When Angel Reese revealed that she didn’t know her WNBA salary, it could have had two possibilities – either it was too high or too low for her to care. The former was dismissed almost immediately, meaning it was the low numbers that had made her almost disregard it. $73,439, just a little less than Caitlin Clark’s, and laughable to most other sports’ rookie salaries. Reese was not the first one to point out the disparity and it was one of the major reasons Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier co-founded Unrivaled.

The 3×3 league’s founder recently spoke about how playing overseas in the WNBA’s offseason, one of the most popular routes for players to keep earning while keeping active, negatively affected them.

“When you’re overseas, you go dark, like you can’t activate with brands, you can’t grow your following,” she told Paul George. And reasserting her statement, Unrivaled League’s general manager and EVP Clare Duwelius said on The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show, “It’s in the same vein of taking care of players first.”

“We wanna provide them the opportunity to stay domestically and hit all of the boxes they maybe weren’t previously hitting. They get time with their family around the holiday season, they get to fill their cup up in that way.”

While she didn’t directly mention the $1 million salary the upstart league promises, Duwelius, who previously worked with Phee’s Lynx, implied it, “Then they have a really viable option, one that supplements other incomes and opportunities for them where they really get to work on their craft and get better.”

“They get to dedicate this portion of time to their nutrition, their skill set, and expanding their game. It’s gonna compliment the WNBA season so it’s gonna be great for the fans. They have opportunities to watch our players the majority of the year.”

The WNBA season gets over with summer, ushering fall with playoffs, and crowns victors before winter even whispers. But Unrivaled, playing from January to March in sunny Miami, will be the perfect opportunity for players as well as fans.

“They have ample time to rest and then they get to springboard their body to just getting better. And I think that’s gonna be successful not only in year one but the objective every season as we embark on future seasons.”

Meanwhile, Collier, who has commented before on how rookies like Reese and Clark should receive their due in income, offered the Iowa sensation something irresistible.

Despite a humongous salary offer, Caitlin Clark chooses to reportedly forego Unrivaled

There have been many reports about Unrivaled and Caitlin Clark but the crux of the story is this – sources say the Iowa sensation, who had been playing basketball constantly since Nov. 23 without rest, wants a break. Unrivaled execs know the impact she could have on their debut season if she joins but so far, she has refused.

Lionel Messi-like MLS deal and various incentives have also been offered, only for her to stay firm on her decision. While Collier’s husband and Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell has said that the Fever guard can have as long as she likes to make a decision, a positive answer seems unlikely so far.

Rather, Clark has focused her efforts and dollars on possibly bringing a National Women’s Soccer League expansion franchise to Cincinnati, maybe as early as 2025. Reports say that the value of NWSL and WNBA teams is expected to rise by billions, making it the right time for No. 22 to invest and expand on her income differently. But should she ever change her mind, Bazzell assures, there’s always a spot open for her in the 3×3 league!