Caitlin Clark, the WNBA’s golden child, has captivated fans, players, and now even rival leagues. The Indiana Fever rookie sensation is apparently being wooed by the brand-new women’s 3-on-3 league, Unrivaled, with an offer that sounds almost too good to be true: a “Messi-like” deal. Think partial ownership, stock options, and enough money to make even her haters do a double take. But not everyone’s ready to roll out the red carpet for her.
Journalist Roberta Rodrigues, for one, has her reservations, claiming on X (formerly Twitter) that Caitlin isn’t quite in Lionel Messi’s stratosphere of fame. According to Rodrigues, offering Clark a deal that mirrors Messi’s Inter Miami mega-package is, well, laughable. “CC is not nearly close to Messi,” she said. “If Unrivaled stands for fairness, then that’s a big miss.” Shots fired!
Messi Who? Caitlin Clark the Big Fish in a New Pond
Unrivaled, the startup league backed by WNBA stars like Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, seems determined to make Clark its crown jewel. They’re offering the Fever guard a $1 million deal for a season that lasts less than three months, along with stock and other financial goodies. That’s right—while Clark’s teammates are grinding it out in the WNBA, she could be pocketing more in eight weeks than some players make over an entire four-year WNBA contract.
For context: Clark’s rookie salary in the WNBA is a modest $76,535. Meanwhile, Unrivaled is throwing cash her way like they’re trying to buy her a small island. The allure? Unrivaled promises “the highest salaries in professional women’s sports league history,” meaning the more famous you are, the more zeros on your paycheck. And let’s be honest, Caitlin Clark is pretty much printing money at this point.
Not Everyone’s a Fan of the Superstar Treatment
But hold on. Not everyone is down with this Messi-sized payday for Clark. Rodrigues raised a fair point about fairness—or lack thereof. Should one player, no matter how great, be getting this Messi-level deal while others settle for less? She even hinted at a bit of transparency (or the lack of it) from Unrivaled, asking why the contract talks aren’t more uniform. You can almost hear the Twitter debates brewing.
And she’s not entirely wrong. Messi didn’t just walk into MLS with a suitcase of trophies; he walked in as a global icon, beloved in every corner of the earth (except maybe some parts of Brazil). Meanwhile, Clark is still very much an American superstar on the rise, with plenty of time to build that international clout.
Clark vs. Reese—The Rivalry Rolls On
The other twist in this already spicy narrative? Angel Reese. Clark’s rival is reportedly onboard with Unrivaled, which adds an extra layer of intrigue. We already know these two have shared a fierce rivalry in college and now in the WNBA, so throwing them into the same league with potentially very different paychecks? That could either make for some must-watch games—or a whole lot of side-eye.
And while Reese may not be seeing Messi money herself (yet), the league clearly knows what it’s doing by bringing in the sport’s most marketable stars.
Is Clark Worth It? The Verdict’s Still Out
So, is Caitlin Clark really worth a Messi-like deal? The answer might depend on how you measure stardom. While she’s undoubtedly one of the brightest young talents in basketball today, does she have the same global pull as Messi, whose name is synonymous with soccer greatness? Not yet. But if Unrivaled wants to shake up women’s sports, locking down Caitlin Clark with an eye-watering contract might be their best shot.
For now, fans and detractors alike are waiting to see if Clark will sign on the dotted line. One thing’s for sure, though—if she does, Unrivaled won’t be so “unrivaled” in attention any longer.
And as for Messi? He’s probably just happy someone else is being compared to him for once.
