Unrivaled, the new women’s 3-on-3 basketball league, has apparently dropped a major hint amid the circuit’s rumored interest in WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark.
The league posted a form letter on its X page, telling followers ‘to send this to your boss’ and reminding them to watch the club selection show at 11am EST on Wednesday.
Underneath the logo of State Farm auto insurance – a company endorsed by Clark – the form letter drops a series of hints about the latest addition to a player pool that already includes WNBA stars Brittney Griner, Angel Reese and Clark’s Indiana Fever teammate, Aliyah Boston.
‘Dear Management,’ the form letter begins. ‘What might seem like an average Wednesday in November is in fact a momentous occasion for those who follow women’s professional basketball.’
It’s at this point in the letter that Unrivaled begins dropping the number 22, which happens to be Clark’s jersey at both Iowa and with the Fever.
Unrivaled, the new women’s 3-on-3 basketball league, has apparently dropped a major hint amid the circuit’s rumored interest in WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark
The league posted a form letter on its X page, telling followers ‘to send this to your boss’ and reminding them to watch the club selection show at 11am EST on Wednesday
‘Please excuse [blank space] from 11 a.m. to 11:22 a.m. ET so that they can watch Unrivaled’s Basketball Club Selection, presented by State Farm.
‘Let’s be clear: this is not just another roster announcement,’ the letter continues. ‘This is the moment that sets the foundation for the inaugural season of the new, star-studded 3V3 league, tipping off on January 17, 2025 in Miami and airing on TNT and Max.
‘Will teammates join each other in Unrivaled? Friends? Foes? All will be revealed at 11 a.m. ET on Unrivaled’s YouTube Channel.’
Of course, Clark isn’t the only possibility here. Three-time league MVP A’Ja Wilson also happens to be No. 22 in Las Vegas. Furthermore, Wilson has her own deal with State Farm.
And then there’s the possibility that both Clark and Wilson are joining the league. After all, there are two openings remaining for the upstart 36-player circuit.
Clark reacts on the eighth green prior to The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican 2024 at Pelican Golf Club on November 13
While she previously stated that she would not participate in any off-season competition, a recent interview suggests that Clark is not completely dismissing the 3-on-3 league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.
‘We’ll see,’ Clark told IndyStar and ESPN. ‘I don’t know. Just taking it as it goes, and see if I want to play eventually.’
In October, Front Office Sports reported that Unrivalled offered Clark a lucrative deal similar to what Inter Miami handed Lionel Messi to bring him over to MLS from Europe.
Furthermore, several of Clark’s friends have already filled roster slots for the league’s inaugural season. Namely Fever teammates Boston and Lexie Hull and former Iowa teammate Kate Martin, who was drafted by the Las Vegas Aces this year.
There had been some discussion that Clark’s commitment to Kansas City’s annual Women’s Sports Awards luncheon on February 4 would conflict with Unrivaled’s season, but ESPN’s Michael Voepel reports there are no games scheduled for that day.
A’ja Wilson attends the WSJ. Magazine Innovators Awards at the Museum of Modern Art in October. Like Clark, Wilson wears No. 22 and the Aces star also has a State Farm deal
There had been some discussion that Clark’s commitment to Kansas City’s annual Women’s Sports Awards luncheon on February 4 would conflict with Unrivaled’s season
Unrivaled will be based in Miami, Florida, and its inaugural season will begin in January 2025. The league will feature 30 players from the WNBA and NCAA and have the highest average salaries in women’s sports history.
The league presents a great alternative Stateside as women’s basketball players typically play overseas during the offseason to fill financial gaps.
On October 16, Unrivaled announced a multi-year media rights deal with TNT. Games will also be available on Max and truTV.
While Clark remains undecided about participating, Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell was adamant that they will have a spot for the 2024 Rookie of the Year if she joins them in 2025.
‘We’re always going to have a roster spot for Caitlin Clark,’ Bazzell told Sportico in October.
‘We’re not applying a full-court press the way people think. We are letting her decompress from basketball,’ Bazzell added. ‘She knows that we have a spot for her when she’s ready.’
