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Mia, Mya J. Pauldo sign NIL footwear deal with Puma

Nakos updated headshotby:Pete Nakos•09/12/22•

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Mia & Mya J. Pauldo/Instagram

Puma has added to its agressive NIL signing strategy, this time inking high schoolers Mia and Mya Pauldo to NIL footwear and apparel deals.

The sophomore twins from Morris Catholic High in Denville, New Jersey, released a video announced the partnership over the weekend. Mia and Mya have already received scholarship offers from Rutgers, Baylor, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Miami and Oklahoma, among others.

They’ve earned a nickname, too: Twin BackCourt or “TBC.” And the class of 2025 prospects have built a following on social media. They share a Twitter and Instagram account that falls just shy of 10,000 followers.

New Jersey high school student-athletes are allowed to monetize their NIL after the NJSIAA’s ruling back in November. NIL is not new to Twin BackCourt. Earlier this year, they became some of the first athletes in the state to when they signed with Malcolm Garrett — a sneaker customizer with his brand called “Retired From Society.”

They’ve also done work with Asia Irving — sister of Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving — on an initiative called The Pursuit of Light Campaign, which highlights four individuals in the New York and New Jersey area who are making an impact in their community.

Mia has already been rated as a top-10 recruit in her class, averaging over 20 points and eight rebounds per game as a freshman. And Mya is not far behind, with her more than 16 points per game. The 5-foot-7 duo play their AAU basketball for the NJ Sparks 16U squad.

“Outside of basketball, our brand is on and off the court,” Mia told the Morristown Daily Record in March. “I want to develop our brand off the court and build in our urban community, such as Paterson. That’s really where I wanted to touch on. Inspire people and on and off the court.”

Puma’s growing NIL brand

The sneaker shop has continued to become more agressive in the basketball space over the last four years. The German company has signed players like LaMelo Ball, Marcus Smart, Breanna Stewart and Deandre Ayton.

That includes NIL, too. Puma announced the signing of LSU freshman women’s basketball player and hip-hop star Flau’Jae Johnson last week.

Five-star recruit Mikey Williams landed a multi-year contract with Puma last fall. The deal made him the first American high school basketball player to sign a sneaker deal with a global footwear company. Xavier “Xeve” Perez, a 12-year-old golf prodigy, signed a deal with Cobra Puma, too.

While adidas has ramped up its involvement in NIL in recent months, Nike and Under Armour have remained quiet outside of a few deals. Puma, however, continues to add major names and up-and-comers to its brand.