It sounds like Caitlin Clark is about to get a pretty significant offer from the Unrivaled Women’s three-on-three basketball league that’s set to begin in January, but not everyone is happy about it.
According to a report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Unrivaled is preparing to give Caitlin Clark a “Lionel Messi-like” offer that includes ownership rights as well as a contract likely worth over $1 million – far more than any other player will make.
It would seem to make sense that a player as popular as Clark would receive a greater compensation package, but not everyone seems to see it that way.
Women’s basketball analyst Roberta Rodrigues of Beta Basket expressed her displeasure at this reported plan from Unrivaled.
“Curious as to how other players would feel. I know everyone will have ownership share, but not sure if that includes the media deal,” Rodrigues said in a post on X. “Truth is: CC is not nearly close to Messi. If Unrivaled stands for fairness, then that’s a big miss. Either offer all players the same contract or be transparent about why some are different than others.”
“Can’t possibly imagine how DiJonai Carrington, who was one of the main targets of racism due to her rivalry with CC, will feel if CC is rewarded with a seven-figure deal despite multiple players’ efforts to get her to stand by them,” Rodrigues continued. “*Really* hope Stewie and Phee are not taking this lightly and that they are being properly advised. That’s why it’s VERY important to choose what VC you want backing up your startup: at the end of the day, they’ll have the final say.”
She was not the only one who expressed frustration at this decision. Many fans took to social media to express their outrage at this apparent decision from Unrivaled.
“Do you care about racism and death threats towards players or do you care about money?” one fan asked on X.
“I hope this isn’t true @Unrivaledwbb,” another fan wrote. “Fans who have been here are tired of this player and her disgusting fan base. I was looking forward to unrivaled specifically because this player wasn’t involved and we could get a break from the racism and superiority complex.”
“If this happens [forget] unrivaled. She’s the ONE person we DON’T want,” another fan wrote.
“They are groveling mad hard for the racist, delusional fanbase that brought every bad thing to the WNBA and I don’t get it,” another fan said.
“They don’t need that crybaby and whining little girl. She’s not ready for one-on-one,” another fan said.
We’ll have to see whether or not this deal is indeed offered to Clark and if she chooses to accept it.
[Front Office Sports, Roberta Rodrigues]
