being a part of the New Balance family is such an honor,” Smith said in a statement to On3. “I grew up in D.C., where New Balance was the official shoe for DC. I feel like I’m putting on for my city.”
New Balance signed WNBA star Cameron Brink in 2023 as the brand’s first women’s basketball player. University of Texas freshman Aaliyah Crump, the No. 5-ranked player in the 2025 class, signed a deal with Klutch Athletics, a New Balance brand subdivision led by sports agent Rich Paul.
Mexican Soccer Stars Bring Social Media Reach
Tatiana and Silvana Flores, sisters who play in Liga MX Femenil, joined New Balance in June 2025, per Mexican outlet Posta. Tatiana, a forward for Tigres Femenil, has over 1 million Instagram followers. Silvana, a midfielder for Pumas, has 137,000 Instagram followers, according to The GIST.
Both athletes developed in England’s youth soccer system before representing Mexico at the international level. Tatiana previously played for Chelsea and Real Oviedo, while Silvana played for Monterrey before joining Pumas.
Tennessee Pitcher Adds Softball to New Balance Portfolio
Karlyn Pickens, a junior pitcher for Tennessee, became a New Balance athlete. Her Instagram bio lists her as a “@newbalance athlete” and “@rawlingssb athlete,” per her Instagram profile.
Pickens holds the NCAA record for fastest pitch at 79.4 mph, which she set on May 24, 2025, during the Super Regionals against Nebraska, per Wikipedia. She previously set a record at 78.2 mph on March 24, 2025, against Arkansas.
Pickens was named SEC Pitcher of the Year in 2024 and 2025, becoming the fifth pitcher in SEC history to win the award in consecutive seasons. During her 2025 junior season, she posted a 22-8 record with a 0.90 ERA and 252 strikeouts in 204 innings, according to her Tennessee athletics profile.
Track Athletes Complete Nine-Woman Roster
Track athletes from the U.S. and UK complete the nine women athletes announced October 15, according to The GIST. Specific names of the track athletes were not disclosed in available coverage. The nine-athlete total includes Betts, Ayers, Tatiana Flores, Silvana Flores, Pickens, and four track athletes.
New Balance has signed multiple high school track athletes in 2025. In July, the brand announced NIL partnerships with 13 high school track stars, including national champions and state record holders, per Marathon Handbook.
Brand History of Early Youth Athlete Signings
New Balance has signed elite athletes before they reach professional ranks. The brand signed tennis player Coco Gauff at age 14, Olympic hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone after her freshman year at Kentucky, and Olympic sprinter Gabby Thomas following her college career at Harvard, per The GIST.
“When you look at Sienna joining her sister, Lauren, at UCLA, we’re looking at it as, yeah, she’s a great basketball player, but she’s a great individual from a great family,” Desron Dorset, New Balance’s head of basketball marketing, told Andscape. “We think she’s going to be one of the next great stories in women’s basketball.”
New Balance re-entered basketball in 2018 after previously exiting the sport. The brand’s current roster includes professional athletes Cameron Brink, Kawhi Leonard, and Shohei Ohtani, alongside collegiate and high school athletes across multiple sports.
Multi-Sport Approach Across Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Track
The October 15 announcement included three basketball signings (Betts, Ayers, and Smith Jr.), with the women athletes counting toward the nine-athlete total reported by The GIST. Betts arrived at UCLA with existing endorsement partnerships, including deals with Gorjana jewelry and a summer playing contract with Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, according to her Andscape interview and SI coverage of Gorjana partnerships.
Smith Jr., represented by Klutch Sports Group, has taken official visits to Kentucky, Duke, and Arkansas, per On3.
The Flores sisters’ June partnership gave New Balance presence in Mexican soccer, where both athletes play professionally in Liga MX Femenil. Pickens’ addition marks New Balance’s entry into softball NIL partnerships at the collegiate level.
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