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Caitlin Clark is yet to confirm if she will join the newly formed Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league. But fan speculation of her joining at the last minute was further fuelled by a league announcement seemingly pointing to the same.
In an announcement on Tuesday, Unrivaled said that it will hold its club selection, to be hosted by State Farm, on Wednesday from 11-11:22 a.m., ET. Also to be announced are the last two players joining the league, which many widely believe will include Clark.
That the league was specific with the 11:22 a.m. cap opened the "22" for interpretation as referring to Caitlin Clark's jersey number. She, too, is associated with State Farm, being the first collegiate athlete to secure an NIL deal with the insurance company to be its spokesperson.
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Not surprisingly, fans came up with their own theories on Clark as among the last-minute additions to Unrivaled and why she would join. Below are what some wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"That is true," a fan simply put.
"I think they are giving her million between direct cash and equity for just this first year. And I don't want to wait until early May to watch her play again," another surmised.
"Very true, but I have been thinking CC for a long time as getting a draw like her likely led to the expansion from 30 to 36. Maybe Sabrina and CC," a user, meanwhile, chimed in.
Unrivaled is a league co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart (New York) and Napheesa Collier (Minnesota) and designed to provide another venue for women basketball players to showcase their talents and earn good money.
Among those who have signed up to play in the inaugural season are Stewart and Collier, Chelsea Gray, Tiffany Hayes, Kelsey Plum and Kate Martin of the Las Vegas Aces, Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx), Satou Sabally (Dallas Wings), Allysa Thomas (Connecticut Sun), Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm) and Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury).
Unrivaled shareholder says Caitlin Clark would be a great addition to the league
It remains to be seen if Caitlin Clark joins Unrivaled, but a shareholder of the league said that the addition of the Indiana Fever sensation would be a boon to the newly formed basketball organization.
John Skipper, former ESPN president and an Unrivaled investor, spoke about the possible impact Clark would have in the league if she decides to join. He said in an interview with the Pablo Finds Out podcast of Pablo Torre, which was uploaded on Friday:
"There are very few instances of where one player in a league brings as much value as (Clark) does. If you were starting a new league, which we are, in the first game, the most impactful thing that could happen would be that Caitlin Clark would be there and she would be playing."
Unrivaled will be having its inaugural season in January in Florida, with games to be broadcast over TNT Sports.
