Iowa star player Caitlin Clark has become the face of college basketball. Her ability to score from all over the court has drawn the attention of millions around the world. Clark plays with a tangible joy, where competitiveness and excellence are intertwined. Many view her as the next great WNBA player.
In terms of opportunities away from the college game, Clark is one of the highest-earning athletes from an NIL standpoint. Looking to further her financial gains, famed rapper Ice Cube offered a very tantalizing proposal to Clark. As the owner/creator of the BIG3 league, Cube has been steadfast in evolving the league and making it a part of the basketball diet consumed by fans.
TMZ broke the news Wednesday morning, which stated that Clark had been offered a whopping $5 million to participate in the BIG3 under specific parameters. Clark would have to play in eight regular season games, along with two playoff games to receive the guaranteed $5 million.
Even better for Clark, this schedule would happen in the offseason of the WNBA schedule — meaning she could — in theory — compete in both. With merchandising and sponsorship opportunities, Clark could make even more money from this proposed partnership. Ice Cube had this to say on the matter via his X profile:
“Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes. The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men’s pro team, and she won the championship in her first year. Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two.
America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet. And they should have more than just one professional option in the US at a time when American pro sports leagues are being infiltrated by autocratic, anti-women regimes such as Qatar. Our pathbreaking offer to Caitlin Clark demonstrates that BIG3 now offers another choice for athletes.”
Should Clark accept the offer, it truly would be a transcendent move. It would be wildly fascinating to see her compete against ex-NBA players.
