Caitlin Clark has made it abundantly clear that she’s done with basketball for the season. Directly entering the pro leagues after wrapping up a hectic NCAA career where the spotlight was suddenly shone on her, the Indiana Fever guard wants a break. She’s going to golf for a while and play in The Annika next month. But even after refusing W player-founded Unrivaled, might a Lionel Messi-like deal tempt her?

Per Front Office Sports, “Caitlin Clark could receive a ‘Lionel Messi-like’ offer to play in Unrivaled’s startup 3v3 league, which is in a ‘full-court press’ to sign her. The deal that brought Messi to MLS included part ownership and even a share of Apple TV+ revenue.”

Much like Inter Miami executives knew that a paycheck full of zeroes would not be enough to bring in the Argentine to play in America, the Fever’s No. 22 could receive a salary exceeding $1 million for less than three months or even equity and revenue sharing. Messi had a $150 million contract, partial ownership, and an agreement with Apple to share revenue from MLS Season Pass. What the Messi effect was to soccer, the Caitlin Clark effect is to women’s basketball!

Ranked 4th on the 50 most marketable athletes list, Clark could possibly join Kelsey Plum and fellow rookie Angel Reese in the Napheesa Collier-Breanna Stewart-founded league. They tip off next January in Miami and already have 26 out of 30 players, but the Fever star has expressed more interest in the 5×5 format. Regardless, her main comment so far has been, “Honestly, I’m just focused on this right now. One thing at a time. Can’t always just be moving on to the next, my focus is right here.”

The 22-year-old has made it clear that she will not be traveling overseas for basketball, so playing in Miami with a new media deal that Unrivaled has signed with TNT should be a plus for Clark. More than 45 regular-season games are set to air three nights a week and two weekly games will be shown on TNT on Mondays and Fridays, with some matchups also streamed on Max.

While Collier has spoken in favor of the rookie (and her impact possibly helping the league bridge the pay disparity), it’s her husband who is rooting for the reigning Rookie of the Year to join Unrivaled.

Alex Bazzell is ready to make a “historic offer” to Caitlin Clark

While details of what Unrivaled plans to do have not been released yet, Alex Bazzell told Sports Business Journal last week, “Caitlin’s been through more the last year and half, probably mentally and emotionally, than any women’s athlete has been through, as far as anyone can remember.” This means that they have been giving time to the player to adjust to the offseason for now. Certainly, the Des Moines native began playing last September for the Iowa Hawkeyes and did not really step away from the sport till the Indiana Fever was out of the 2024 WNBA playoffs.

But the President of Unrivaled continued, “So, we’ve haven’t had that firm dialogue or firm offer just yet. But, we are going to make that offer. It’s going to be a historic offer, but we’re giving her time to mentally escape basketball before we sit down and have that conversation.”

The MLS was successful in luring Messi to Miami with their lucrative offer, but can the same be said for Unrivaled and Caitlin Clark? Common consensus would say no, given her continuous refusals, however indirect. But January is still weeks away and four roster spots open for the league’s most popular player yet!