Caitlin Clark, the WNBA rookie sensation and resident queen of half-court shots, might just add another crown to her growing collection: “Biggest Payday in 3-on-3 Basketball.” In a surprising (yet totally understandable) move, Clark has reportedly received a jaw-dropping offer from the up-and-coming Unrivaled three-on-three league that makes her WNBA paycheck look like loose change. We’re talking over $1 million for just three months of work – basically, the basketball version of winning the lottery, except you actually have to play basketball.
According to Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal, Clark is being wooed hard by Unrivaled, which is desperate to sign the young star and make their league, well…unrivaled. And how do you lure in a talent like Clark? Easy. You throw in seven-figure salaries and equity in the business. Because nothing says “we really like you” like offering someone partial ownership of your league. Casual.
“Caitlin Clark and Unrivaled have had ‘high-level conversations,’” Friend wrote, which is code for “please take our money and make us famous.” Sources say Clark is 60/40 leaning toward taking the deal, and frankly, if you’re not taking a million dollars for three months of playing basketball with your friends, you might need to reevaluate your decision-making process.
Speaking of friends, Unrivaled isn’t playing fair. They’ve also signed two of Clark’s closest buddies—Lexie Hull, her WNBA teammate from the Indiana Fever, and Kate Martin, her former Iowa teammate. Coincidence? Not a chance. If there’s one thing that might seal this deal, it’s peer pressure from your besties. Unrivaled has essentially created a baller BFF paradise and placed a giant bag of money in the middle.
But before anyone gets too excited, Clark has yet to make her final decision. She’s coming off a grueling year that included being a WNBA rookie and running circles around college defenders in her last NCAA season. Apparently, Unrivaled is giving her all the time in the world to decide, which sounds like they’re practically begging at this point.
Let’s also remember: Clark made just over $76,000 in the WNBA this year. Yeah, that’s not bad for the rest of us, but when you’re Caitlin Clark and can score 40 points in your sleep, $76K seems more like a suggestion. A $1 million offer to join a start-up league for three months? Now that’s more on-brand.
For those WNBA fans clutching their jerseys in panic, don’t worry—Unrivaled’s season runs during the WNBA offseason. So, Clark wouldn’t have to choose between the two. She could have her cake (WNBA stardom) and eat it too (massive payday in the offseason).
With the league set to tip off in January, Clark has a few weeks to weigh her options. And by “weigh her options,” I mean decide if she wants to make more money in three months than most of us will see in a decade while hanging out with her best friends and still playing in the WNBA.
Whatever she chooses, one thing is for sure: Caitlin Clark’s bank account is about to be the only thing hotter than her three-point shot.
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