Caitlin Clark Could Convince Unrivaled to Come to Iowa
Just a few hours after Caitlin Clark's first season of professional basketball ended, it seemed certain that she would not be playing in the new Unrivaled Women's Basketball League.
As the clock wound down on the Fever's season on September 26, ESPN commentator Ryan Ruocco said, "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."
Despite that report, Clark made it seem like she didn't know what her offseason basketball plans would be when she stated during that night's postgame press conference, "I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow, I don't know what I'm going to do the next day. Maybe play some golf."
Perhaps Unrivaled took this response as their opportunity, as it was reported by Front Office Sports on Thursday that the league will be putting on a "full-court press" to recruit Clark to Unrivaled this offseason, which starts playing games three months from today.
There was another fascinating insight added to the end of that article. Reporter Michael McCarthy wrote, "In an interview with Front Office Sports, [co-CEO of Horizon Sports & Experiences David] Levy openly fantasized about what adding Clark would mean for the nascent league. He mentioned Paige Bueckers—contracted to join in 2026—and Angel Reese, and said he could see future editions of the league leaving Miami for a handful of games to cater to specific fanbases."
“If we’re lucky enough to get Caitlin Clark, are we going to travel to Iowa?” Levy added to McCarthy.
NEWS: The new "Unrivaled" women's basketball league will try to recruit Caitlin Clark in coming weeks, sources tell @FOS.
— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) October 17, 2024
Read my 'Tuned' In column on the startup hoops league's attempt to lure the biggest TV needle-mover in women's sports.https://t.co/kMdOsO0vFr
Unrivaled potentially adding games at Clark's home state and alma mater to their schedule would be a fascinating negotiation tactic to try and convince Clark to join their league. It would make for an obvious sellout, given how much of a superstar Clark is in Iowa.
While both Clark joining the league and them setting up games in The Hawkeye State as a result of her inclusion remains to be seen, the potential for Clark's Unrivaled return to Iowa has become one of this offseason's most compelling stories.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.