The women took the reins as soon as the concerns were raised. The Unrivaled League is all set to launch with just two months left. It has already lured some of the biggest WNBA veterans. Now, it might also be eyeing the poster girl of women’s basketball, Caitlin Clark. Rumors suggest the league offers an impressive deal to bring the Fever star on board. But certain conditions of the deal have angered some fans.

The league, set for January 2025 in Miami, is reportedly offering $1 million, which may include equity stakes, to Clark for her to join. Shocked, right? This amount is several times more than what she currently earns in the WNBA. Clark signed a four-year contract with the Fever worth $338,056. On the other hand, the other players who have already signed with the league will be earning $250,000 for three months and 0.5 equity in Unrivaled as per reports.

After the end of the WNBA season, elite players fly overseas to play in off-season leagues. To void that need, the Unrivaled League will likely allow players to stay in the US and play. And if you ask Sky star Angel Reese, this is surely one of the biggest highlights of this league. Founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, the league has expanded more than ever.

The league has kept a spot for Clark, but she has yet to confirm the deal. “We’re always going to have a roster spot for Caitlin Clark. We’re not applying a full court press the way people think. We are letting her decompress from basketball. … She knows that we have a spot for her when she’s ready,” Unrivaled president and Collier’s husband Alex Bazzell said in an interview.

While the league initially had 30 spots for players, it has extended to accommodate 36 due to financial success, as informed by Napheesa Collier. Notably, this is not the first time Clark has received such a smashing deal to take part in a 3×3 basketball league.

In June this year, Clark got a $10 million/2 year offer from Ice Cube to join the Big 3. However, as per Cube’s admission, things couldn’t go too far. The rapper had even offered a percentage of the merch sales along with a stake in the team ownership. However, the ROTY did not feel apt to continue with the talks. After that, when the Unrivaled offer came to light, there were some notes of caution for the Fever rookie from the likes of Rachel DeMita.

“I think Caitlin Clark stepping into a league that hasn’t been established yet. Through the firestorm that she has had to go through in the WNBA. Who’s to say that once she gets into Unrivaled all of these narratives, all of these your fan bases…. This all of this starts up again and who’s to say if Unrivaled has a fantastic first season. People are like ‘Oh, well! It wasn’t really Caitlin Clark. You can’t give her all the credit for them having a great first season.’ I just feel like everybody might need a break from that, including the person who has been at the forefront of it all,” DeMita had said just a week back.

On the other hand, there are some doubters who have already questioned Clark’s ability to succeed in the 3×3 format. former NBA player Kenyon Martin thinks that she is not good enough to perform in a men’s league. On Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, Martin claimed that the Fever guard would not score a single point, because of the “prison style” play of the league.

“It’s a step under prison ball. Could you imagine her getting stuck down on Reggie Evans? She gon’ take the ball out? As soon as she tries to cross that line, boom! Yo’ little (expletive),” Martin had said. So what Clark has to say about all these?

“Honestly, I’m just focused on this (the playoffs) right now,” Clark had said mid-season when she was asked about her participation in the league. However, the fans’ response hasn’t been very enthusiastic about Clark joining the league.

Fans are upset over Caitlin Clark’s rumored deal

After an impressive season with the Fever that helped the team reach the playoffs, Clark earned $76,535, which is expected to rise to $97,582 in her final season with the franchise. As mentioned earlier, this amount is very small compared to the $1 million deal being in question. However, she also has a $3.1 net worth from various endorsement deals that keep her in her own financial league.

Hence, when rumors of Unrivaled preparing a “Messi-like” deal for Clark, the basketball world did not much appreciate the effort. “Let them other players shine……she dont need the money,” a fan demanded on X. Certainly, there’s a ton of talent in the WNBA.

However, as Rachel DeMita explained on her podcast, it’s the league that needs the No. 22 and not the other way around. Still, the followers wish for an equal offer to every player entering Miami. Clark was instrumental in bringing significant attention to women’s basketball. She secured an eight-year Nike deal worth $28 million. This led many to assume that WNBA veterans aren’t fond of her, and some questionable comments have only added to it. “That’s crazy and unfair to the other players,” the fan wrote.

Well, the salary floor starts at $100,000, which will ensure a great deal for all the players. However, some netizens had issues with the valuation of the deal. Many have argued that this 3-on-3 league that features some of the best players needs to pay equal salaries to all the players. “All players should get the same deal,” the comment read. Kelsey Plum, Brittney Griner, Arike Ogunbowale, Reese, and more stars have confirmed that they will be playing in the league.

The salary of the players in the league has been a point of contention among fans. While it’s better than WNBA salary, fans believe it will cause trouble again. “Only if all players get the same. If not, the league will still do just fine.🤷🏽‍♀️” a fan wrote.

There were discussions after the Nike deal was confirmed that Clark was going to receive her signature shoe deal. This raised concerns about why it took so many years for WNBA veteran A’ja Wilson to secure her deal. Another fan, who seemingly believes that WNBA players dislike Clark, thinks that the rumored $1 million deal will only increase the tension.

This netizen wrote, “The WNBA players are going to hate her even more.” Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull are the Fever stars who have already signed with the league. Wilson and Clark are yet to confirm their decision.