The question on every women's basketball fan's mind over the past few months has been whether or not Fever guard Caitlin Clark will be joining the league.
Unrivaled is a 3v3 tournament for WNBA stars, set to kick off in January 2025. Some of the league's biggest names have already signed up to play, including Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum, and Arike Agunbowale. In total, there will be 36 players in the league to make up six different teams.
Clark has been silent on her plans, and there is still no word from the league on her status. But this tweet from Unrivaled's X account on Tuesday night seems very coded.
My boss told me to tell you to send this to your boss 😊 Tune in to the Club Selection presented by @StateFarm tomorrow at 11AM ET pic.twitter.com/sqSE5srLAD
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) November 20, 2024
The typed message is a playful "Skipping Work Permission Slip" so that it can be "used" to watch the Unrivaled Basketball Club Selection, set to take place on November 20 (Wednesday). The first two paragraphs read:
"Dear Management,
"What may seem like an average Wednesday in November is in fact a momentous occasion for those who follow women's basketball.
"Please excuse ______ from 11 a.m. to 11:22 a.m. ET so that they can watch Unrivaled's Basketball Club Selection, presented by State Farm."
Blink and you'll miss it-- that's a 22-minute window. Now, if only we could figure out the coded message behind the number 22...
It would make sense for Clark to join the new league. For starters, the WNBA offseason is seven months long. Players have only had two options in the past: Play overseas, which could be impossible under certain contract stipulations, or just train for the seven months and not see any real action until May. Unrivaled may not be a traditional 5v5 league, but it still allows WNBA stars to continue to compete against each other with game-like reps.
A second reason-- or should I say a second, third, and fourth reason-- are Clark's teammates already committed to the league. Fever forward Aliyah Boston and guard Lexie Hull will be there, as well as Clark's Iowa teammate Kate Martin.
Aside from teammates, take a look at the talent already in the league. Stewart ,Plum, and Agunbowale as previously mentioned, but also Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jewel Lloyd, and DiJonai Carrington, among others.
Angel Reese will also be there... it could become the next chapter of that budding rivalry.
There are currently two spots left, which will have to be filled on the day of the selection. There is no guarantee that Clark is one of those players, but the "22 minute excusal" seems way too on-the-nose for it not to be intentional.
Unrivaled's Basketball Club Selection will take place on Unrivaled's YouTube channel, starting at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday.