- The Washington Times - Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Caitlin Clark is the biggest name in women’s college basketball as she tries to lead Iowa to a second straight Final Four. Now she has a $5 million offer to play against men when her college career ends.

Ice Cube’s BIG3 league confirmed Wednesday that it has offered her a contract. The deal for the reigning National Player of the Year to join the 3-on-3 summer league was first reported by TMZ.

“BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn’t we?” the league’s founder, Ice Cube, wrote on X. “Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3.”

The summer league features an array of former NBA players in half-court games that include 4-point shots. The BIG3 has seen female coaches in Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie, who both won league titles. But the loop hasn’t featured a female player as it heads toward its eighth season.

Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes,” Ice Cube, the rapper-turned-actor-turned-entrepreneur, wrote. “America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their offseasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet.”

Clark, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, is the clear choice to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s WNBA draft. The highest-paid players in that league make around $250,000 per season. The average salary hovers around $100,000.

“They should have more than just one professional option in the U.S.,” Ice Cube wrote. “Our pathbreaking offer to Caitlin Clark demonstrates that BIG3 now offers another choice for athletes.”

A career in the BIG3 would put the Iowa product at odds with the WNBA since both leagues schedule games throughout the summer.

Clark has not commented on the offer. Her Hawkeyes are preparing for an NCAA tournament game Saturday against Colorado.

• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.

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