A'ja Wilson's veteran teammate relishes being spoilt for choice as another rival league after Unrivaled enters the fray

A'ja Wilson, along with Caitlin Clark, is one of the biggest names not playing in the Unrivaled League's inaugural season, but the 3v3 league isn't the only offseason league of choice for WNBA players. Alysha Clark, one of Wilson's teammates on the Las Vegas Aces, spoke about the new American options players have to continue playing basketball during the WNBA offseason.

This year marks Clark's first playing in Athletes Unlimited(AU), a 5v5 league held in Nashville, Tennessee, that is built for smaller names in the WNBA looking to make money over the offseason and hone their skills. Alysha Clark expressed pride in the fact that leagues like AU and Unrivaled give players more opportunities without playing internationally, saying:

"It’s beautiful for our game and I’m excited that I get to be a part of it and help spearhead that here at home and like hopefully create more opportunities,” said Clark.

While A'ja Wilson and the superstars in the WNBA are focusing more on Unrivaled, promoting it and performing on national television, Clark and other players like her gravitate more towards AU. The league's 5v5 format, along with its larger court size allows players more freedom to improve their craft, and its shorter season means that players get to spend more of their offseason with their families.

The introduction and growing popularity of these leagues help women's basketball maintain its relevance amongst fans throughout the year, similar to how the NBA does. A'ja Wilson and Clark's Aces teammate Theresa Plaisance applauded the implementation of these offseason leagues that take up some of the dead space in the WNBA calendar, saying:

“We love non-breakage in women’s sports, so the fact that we do have this now and then you fall right into the March Madness and then you go straight to the (WNBA) draft and then here comes training camp. I personally love this,” Plaisance said about the league's schedule.

How can A'ja Wilson, Alysha Clark and the WNBA continue to grow women's basketball leagues?

Unrivaled joins this year AU as a US-based offseason league through which the league can showcase players to a national audience. However, it is one step in a larger plan by the WNBA to grow its popularity and garner interest throughout the year, getting fans invested in the league year-round.

The WNBA has worked with their NBA counterparts to integrate their top players into their festivities, including All-Star weekend. A'ja Wilson and the other big names in the sport have been seen attending these events, but as recently as last season, WNBA players have participated, headlined by Sabrina Ionescu's faceoff against Steph Curry on All-Star Saturday Night last season in Indianapolis.