Maya Nnaji has made a splash … err … dunk on her first NIL deal.
Nnaji announced her deal with Dunkin’ Donuts Monday night on Instagram. The Arizona Wildcats freshman is one of 30 Division I athletes to make up part of the doughnut chain’s latest ad campaign. Nnaji will do a few TikTok and Instagram posts as part of her new deal.
“It’s exciting,” the 6-foot-4-inch forward said. “I love donuts.”
Nnaji brought doughnuts to her teammates last week, then told them about the NIL deal. Her favorite is strawberry sprinkles.
“This is the first NIL deal for me. It’s a blessing,” Nnaji said. “All my hard work is paying off. Hopefully it’s just the first of many and I’m able to start using this platform that I’m getting to amplify my voice for community service.”
The highest-rated player to ever commit to the UA program, Nnaji — the sister of former Wildcat Zeke Nnaji, now a member of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets — is averaging 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. She is already making an impact off the court, too. Two weeks ago, Nnajji asked fans to join in her Thanksgiving food drive by bringing canned goods to the Wildcats’ game against Long Beach State game. Fans delivered, donating nearly 650 pounds of food that was given to the Southern Arizona Community Food Bank. Nnaji, along with teammate Kailyn Gilbert, then served a holiday dinner to kids at the Boys & Girls Club of Tucson.
Arizona freshman Maya Nnaji has a new NIL deal with Dunkin’ Donuts.
Nnaji is working with former UA women’s basketball standout Danielle Adefeso, who is the founder and CEO of Elevated Sports Group, a sports management company. Adefeso’s clients include former UA standout Sam Thomas and Wildcats freshman Kailyn Gilbert.
Adefeso said that some of Nnaji’s future deals will focus on giving back.
“Maya’s a good person,” Adefeso said. “I’m excited to work with her. This is a good deal for a couple of reasons. Mostly because that’s a good way to meet other college athletes who are doing something similar to you. It’s also a big deal. It’s a national campaign … for this to be your first one, it’s a big deal.”
