Caitlin Clark makes Unrivaled decision ahead of breakaway league’s debut season
Caitlin Clark won’t be taking her talents to South Beach, a report claimed Wednesday.
The WNBA superstar has been heavily hounded by the new “Unrivaled” league, which kicks off Jan. 17 in Miami.
The six-team rosters were revealed Wednesday, with Clark’s name noticeably absent from the list, but fans had hoped the Indiana Fever star would commit at the last minute as two wildcard spots remained to be filled to round up the full 36 players. .
But their hopes were quickly dashed when ESPN reported on Wednesday evening that the 22-year-old had decided not to play in the first season’s 3-on-3 competition.
The breakaway group had reportedly launched a “full-scale press” to lure Clark to the upstart, including a reported $1 million offer to join.
The new Indiana Fever sensation took the WNBA’s popularity to new heights this year as it became a catalyst for a spike in viewership and attendance.
Caitlin Clark has reportedly decided not to play in the Unrivaled Breakaway League
And Unrivaled had hoped that bringing Clark to the court this offseason could have a similar effect.
However, Clark has remained non-committal about the idea of joining the league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.
Although she had stated that she would not participate in any off-season competition, she did not completely reject the idea either.
“We’ll see,” Clark told IndyStar and ESPN earlier this month. ‘Don’t know. Just take it as it goes and see if I want to play in the end.”
In the meantime, Clark is enjoying her offseason on the golf course, playing in two Pro-Am leagues, while relaxing off the course after a non-stop college schedule at Iowa and her debut WNBA season with the Fever.
Basketball fans were outraged around the league earlier Wednesday when, despite some heavy hints ahead of Wednesday’s rollout, Clark was left off the roster for any of the league’s six teams.
Regardless, online fans were displeased to see Clark’s name left out on Wednesday.
“Unrivaled really pulled this all out with just a few clicks and had two unnamed wildcards,” one fan wrote. ‘More than frustrating. Caitlin is not in the competition, period. They ran out of time and players, so they teased to keep her fans engaged. ‘
There had been some hope that Clark could join Unrivaled, as there were two undisclosed ‘wildcard’ slots left after the rollout
The 22-year-old superstar has been working on her golf game during the WNBA offseason
Unrivaled appeared to drop a major hint about Clark earlier in the day. The league posted a form letter on its
Under the logo of State Farm auto insurance — a company endorsed by Clark — the form letter included a series of hints about the latest addition to a player pool that already includes WNBA stars Brittney Griner, Reese and Clark’s Indiana Fever teammate, Aliyah Boston.
“Dear management,” the form letter begins. “What may seem like an average Wednesday in November is actually a momentous occasion for those who follow women’s professional basketball.”
It’s at this point in the letter that Unrivaled starts dropping the number “22,” which happens to be Clark’s jersey at both Iowa and with the Fever.
‘Please excuse me [blank space] from 11 a.m. to 11:22 a.m. ET so they can watch Unrivaled’s Basketball Club Selection presented by State Farm.
Of course, Clark wasn’t the only possibility if we read the tea leaves. After all, three-time MVP A’Ja Wilson is also ranked No. 22 in Las Vegas. Plus, Wilson has her own deal with State Farm.