Caitlin Clark won’t join new Unrivaled league with two roster slots still open: report

The groundbreaking 3-on-3 women’s basketball league co-founded by two WNBA veterans will not feature one of the games biggest stars in its inaugural season. 

ESPN reported Caitlin Clark won’t be a part of the 36-player Unrivaled Basketball League, which still has two “wild-card” slots to fill for its first season. 

Tip-off for the league co-founded by New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier is scheduled for Jan. 17.

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Caitlin Clark (22) of the Indiana Fever argues a call with a referee during the second half of a game against the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse June 19, 2024, in Indianapolis. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Unrivaled revealed rosters and coaches for its six-team league, along with its 2025 schedule, Wednesday. All of its games will be played in Miami, and more than 45 primetime regular season matchups will be aired on TNT and truTV, while also being streamed on Max. 

The six teams will be the Lunar Owls, led by Collier; Mist, which Stewart is a part of; Laces; Phantom; Rose; and Vinyl. 

UNRIVALED BASKETBALL LEAGUE BRINGS IN ANOTHER CAITLIN CLARK FRIEND IN HOPES OF WNBA PHENOM JOINING

It was rumored Unrivaled was trying to get Clark to join its ranks of top talent in a league where every player has a vested interest and equity in it. 

Front Office Sports reported the WNBA Rookie of the Year received a “Messi-like offer” to join the league, referring to soccer great Lionel Messi, who signed a generous contract to join Inter Miami FC in Major League Soccer. 

Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever celebrates during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks May 24, 2024, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

The offer is reportedly more than $1 million, plus revenue-sharing opportunities from the league. To put that into perspective, the Fever paid Clark $76,535 this year. 

Among the talent already set to play in two months are Kelsey Plum, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Kahleah Copper, Aliyah Boston, Arike Ogunbowale and Skylar Diggins-Smith. 

Two close friends of Clark, Kate Martin and Lexie Hull, are also a part of the league, which led many to speculate Unrivaled is trying to bring in familiar faces to entice Clark to join. 

Clark has had a busy offseason despite reportedly not joining this league. She was a part of The Annika LPGA Tournament pro-am, where she showed off her golf skills, while being announced as a guest speaker at a women’s sports awards luncheon on Feb. 4 to celebrate Nationals Girls and Women in Sports Day. 

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark reacts during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Connecticut Sun Sept. 25, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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Clark was announced as someone joining David Letterman for his annual lecture series at his alma mater, Ball State, in Indiana. 

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