If basketball were Tinder, Caitlin Clark just swiped left on the Unrivaled 3×3 league — hard. Despite months of courtship, flashy offers, and enough marketing to fill a Times Square billboard, the Iowa legend and Indiana Fever sensation has decided to politely decline. Translation? She’s got other things to do.
The Unrivaled league, brainchild of WNBA heavyweights Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, had been holding its breath waiting for Clark’s RSVP. Spoiler alert: it’s a no. Front Office Sports confirmed Thursday that Clark “definitively” told the league she won’t be gracing their courts in their maiden season. Ouch.
Clark’s Big Chill
The 3×3 league dangled a reported offer north of a cool $1 million to woo Clark, hoping to crown her as one of its marquee stars. But Clark, fresh off a rookie season that lit up the WNBA and single-handedly sent jersey sales into orbit, is opting for some serious me time. She had hinted she’d skip basketball this offseason, but this is like calling a full-court shot — and nailing it.
Unrivaled, slated to launch Jan. 17 in Miami, had been hyping up its player roster with the kind of cryptic teasers that belong in Marvel movie trailers. Of its planned 36 players, 34 have been announced, leaving fans on edge about the final two spots. Until this week, the league’s Instagram comments section was basically “#CaitlinClarkWhen?”
Now? It’s more like, “Welp, moving on.”
Big Names, Big Hopes
Even without Clark, Unrivaled boasts an all-star lineup. The roster includes Brittney Griner, Aliyah Boston, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Kelsey Plum, among others. That’s enough firepower to keep fans hooked, but missing out on Clark feels like LeBron skipping Space Jam 2 (which… would that have been so bad?).
And while the league reportedly plans to revisit its Clark dreams in season two or three, it’s unclear if the ship has sailed. For now, Clark is out here living her best life, recently spotted at a golf tournament and leadership summits. Yep, that kind of offseason.
Skip Bayless Has Thoughts (Of Course)
Because no sports decision is complete without a hot take from Skip Bayless, the veteran commentator was quick to back Clark’s choice:
“Good for Caitlin Clark not playing in this new 3-on-3 league,” Bayless declared on X, formerly known as Twitter. “After all the jealousy and resentment she felt last season – all the cheap shots and bullying attempts – she made a late-season run at MVP. SHE’S the reason WNBA popularity exploded last season. She doesn’t need 3-on-3.”
Classic Skip, stirring the pot while probably sipping espresso in a monogrammed bathrobe.
Unrivaled’s Promising Payday
For WNBA players, Unrivaled offers serious offseason coin. The league’s average salary is projected around $250,000, blowing past the WNBA’s 2024 minimum of $64,150 and even its supermax cap of $241,984. Designed as a U.S.-based alternative to the overseas grind, the league could be a game-changer.
But without Clark’s star power, some are already questioning if Unrivaled can deliver the must-watch buzz it promised.
What’s Next for Clark?
For now, the Caitlin Clark offseason show looks like leadership panels, golf swings, and well-earned R&R. Maybe Unrivaled will tempt her back with more zeros in the future, but until then, the league has two roster spots to fill and a whole lot of hype to sustain.
Stay tuned, basketball fans. If this saga proves anything, it’s that Caitlin Clark knows her worth — and she’s not about to settle for anything less than her own slam dunk.
