Following the strong debut of the 3×3 women’s basketball league Unrivaled, its organizers are now focused on building their momentum by attracting high-profile WNBA stars, notably Caitlin Clark.
Clark previously turned down Unrivaled’s last November to prioritize rest. That year was hectic for the Indiana Fever star, who brought the Iowa Hawkeyes into the 2024 national championship and only rested a month before the previous WNBA season began, which lasted until September.
One of ESPN’s Andrews’ biggest questions was if Unrivaled, led by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, could add Caitlin Clark and A’Ja Wilson to their six-team league in its second season.
Andrews also noted that multiple sources have expressed a clear interest in expanding the league in terms of teams and its coverage. Two of its plans include growing the player pool to eight and hosting games outside Miami while attracting even more prominent talent.
Like Clark, Wilson rejected Unrivaled’s offer to rest for the offseason. According to Sports Business Journal writer Tom Friend’s report, Unrivaled offered $1M plus equity for the two superstars.
A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark turn down participating in Unrivaled. “I believe they did offer more [than Clark], because I know what they offered A’ja,” a source close to Wilson said. “They have a lot of money, and they offered her a lot of money.” https://t.co/7tkvPk4QX7 via @sbj
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) November 21, 2024
Unrivaled recorded an average viewership of 221,000 in its debut season, which could go significantly higher if they add Caitlin Clark to the league. Clark was one of the significant factors behind the WNBA’s massive increase in viewership last season, up by 155%.
Interest in Clark continues to surge. On Sunday, ESPN drew an average of 1.6 million viewers for the Fever’s preseason game against Brazil’s national team—the first-ever WNBA preseason game to be nationally televised.
Caitlin Clark will return to the WNBA court as she and the Fever face Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky for the May 17 season opener.
Caitlin Clark Looks Forward to Upcoming Season with Teammates
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever dominated their first preseason match against the Brazilian National Team, where she scored 16 points, including a deep three-point shot in the third that caused the crowd to erupt.
At the post-game interview, Clark expressed gratitude for her teammates and was confident the team would succeed in the upcoming season.
“We got a new team, so it’s gonna take some time to put it all together. But I think everybody’s thankful, we’ve got some really great veterans who’ve won before and then we got some people back and Steph’s amazing and our staff, so…should be a great season,” Clark said.
Now, with a bolstered Fever lineup led by veteran head coach Stephanie White, Caitlin Clark’s chances for a deep run in the next season become clearer. They’ll face the Atlanta Dream in their final preseason match on May 17.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
