New basketball league’s TV deal may sway Caitlin Clark’s participation

The Indiana Fever may have the best player in the W next season. Caitlin Clark was unstoppable after the Olympic break and led her team to the best offensive rating in the league. She broke the record for assists in a season and was elite as a rookie. Things will improve in year two, and Clark was already first-team All-WNBA.

She is also the W’s biggest draw. Clark participated in 20 of the 23 games with more than one million viewers this season. The Fever’s star sold out arenas and forced teams to move games to allow for larger crowds. Clark is a massive draw and has several leagues interested in her services.

The player-backed league Unrivaled signed a massive television deal with TNT. The new 3-on-3 league kicks off in January, and the influx in money has them chasing Clark.

Unrivaled’s new TV deal may convince Caitlin Clark to play

The league has announced 26 of the 30 players for their inaugural season. Brianna Stewart, Napheese Collier, and Angel Reese headline the star-studded group, but the biggest draw is missing. TNT may lose its NBA coverage after the 2024-25 season and committed to airing over 45 Unrivaled games in year one. This is reportedly a massive contract, which means the league has more money.

Getting Clark takes their league to another level, and there are already rumors of significant offers. Clark’s uptempo play and ability to space the floor could be lethal in the three versus three format, but convincing her is another story.

The 22-year-old was excited about some downtime after the Fever were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. She had played basketball for nearly one year straight as her NCAA Finals run with Iowa took her right up to joining Indiana for her first WNBA season. Clark claimed it would be a quiet offseason with plenty of golf.

Unrivaled offers players a stake in the league and higher salaries, but they will need to come up with a massive offer to get Clark. The 22-year-old is not just taking a small stake and a few thousand. She is a massive draw and changes the valuation and validity of the entire league. It will come at a hefty price, but that has not stopped the league from chasing the superstar.

Indiana Fever fans hope to see Caitlin Clark playing in Unrivaled or Athletes Unlimited this offseason. It will be another chance to watch the superstar and support her. Fans cannot get enough Clark, and more high-level basketball is always a plus. Stay tuned to see if she decides to take part.