Caitlin Clark could still commit to playing in Unrivaled after receiving a $1 million offer as the new league has expanded its player pool to 36.
Unrivaled, a new 3×3 winter basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Naphessa Collier, announced that 36 players would now be signed ahead of January as opposed to the previous limit of 30. Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever was announced Thursday as the 30th player to sign, leaving six more spots should Clark decide to commit.
“Were able to do this because we outperformed our financial projections,” Collier said in an announcement video. “So now we get to do something that we wanted to do in the future which is give more people spots in Unrivaled.”
Clark is yet to publicly confirm her participation, but due to her influence, she would be a major addition to the new league. As a result, Clark has been offered upwards of $1 million to play in the new winter league which is set to start in January 2025.
The WNBA has seen a surge in ratings ever since Clark entered the league as the No. 1 pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft, and Unrivaled is keen to ensure that viewership carries over. According to Front Office Sports, not only has Clark been offered over $1 million to play, she could receive a percentage of ticket sales.
The salary would be 1,200 times her WNBA rookie wage of $76,535 per season, but Unrivaled will receive major benefits should Clark partake. The average salary offered to the 30 participants stands at $250,000, but for just eight weeks of action, it’s significantly higher than the WNBA average.
All players who have committed to playing in the inaugural season will receive equity in the league, with players such as Angel Reese, Kelsey Plum, Arike Ogunbowale, and Jackie Young already signing up. Following the expansion there will be six teams made up of six players, with all games set to be played in Miami.
One of the main narratives of the 2024 WNBA season was Clark and Reese continuing their college beef, and that could carry over into Unrivaled. For now, Reese is grateful for the opportunity she’s been handed by Stewart and Collier and believes it could be a “game changer” for women’s basketball.
“Staying in Miami from January to March without heading overseas was a major draw,” Reese told The Chicago Tribune. I never planned on going overseas. Knowing two great players like Breanna and Napheesa are behind this, who wouldn’t want to be part of it? I knew they’d bring in more top talent.
“Many of us dread going overseas, but some have no choice. Earning six figures here in just three months is a game-changer. Plus, 3×3 basketball is something I love. It’s a chance to hone individual skills because the game exposes everything.”
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