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Caitlin Clark and Big 3: Will Iowa Star Be Revoked WNBA Career if She Agrees to Ice Cube’s $5 Million Offer?

Published 03/27/2024, 12:09 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Nearly five million people watched Iowa’s game against West Virginia earlier this week. Iowa won in a close contested 54-64 match, making it the most-watched women’s college basketball regular season game since 1999! Iowa also faced off against Ohio State earlier entering the March Madness where Iowa guard Caitlin Clark became the center of attention with her 35 points sponsored national record and 93-83 win. Clark is a generational talent, halfway through the NCAA Sweet 16 tournament, with a WNBA offer on her lap now joined by a mammoth $5 million offer to play in the Big Three league, which is run by entertainment tycoon Ice Cube.

With contrasting lucrative opportunities, alongside NIL’s valuation of $3.1 million, it remains to be seen what the 22-year-old national record holder will pick and how that will affect her hopes of playing in the WNBA.

Caitlin Clark stands on a tough crossroad

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Caitlin Clark received a $5 million offer from the 2017-founded Big3 League, updated an X post from TMZ Sports. This offer includes playing in 10 games which means eight regular season games and two playoff games. It’s a historic offer for Clark since no female athlete has been on the league’s courts. The offer was further clarified by @icecube himself in response that read: “We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship. But I won’t deny what’s now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn’t we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3.”

The Big3 basketball tournament runs from June 15 to August 18, coinciding with the WNBA’s summer schedule. The Big3 league has sweetened the pot with promises of considerable additional revenue from sponsorships and merchandise in addition to the large salary. Moreover, this contract offers her a special chance, allowing her to continue being eligible to play in the WNBA since the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 15. There is a lot of interest in Clark’s potential impact on the women’s basketball league while the Indiana Fever is favored to choose the season’s #1 pick.

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Front Office Sports reports indicate that the WNBA is actively seeking to extend its existing broadcast agreement with ABC and ESPN, highlighting the possibility that Clark’s presence may spark a new phase of expansion and success for the league. However, it is still unclear if she would accept the Big3 offer and what that means for her WNBA career though the possibility has a green light.

Season’s No. 1 draft choice effect

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Potential conflicts between Clark’s performances in the Big3 league and her WNBA commitments were highlighted in TMZ’s story, especially during two regular season games with colliding dates. However, rumors suggest that the women’s basketball league is ready to participate in independent talks to make sure it’s not overlooked during the process. The “Caitlin Clark Effect” has already shown its effectiveness in college basketball, drawing a sizable audience and igniting a general conversation about her impact on the men’s NCAA tournament.

USA Today via Reuters

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Although Clark may theoretically play for both the Indiana Fever and the Big 3 as the probable No. 1 overall choice, her decision to accept the offer will still have a significant impact on how her career develops. What do you think she should do?

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Written by:

Divya Purohit

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Divya Purohit is a senior Olympics Sports writer for EssentiallySports. She majorly covers gymnastics, alpine skiing, and horse racing. While bringing the detailed stats of gymnastics to the American readers, she covered two prominent events - the 2023 Xfinity Gymnastics Championships, and the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
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Edited by:

Caroline Joseph