The WNBA is in an enormous period of flux at the moment, after the stardom of Caitlin Clark catapulted the league to new heights. There’s so much change going on around the league that seven coaches have been fired in the last month.
But the WNBA isn’t the only women’s basketball league making noise these days. The player-owned Unrivaled three-on-three league is looking to challenge the WNBA’s spot as the top women’s basketball league in the United States. Unrivaled has already managed to attract some of the biggest names around the sport, including Clark’s archrival, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese.
Still, what could really propel the league to new heights is Clark herself. It was reported earlier in the process that Clark had no intention of playing in Unrivaled and wanted to walk away from the game for a bit.
“We talked to Caitlin Clark earlier today… she said she almost definitely will not play basketball this offseason. So it is likely we will not see her play again until April,” a WNBA news-oriented Twitter account reported in mid-October.
"We talked to Caitlin Clark earlier today… she said she almost definitely will not play basketball this offseason. So it is likely we will not see her play again until April." #WNBA
(via @RyanRuocco of ESPN)
— Layup Lab | WNBA News (@TheLayupLab) October 18, 2024
The reports haven’t stopped Unrivaled from pulling out all the stops.
First, the league secured a commitment from Las Vegas Aces guard Kate Martin, who was Clark’s best friend when the two played college ball together at Iowa. Now, we have an even bolder move from the league to secure Clark’s commitment.
“Special players attract special contract offers—and compensation. The new Unrivaled women’s basketball league is considering a sweeping ‘Lionel Messi–like’ offer to entice Caitlin Clark to play in the league’s inaugural season, sources tell Front Office Sports,” Front Office Sports’s Michael McCarthy reported.
“The start-up league’s ‘full-court press’ to recruit Clark is similar to the push by Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami CF to woo Messi in 2023. The club knew that salary alone was not enough to land the global superstar. So Inter Miami constructed an unprecedented package that included a contract valued at $150 million, partial ownership, and other financial incentives. Apple even agreed to share revenue from MLS Season Pass with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.”
And it seems that Clark has even indicated to some of the league’s executives that their steps are paying off and that she’s changed her mind on her hard stance not to play.
“We’re always going to have a roster spot for Caitlin Clark,” said Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell, per ESPN. “We’re not applying a full-court press the way people think. We are letting her decompress from basketball. … She knows that we have a spot for her when she’s ready.”
It’s hard not to take that as a hint that Clark’s going to eventually declare for Unrivaled and leave the WNBA behind for a bit as she chases more accolades.
