As the WNBA season wrapped up with the New York Liberty crowned champions, fans are already looking ahead to January, when the 3×3 basketball Unrivaled league would give them another chance to see pro players in action. But the biggest question on everyone’s mind was whether Caitlin Clark would join the league. And well… she won’t. While Clark’s absence is a letdown, another issue has surfaced, further dampening the excitement of the eager fans for the Unrivaled League.

The 3×3 Unrivaled league, co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, has attracted a mix of seasoned players and rookies, generating much buzz. Recently, several exciting updates, including some major announcements, have come to the surface, too. One such development was the launch of ticket sales, which went live just a few days ago.

Fans anticipated this news would be about Caitlin Clark joining the league, as she has the offer open. However, the big reveal turned out to be something else, leaving many disappointed. Despite this, the excitement remained high as ticket sales went live.

But the build-up quickly fizzled out when fans an unexpected twist hit fans. The league’s ticket resale prices have skyrocketed, making it difficult for many fans to afford tickets. This sudden price hike has left fans fuming and disappointed once again.

Ticket resale controversy damps Unrivaled League excitement as prices soar

This Wednesday, Unrivaled announced the league’s schedule was to begin on January 17th, along with the launch of general ticket sales. With Caitlin Clark not joining the league, many fans probably expected the tickets to remain available for a while.

However, they sold out quickly. But that’s not even the worst part. Those tickets are now being resold at significantly higher prices, causing frustration. With the event set to take place in Miami, some fans have labeled the prices as unreasonable, stating they won’t make the trip to Miami for the league if tickets remain expensive. “Unrivaled is going to miss me in Miami because their prices and resale prices are ridiculous.” While someone else said, “Unrivaled tickets on resale being so high is crazy.”

When ticket sales went live on Wednesday, prices ranged from $45 to $60, a reasonable range for most. However, resale prices have skyrocketed, dominating platforms like Ticketmaster, with some tickets listed up to ten times the original price, even reaching the thousands. Fans have quickly called out the drastic price gap, voicing their frustration over what they see as an unfair practice just moments after the general sale opened. “I wish nothing but the worst for resellers. How are you trying to resell an Unrivaled ticket for a thousand dollars. And it ain’t even courtside. Hell is hot…enjoy,” a fan said, voicing their frustration. “Not y’all allowing resale for 10x the price literally the day tickets go on general sale omfg don’t talk to me”, expressed someone else.

With Caitlin Clark still not joining the Unrivaled and two spots remaining vacant on the 36-participant roster, there’s hope that if the reigning Rookie of the Year does enter, it could drive more ticket demand and potentially lower resale prices. One fan shared this sentiment, noting that while they’d love to attend, they’re reluctant to pay the high resale prices if Clark isn’t involved. “can they not put CC in unrivaled😭 I want to be able to go to a game without crazy resale prices.“

As fans await Caitlin Clark’s potential involvement, the ticket resale issue remains a major disappointment. Without a resolution, many may even miss out on the Unrivaled League, which would obviously be a buzz-kill.