Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube’s Big3 basketball league

Follow live coverage today as Iowa, UConn meet in Final Four

Caitlin Clark’s professional career is reaching unprecedented heights before it even officially starts, as Iowa’s superstar guard has garnered a $5 million offer from the Big3 basketball league co-founded by rapper Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz.

Ice Cube confirmed Big3 extended the offer and called Clark “a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3,” in a post on X. He also noted that Clark, who would be the first woman player in the 12-team three-on-three league if she joins the Big3, “can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes.” There are currently two women coaches leading Big3 teams — Lisa Leslie and Nancy Lieberman — both of whom have guided their teams to titles. Lieberman and the Power won the championship in 2018 while Leslie and the Triplets took the crown the following year.

During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Cube said the Big3 is open to other women joining the league and suggested Clark would be a good fit on Lieberman’s team.

“We think Nancy would be the perfect coach for (Clark). Nancy Lieberman is a ground-breaking coach. She’s broken glass ceilings at all levels, so we think it’s a perfect mentor for (Clark) if she wants to play in the league,” Cube said. “As the CEO of the Big3, I wouldn’t be doing my job if we didn’t explore this possibility.”

We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship. But I won’t deny what’s now already out there: BIG3 made a historic
offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn’t we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3. https://t.co/cwzHh7EVau

— Ice Cube (@icecube) March 27, 2024

The 10-game schedule of the Big3 wouldn’t interfere with Clark’s ability to play in the WNBA, which she’ll enter this summer after the draft on April 15. She’s the consensus No. 1 pick, and the Indiana Fever haven’t been shy about their selection. The team shared a cheeky post to X on Sunday saying, “just a casual reminder we’re 22 days from that No. 1 pick,” referencing Clark’s jersey number.

Cube said the offer is an opportunity to allow American women to earn income while not having to play in foreign countries to supplement their WNBA salaries.

“They should have more than just one professional option in the US at a time when American pro sports leagues are being infiltrated by autocratic, anti-women regimes such as Qatar,” Cube posted on X. “Our pathbreaking offer to Caitlin Clark demonstrates that BIG3 now offers another choice for athletes.”

The $5 million salary is significantly higher than pay in the WNBA, which has a team salary cap of $1,463,200 this season, per Spotrac. The WNBA pay ranges from rookie salaries of about $62,000 to supermax deals worth nearly $235,000. Sources briefed on the matter said Seattle Storm All-Star guard and the WNBA’s 2023 leading scorer, Jewell Loyd, was the league’s highest-paid player with her total compensation reaching approximately $600,000 with bonuses. Loyd was the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game MVP and an All-WNBA second-team selection.

Clark’s income will also be boosted by deals she signed during her collegiate career with brands like Nike, Buick, Bose and Gatorade.

“Caitlin Clark stands to make a half million dollars or more in WNBA earnings this coming season, in addition to what she will receive through endorsements and other partnerships, which has been reported to already exceed $3 million,” a WNBA spokesperson said in a statement to The Athletic.

GO DEEPER

Jennings: The NIL vs WNBA salary comparison is a faulty argument

There are other options for women in the U.S. currently or in the works and that are driven by women who play the game. Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball finished up its 40-woman, four-week league this month. The Unrivaled, founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, announced plans to start a three-on-three league last year.

Their efforts are also designed to give players an option to play during the WNBA offseason without playing overseas.

GO DEEPER

Overseas pay for WNBA players may not be as much as you've heard. Can the W use this to its advantage?

Since 2017, Big3 has provided an alternative for basketball fans looking for something to watch in the summer. Former NBA players and international players have played three-on-three basketball in venues all over the country. The league began with eight teams in 2017 before expanding to 12 teams in 2019. Additionally, the league has had partnerships with companies such as Adidas, CBS Sports, Monster Energy and Microsoft throughout its existence. Yet still, the one major partnership the Big3 can’t seem to grow is the one with the NBA. The Big3 continues to increase viewership, but Cube has said on multiple occasions the NBA isn’t interested in investing in the product.

In 2017, Cube and his business partner, Kwatinetz, asked the NBA to become partners in their new three-on-three league that would rely on the star power of retired professionals. According to Cube, the Big3 was offering 10 percent of his league as part of a collaboration that hasn’t happened.

“We have been supportive of the Big3 since its inception, but we declined to invest,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass told The Athletic earlier in 2023.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division is investigating the NBA for allegedly pressuring potential sponsors and partners to not engage with Big3, according to multiple reports.

While the Big3 does not view itself as an NBA competitor, the thought of the league being in competition with the NBA has prevented some NBA investors from putting money into the Big3. Cube said some potential investors don’t want to be on the wrong side of the NBA, because opportunities to invest in sports teams aren’t plentiful.

Cube repeatedly has pointed out his league has better ratings with its games on CBS than more established sports leagues, but he’s also dismayed as to why the Big3 doesn’t receive more media attention. He also has said the NBA discourages sponsors, networks and media from covering and supporting his league.

To which Bass responded directly to The Athletic: “Those claims are not true.”

GO DEEPER

Is Caitlin Clark women's college basketball's G.O.A.T.? Anonymous coaches weigh in

If Clark were to join Big3 she would immediately become its biggest star and would likely increase the league’s visibility. She set multiple records during the 2023-24 season, and television viewership numbers from early rounds of the NCAA Tournament prove she’s a huge ratings draw. On Feb. 15, Clark became the NCAA women’s basketball all-time leading scorer, unseating former Washington star Kelsey Plum’s mark of 3,527 points. On Feb. 28 against Minnesota, Clark eclipsed the 3,649 points scored by Lynette Woodard, the AIAW large-school leading scorer. It culminated on March 3, when she scored her 3,668th point to pass Pete Maravich for the most points in Division I history, men’s or women’s.

The Athletic unanimously named Clark the National Player of the Year this season. She led the country in points (31.8) and assists per game (8.8).

Iowa will continue its NCAA Tournament run with a Sweet 16 matchup against Colorado on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Hawkeyes hope to make a second consecutive Final Four appearance and have championship aspirations after falling to LSU in the final game of the 2023 tournament.

The Big3 season will tip off on June 15.

Required reading

(Photo: Justin Tafoya / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)