President Alex Bazzell of Unrivaled has officially stated that basketball sensation Caitlin Clark will not be joining their team. However, he reassured that she has a guaranteed spot reserved for her in the future.
As the inaugural 3-v-3 league prepares to launch in January, all eyes were on 22-year-old WNBA Rookie of the Year, Clark. Despite being a strong candidate for the initial roster, her name was not among the 30 competitors announced.
Unrivaled later expanded the list to 36, fueling speculation that they were keeping the door open for Clark. Nevertheless, Bazzell disclosed a different story during an appearance on The Ringer WNBA Show with his wife and co-founder, Napheesa Collier.
Bazzell clarified that they were not waiting for Clark, but rather for Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun, who had a change of heart about playing overseas. Bazzell explained, “Because of this, we were able to bring in AT since she decided not to go abroad. It wasn’t about creating extra roster spots to recruit Caitlin, but to ensure the players we already have lined up are part of the league.”
“I’ve stated before that Caitlin will always have a place in our league, and that remains true. We aim to attract the best players, and she is certainly one of them,” Bazzell added.
“We had discussions with her, but she needed more time this offseason, which we respect. We hope to see her join us next year. She will not be playing this season.”
Clark has recently focused on golf during the offseason, participating in various Pro-Am tournaments. Despite turning down the guaranteed $250,000 salary for Unrivaled players in the eight-week season, she was reportedly offered up to $1 million.
While the rosters are finalized with many top names, there are still two wildcard spots available, one for each of the six teams, adding to the anticipation.
