Caitlin Clark has had the world’s eyes on her for a while now. Back in 2022, the University of Iowa basketball player was launched into the limelight during a game against the University of Michigan, when she scored 25 points in the last quarter alone and the basketball world began to buzz about the then-sophomore’s prowess and potential. Now in her current season, Clark is on a whole other level.
Amid the hubbub of March Madness 2024, the 22-year-old star athlete declared her intentions to join the WNBA draft coming up in April — but that’s not the only professional opportunity that’s come her way: On March 27, Ice Cube announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he offered Caitlin Clark $5 million to play in his basketball league, Big3.
Big3 isn’t your traditional league. Founded by Ice Cube in 2017, it uses a three-versus-three-game format, which deviates from traditional leagues, where it’s five-on-five. Clark would be surrounded by good company if she took the deal, as Big3 typically brings in retired NBA stars like Joe Johnson and Stephen Jackson, as well as streetball legends most die-hard basketball fans would know. That said, Clark would be the first woman to ever play in this league.
According to CBS Sports, the deal wouldn’t prevent Clark from being in the WNBA. Playing in Big3 takes up eight weeks in its normal season, which begins in June, with two additional weeks for playoffs and the championships for qualifying teams, making it a total of 10 weeks maximum. It’s a relatively short time commitment that could work in conjunction with a WNBA player’s schedule.
It’s not uncommon for professional athletes to play in other leagues — and earn extra income — in their downtime. In fact, that’s Ice Cube’s main argument for why he thinks his deal is such a good one. “America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote on X, referencing the relatively low pay WNBA athletes get paid, especially compared to their NBA counterparts. “[Women] should have more than just one professional option in the U.S. at a time.”
However, this offer has come along with a fair share of controversy, which begs the question: Why would anyone be upset that Clark has been offered such a lucrative deal?
It’s certainly not about her worthiness of the offer — at least, not to those who actually look at the facts and stats. Clark has been dominating during her 2023-2024 basketball season with the Iowa Hawkeyes. She gained major attention back in February 2024 when she broke the NCAA basketball all-time scoring record in women’s basketball, with 49 points scored during a game. But Clark wasn’t done there; she also proceeded to break the NCAA all-time scoring record for women’s and men’s basketball in March, previously held by Pete Maravich since 1970. Sports fans have been flooding arenas for the chance to watch her play in person. For all these reasons and more, Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick come the WNBA draft on April 15.
What the issue seems to be actually something Ice Cube pointed out while defending his offer to Clark: While the offer illustrates Clark’s massive earning potential, it also highlights how little many other talented women’s basketball players are actually paid. Many WNBA salaries pale in comparison to the offer Clark received — according to ESPN, WNBA rookie salaries for lottery draft picks Nos. 1 through 4 in 2024 are $76,535 and reach $97,582 by their fourth season. The highest-paid player in WNBA history is Jackie Young, who earns $252,450 a year with the Las Vegas Acres. To put it in perspective, Clark’s Big3 offer could theoretically give her the opportunity to earn what she could make in 10 years with the WNBA, just from playing 10 games in Big3. (This, of course, doesn’t factor in the marketing agreements, endorsements, or other partnerships she could get through playing for the WNBA, but still — $5 million is still a huge sum of money to make in one deal!)
That Clark was offered this deal while others weren’t seems to be what’s not sitting well with some people. Lexie Brown, a WNBA player for the Los Angeles Sparks, tweeted at Ice Cube to express her frustration following the Big3 offer announcement. “So no other women’s basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?” she questioned in her post. Brown clarified in later tweets that she wasn’t attacking Clark with this statement, but noted she wants all women athletes to have support.
On March 29, Clark spoke publicly about the Big3 deal for the first time. “I found out about the Big3 thing the same exact time you all did,” Clark said at an Iowa press conference. “I honestly don’t talk about those things with really anybody. I have other people that deal with it, and they haven’t said a word to me about it. My main focus is on this team and helping us find a way to beat Colorado, and hopefully win another one after that.”
So, it seems like while the rest of the sports world has given a lot of thought to this Big3 deal, Clark hasn’t — at least, not until she’s done focusing on the NCAA tournament, that is. No matter what happens, though, the one thing that remains certain is that women athletes deserve to be recognized for their hard work, and Clark’s skills speak for themselves.