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Caitlin Clark Reportedly Leaning Toward Joining Unrivaled Basketball League

A brand new report suggests that Fever superstar Caitlin Clark is now leaning toward joining the Unrivaled 3x3 women's basketball league.

Grant Young

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) rushes up the court Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 93-86.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) rushes up the court Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 93-86. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the most fascinating storylines of this WNBA offseason is the Unrivaled Basketball League's reported attempts to get Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark to join their league.

Earlier this month, it was reported by Front Office Sports' Michael Mccarthy that, "Fresh off agreeing to an inaugural TV deal with TNT Sports, the new league will try to recruit Clark in the coming weeks, sources with knowledge of the strategy tell Front Office Sports.

“Get ready for the full-court press,” predicted one source in the article.

McCarthy later reported, "The start-up league’s 'full-court press' to recruit Clark is similar to the push by Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami CF to woo Messi in 2023."

Messi's deal, "included a contract valued at $150 million, partial ownership, and other financial incentives. Apple even agreed to share revenue from MLS Season Pass with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner," per McCarthy.

Since then, Unrivaled has announced multiple of Clark's closest friends as roster members, such as former Iowa teammate Kate Martin and current Fever teammate Lexie Hull, and just recently announced that fellow Fever teammate Aliyah Boston would also be joining the league.

While Boston was Unrivaled's 30th (and presumably last) rostered player, Unrivaled also announced on Thursday that they'd be expanding their roster to 36 players, and that, "We’re always going to have a roster spot for Caitlin Clark."

All of these recruiting tactics seem to be working in luring Clark to Unrivaled, as an October 31 article from Sports Business Journal's Tom Friend revealed.

"But Unrivaled has also strategically signed two of Clark’s closest friends... to recent contracts, and, according to sources, speculation is Clark is leaning '60/40' to saying 'yes'," Friend wrote.

“Comes down to mental health, stress or playing ball – which she loves," one source said of Clark in the article. “She has not decided yet… I think [in] a few weeks we will know."

Therefore, it sounds like there's better than a 50% chance Clark will decide to do Unrivaled.

Clark joining Unrivaled sometime over the next month or so would be an early holiday season present for women's basketball fans while also being massive for the new 3x3 league's future.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

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.

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