While Caitlin Clark is rocking the greens with one golf tour after another, the hopes of her joining the Unrivaled League simply won’t die. First was roster expansions, then came reports of a whopping $1 million offer. Toss in her State Farm partnership, and another glimmer of hope has emerged. There’s chatter that, despite earlier reports, there might still be a final shot for Clark to be part of Unrivaled this year or in the future.

A staff writer for The Athletic recently spilled the tea on social media, noting, “A source with knowledge of the situation tells @TheAthletic that the league still has an open invite out to Clark to participate this year.” However, he made it clear that it doesn’t mean she won’t end up sitting out as ESPN reports.

He added, “But that if she happens to change her mind this year or want to play in future years, Unrivaled would seemingly still sign her (Which is, of course, a no brainer decision for them).” And who could blame them? 

Finally, on Wednesday, after revealing the rosters for their six teams, the Napheesa Collier-led series is gearing up for its inaugural season. Each squad has six players, making for an evenly distributed talent pool. The teams were crafted through a unique pod system, and the coaching staff featured names like Teresa Weatherspoon, Phil Handy, and Adam Harrington.

However, the catch is that out of 36, only 35 rosters are filled. Two teams still have a spot left for the wildcard. Speculation quickly turned to who might snag those two spots. These wildcards are essentially a free-for-all spot meant to bring in extra excitement. 

With fans cheering and Unrivaled’s clear desire to have her on board, it’s not impossible to imagine her stepping in. Even if the timing or terms didn’t align for the initial rosters, there’s still hope she might appear surprised later.

The league’s concept has already captured fans’ imaginations, pairing players in ways we’d never see during WNBA. And the 23-year-old guard entering would be enough to make basketball enthusiasts swoon. For now, though, it’s a waiting game. But were there any other W players that fans wanted to be a part of Unrivaled?

Which other star players were anticipated but couldn’t join?

While the Fever star has dominated the headlines(for all the right reasons, though), she’s not the only W star fans were hoping to see in Unrivaled. A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu were also hot topics during the league’s buildup. However, both have their reasons for sitting out this inaugural season.

Wilson addressed the speculation head-on. In September, the Las Vegas Aces superstar confirmed she wouldn’t be joining. “Interested? I’m not going to completely cut it out, because you never know,” she said. “But I will not be in Unrivaled this year. I’ll be chilling.”

Still, she acknowledged the league’s potential, noting how it’s creating new opportunities for players to stay in the U.S. during the offseason. As for Ionescu, fans were buzzing about the idea of her playing in Unrivaled after she helped lead the New York Liberty to their first championship. But unfortunately, an untimely injury put those hopes to rest. 

The Libert guard suffered a high-grade UCL tear in her shooting hand during the Finals, which has taken her out of the running for now. It’s understandable, but it’s still a bummer for fans who want to see her light up the 3×3 court. 

For now, Caitlin Clark’s participation feels like a dream deferred but not entirely dashed. The league has made it clear they’re ready to welcome her with open arms. With her name constantly popping up and the wildcard spots still open, let’s see if she eventually makes it.