3 reasons why Caitlin Clark should turn down joining Unrivaled

WNBA players often spend their offseason overseas or in other basketball leagues, but Caitlin Clark appears to be taking a break from the sport after her record-setting rookie season. Speculation has risen about whether she will join the Unrivaled Basketball League, a 3-on-3 women’s league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, set for January 2025 in Miami.

For now, the only confirmed part of Clark's offseason plans is her participation in a Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) event in November, where she'll team up with 10-time Major champion Annika Sorenstam, who also hosts the tournament.

Twenty-six of the 30 players in the Unrivaled League have already been named, including Stewart, Collier and other WNBA All-Stars like Angel Reese, Brittney Griner, Arike Ogunbowale, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, Jackie Young and more.

Although basketball fans are eager to see more of Caitlin Clark, here are three reasons why it might be better for the Indiana Fever star to skip the tournament.

3 reasons why Caitlin Clark should turn down joining Unrivaled

#1. To avoid injury

Caitlin Clark and injuries don’t often come up in the same sentence. She just finished a rookie year without missing a game, and her perimeter-oriented playstyle doesn’t put her at high injury risk.

However, injuries are unpredictable. While the Unrivaled League may offer a salary higher than her WNBA income, Clark’s most valuable asset is her health.

#2. To enjoy her first WNBA offseason

With the addition of the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA will feature more games next season, expanding the regular season to 44 games and extending the WNBA Finals to a best-of-seven series instead of the traditional best-of-five.

After an outstanding rookie season where Clark averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds and broke numerous records, she may want to savor her first WNBA offseason. Clark set rookie records for points, assists and 3-pointers, recorded the first triple-double in Fever history, and became the first rookie to post two triple-doubles.

#3. To prove that she’s a multi-sport star

During Game 2 of the Fever’s first-round series against the Sun, ESPN commentator Ryan Ruocco shared that Clark likely won’t be playing basketball during the offseason.

In an interview with Chad Leistikow, Clark’s father, Brent, mentioned that she explored other sports like soccer, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball. He even claimed she could have excelled in soccer had she pursued it.

“Quite frankly, and I’m not trying to brag about it, but I think she probably could have been the same sort of talent in soccer that she is in basketball,” Brent said (per Hawk Central). “She could have been on USA, junior-national type teams.”

According to a February report by Leistikow, Clark scored 26 goals in six high school soccer games as a freshman before her career was cut short by her commitment to Team USA for the FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Argentina, where she helped win gold.

Caitlin Clark may want to solidify her status as more than just a basketball star and showcase her abilities as a multi-sport athlete.