Caitlin Clark will not be taking her talents to South Beach, a report claimed Wednesday.
The WNBA superstar had been heavily pursued by the new ‘Unrivaled’ league, which is set to begin in Miami on January 17.
The six teams’ rosters were unveiled Wednesday with Clark’s name noticeably absent from the list but fans had held out hope of the Indiana Fever star making a last-minute commitment as two wild card spots were left needing to be filled to round out the full 36 players.
But their hopes were swiftly dashed when it was reported by ESPN Wednesday night that the 22-year-old had decided against playing in the inaugural season 3-on-3 league.
The breakaway league had reportedly launched a ‘full court press’ to lure Clark to the upstart, including a reported $1 million joining offer.
The Indiana Fever rookie sensation led the WNBA ‘s popularity to soar to unprecedented heights this year as she became a catalyst for a spike in viewership and attendance numbers.
Caitlin Clark has reportedly decided against playing in the Unrivaled breakaway league
And Unrivaled had hoped that attracting Clark to the court during the offseason could have a similar effect.
However, Clark had always remained non-committal on the idea of joining the league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.
While she had stated that she would not participate in any offseason competition, she also didn’t completely dismiss the idea either.
‘We’ll see,’ Clark told IndyStar and ESPN earlier this month. ‘I don’t know. Just taking it as it goes, and see if I want to play eventually.’
Meanwhile, Clark has been enjoying her offseason on the golf course, playing in two Pro-Am competitions, as she relaxes away from the court following a non-stop college schedule with Iowa and debut WNBA season with the Fever.
Basketball fans had been left fuming at the league earlier Wednesday when, despite a number of heavy hints leading up to Wednesday’s roll out, Clark was not listed with any of the league’s six teams.
Regardless, fans online were displeased to see Clark’s name omitted Wednesday.
‘Unrivaled really dragged all this out for clicks only to have 2 unnamed wildcards,’ one fan wrote. ‘Beyond frustrating. Caitlin is not joining the league, period. They ran out of time and players, so they’re teasing to keep her fans engaged. ‘
There had been some hope Clark could join Unrivaled as there had been two unnamed ‘wildcard’ roster slots remaining following the roll-out
The 22-year-old superstar has been working on her golf game during the WNBA offseason
Unrivaled appeared to drop a major hint about Clark earlier in the day. 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 dropped a series of hints about the latest addition to a player pool that already includes WNBA stars Brittney Griner, 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 is 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.
‘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.
Of course, Clark wasn’t the only possibility if we’re reading the tea leaves. After all, 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.
