Caitlin Clark Makes NBA 2K History as First Solo WNBA Cover

"To be the first WNBA player on her own global cover means women's basketball gets to show up on that stage too, and I am proud to be part of that," Caitlin Clark said in a statement from 2K today.

Clark, the Indiana Fever guard who won 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year and has become a three-time WNBA All-Star starter, will front the $99.99 Deluxe Edition of NBA 2K27. She's not sharing the space. No split cover, no ensemble shot. It's her name, her image, her edition. WNBA players have appeared in NBA 2K before, but always alongside NBA counterparts or as part of broader branding. A solo global cover is a first for the franchise, and given how long 2K has been running, that gap is striking.

She's joined by two other cover athletes across the game's three editions. San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, the NBA's first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-Star, takes the Standard Edition at $69.99. Chicago Bulls legend Derrick Rose, the youngest MVP in NBA history, returns to the cover on the limited-time Ultra Edition at $149.99, available only through September 6. Rose previously appeared on NBA 2K13.

Pricing and early access

NBA 2K27 launches September 4 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Buyers of the Deluxe or Ultra Edition get early access starting August 28 at 9:00 AM PT. The Deluxe Edition includes 100,000 VC, MyCAREER boosts, player jerseys for both Wembanyama and Clark, and MyTEAM packs. The Ultra Edition adds a Season 1 Pro Pass, a Summer Season Pass Pro Bundle covering Seasons 7 through 9 in Summer 2027, premium MyTEAM cards including a guaranteed 98 OVR card in December 2026 and a guaranteed Invincible card in May 2027, plus Rose's Oversize Hoodie. Current NBA 2K26 players who pre-order the Ultra Edition on the same platform get a 10% loyalty discount, available through September 3.

I have to be blunt about that Ultra Edition price tag. $149.99 for a sports game that will be replaced in twelve months, bundling in season passes for content arriving the following summer, is an aggressive ask. Locking a fan-favourite cover athlete behind the most expensive SKU feels calculated. Rose deserves better than being a $150 upsell.

The Clark cover, though, is the story here. Women's basketball has exploded in visibility over the past two years, and Clark has been at the centre of that. Putting her on her own global 2K cover isn't charity or a PR stunt; it reflects where the sport actually is right now. I'm glad 2K didn't hedge it by making it a shared cover or burying it in a regional variant.

Zak Armitage, SVP and GM of NBA 2K, framed the three covers around obsession with the game:

"Wembanyama has broken the mold for what a big man can be and keeps breaking it. Clark is pulling up from the logo, not just redefining what range looks like, but the women's game entirely. And Rose changed what it meant to be a point guard - explosive, physical, unstoppable - and when faced with setbacks, his hunger for the game is what brought him back."

2K has also released a roadmap leading to launch. A gameplay trailer premieres on July 28, followed by the 2K Beats soundtrack reveal on August 10, an apparel brand spotlight on August 13, and an unannounced event on August 18. The real test will be what Visual Concepts has actually changed on the court, and whether MyCAREER and MyTEAM have addressed the grind complaints that follow this series every single year. NBA 2K27 is available for pre-order now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with Nintendo Switch 2 wishlisting open.