Plenty of buzz is surrounding the new 3-on-3 league Unrivaled, which debuts in January 2025. Now, according to a report from ESPN, Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark will not take part in Unrivaled for its inaugural season.
“A source with knowledge of the situation” broke the news to Michael Voepel of ESPN on Wednesday, November 20.
Clark’s decision not to join Unrivaled comes as a blow to the organization, but all is not lost. Unrivaled still has some big names on the roster, notably Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, who is among the 36 players who have signed onto the league.
“Even without Clark’s participation, Unrivaled figures to provide plenty of excitement during the WNBA offseason,” Karl Rasmussen of Sports Illustrated said in a November 20 feature on the Clark news.
‘Good for Caitlin Clark’
Skip Bayless has been vocal about Clark in the past, and he has some thoughts on her skipping the Unrivaled league.
“Good for Caitlin Clark not playing in this new 3-on-3 league,” Bayless wrote on X. “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.”
Clark could change her mind. According to Ben Pickman of The Athletic, the Unrivaled league has an open invite to Clark if she changes her mind and opts to join in the inaugural season. But, don’t hold your breath. If she doesn’t join Unrivaled, fans will be able to catch Clark when the 2025 WNBA preseason kicks off.
Clark averaged an impressive 19.2 points and 8.4 assists per game during her rookie season with the Fever. She also clocked 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from 3-point range. Clark also picked up the coveted 2024 Rookie of the Year award, which was not a surprise.
Unrivaled’s games will take place in Miami, Florida, starting January 17.
‘Women’s Sports is on Such a Rise’
Three-time Olympian Breanna Stewart and two-time Olympic athlete Napheesa Collier cofounded Unrivaled with the vision to help women in professional sports.
“For a long time, going overseas was the only option that people had in their offseason, and so this is kind of changing the narrative around that and giving another option,” Collier said earlier this year, per CNBC. “Overseas is a great option for some players, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you can do to make money and play basketball and get better.”
Collier has also talked about the rise in popularity for women in professional sports.
“Women’s sports is on such a rise, and it feels like everyone is benefiting from that except the women in the sport, and obviously that’s something we’re trying to change and then also create generational wealth for these women,” Collier said in an interview with “We Need to Talk” last year. “From the beginning, [Stewart] and I really set out to create a league that was founded on that principle that players deserve compensation and ownership that reflect their value.”
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