Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 league, will proceed with its inaugural season without Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, despite their interest in her. President Alex Bazell spoke about their interest in the guard, as well as why she decided not to join in.
In a new episode of The Ringer WNBA Show, Bazell, who is married to co-founder Napheesa Collier, said that the decision to expand their roster was to accommodate Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas, and not necessarily to wait for Clark.
“Because of [adding six roster spots], we were able to then get AT involved,” he explained. “Because originally she was going to go play overseas and then changed her mind… and we’re like, ‘Well, we gotta figure out a way for AT to play.’ So people think it was like, ‘Well, let’s make extra roster spots so we can give ourselves more time to recruit Caitlin.’”
“That’s not entirely true. It was more about we already have players ready to come in [and] we want to make sure that they’re a part of this. At the same time, like, of course, I’ve been on record saying Caitlin will always have a spot in our league, and that is true, right?” he added.
Caitlin Clark of Indiana Fever reacts during a WNBA game (IMAGO/Zuma Press Fire)
However, he did admit that they went through negotiations with Clark, who ultimately decided to rest this off-season. “We always want to be a home for the best of the best,” said Bazell. “…We went through our negotiations. Inevitably, she needed time this offseason, which we respect, so we hope to see her next year. She won’t be playing this year.”
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Caitlin Clark is not the only star to reject Unrivaled
It’s not surprising that Clark decided to rest during the offseason, as she had a tough schedule. She wrapped up her college career on April 7th, and she was drafted just eight days later, playing non-stop until the Olympics in late July.
However, she is not the only one to have said no to Unrivaled. Las Vegas Aces star A’Ja Wilson also rejected a lucrative offer to join the league, while Kelsey Plum, who also plays for the Aces, said she was going to pull out from the tournament.
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“I’ve decided to not take part in the inaugural season of Unrivaled in order to take some more time for myself this offseason,” she said on her Instagram story. “I appreciate the league understanding and being so accommodating. I wish the league and all of the players nothing but the best and I’m excited to watch!”
The league begins on January 17 and runs through to March, with the next WNBA season expected to start in May. It will be eight weeks of 3v3, while there also will be a 1-on-1 championship. It will air on TNT and streamed on Max.
