Caitlin Clark was offered $15MILLION to join Ice Cube’s Big3 league but ‘wasn’t TOLD about the deal’, claims league co-founder – with WNBA star to earn $76k in first Indiana Fever season | HO

Caitlin Clark was offered $15million to join rapper Ice Cube’s Big3 basketball league, with co-owner Jeff Kwatinetz claiming the now-Indiana Fever star ‘was not told about the deal’ because of her agents.

Clark is set to make around $76,000 in her first WNBA season from her on-court salary, but has also reportedly lined up a $28million partnership with Nike, which will see her take in that amount over the next eight years.

Kwatinetz’s offer would have front-loaded a huge payday for Clark to become the first woman to play in a North American men’s professional basketball league, per Bleacher Report.

Clark’s offer from Big3 would have included a $10million in salary over two years, plus ‘a percentage of team ownership worth millions, 50 percent of merchandising revenues from her name and likeness, and ownership of a BIG3 documentary with a seven-figure advance,’ per Kwatinetz.

Big3 started in 2017 but has not reached the popularity of the WNBA, and has not came into the same universe as the NBA. Clark’s addition may have helped skyrocket two professional leagues.

Clark has drawn enormous interest into college women’s basketball before leaving for WNBA

Clark is already one of the faces of the WNBA without playing a game for the Indiana Fever

Clark stated during her final days at Iowa that she found out about the Big3’s original hefty offer ‘the same time you all did’.

The Big3 league is mainly made up of retired former NBA stars, those who just exited the NBA in the home stretch of their careers.

Last season’s champions, the ‘Enemies’, featured 38-year-old Nick Young and 35-year-old Jordan Crawford.

‘We have reason to believe these male agents and executives controlling the sport never even shared our trailblazing offer with Caitlin let alone facilitated Caitlin meeting with the BIG3 to discuss the opportunity,’ Kwatinetz said.

Clark will begin her professional career next month with ticket sales skyrocketing in price

‘From our perspective, these representatives don’t seem to work for an individual client like Caitlin. They seem to work for the NBA mob, as their client list is a who’s who of NBA players. Do we expect them to prioritize Caitlin over the NBA — the top employer of their most highly-paid clients?’ Kwatinetz continued.

‘The NBA commands by fear, and they make sure their industry of agents, lawyers, managers, and networks stay in line. And that line is to prevent BIG3 success, even if it stunts the growth of women’s basketball,’ Kwatinetz added.

The Big3 has a much shorter season than the WNBA, but trying to do both at the same time would be difficult as both leagues play over the summer.

Yet, with the interest in Clark and money to be made, anything is possible, even if her primary focus would be with the WNBA.