Caitlin Clark has decision to make as WNBA rival offers six-figure salary that has already tempted Angel Reese

Luckily, the rising stars have lucrative endorsement deals to keep them going.  And Clark could soon have another revenue stream thanks to the new 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled.  The project – spearheaded by WNBA Finals foes Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier – is planning a “full-court press” to recruit the Rookie of the Year, per Front Office Sports.

Stars often head overseas during the offseason in a bid to secure lucrative contracts.  Unrivaled is set to provide an alternative for 30 players, with 26 already announced, including Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum, and Reese.  They will all receive an equity stake, as well as a six-figure salary.  “I think we might have a couple more rookies in there, that might be a hint,” Collier told Run It Back on Thursday, before heaping praise on Clark without confirming that an offer had been made.

“It’s just so crazy because the growth that Caitlin has brought to the game, the sheer amount of money that she’s making these teams, people are having to move their venues for when she comes to play,” Collier added.  “And she’s getting paid like $75,000 a year.  “She should be one of the [top-paid] players in the world just for the sheer numbers she’s bringing.”  Clark played for nearly a full calendar year without an extended break as her final season at the University of Iowa merged into her first with the Fever.

She was able to use the Olympic pause to take in some downtime and has suggested she will not be back on the court until the WNBA returns in April.  “We talked to Caitlin Clark earlier today,” ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco said during the Fever’s final playoff game.  “She said she almost definitely will not play basketball this offseason. So it is likely we will not see her play again until April.”

After seeing the Fever knocked out, Clark joked that she had found a new sport.  “I was focused on beating the Connecticut Sun, I haven’t thought too far down the line,” she said.  “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.   “That’s what I’m going to do until it becomes too cold in Indiana. I’ll become a professional golfer.”

Money talks, but with Clark enjoying a reported $28million deal with Nike, Unrivaled needs her more than she needs the upstart league.  The Miami-based league will last for eight weeks and involve no travel in a player-friendly format.  TNT Sports has agreed to invest in the startup.  “Our TNT Sports portfolio centers on premium live sports and our media and equity partnership with Unrivaled deepens our commitment to further expanding the depth of top tier women’s sports programming we offer our fans and presents an opportunity for us to shape and amplify the continued growth of women’s basketball,” TNT Sports CEO Luis Silberwasser said.