Can New Women’s Basketball League Survive Without Caitlin Clark?

Ever wonder if women’s basketball would be as interesting without Caitlin Clark’s presence? We’re about to find out as the new women’s three-on-three basketball league, Unrivaled, tips off at Miami.The six-team league will consist of 36 of the top women’s basketball players from the WNBA, but won’t include Ms. Clark, who reportedly turned down a $1 million offer in choosing to enjoy the rest of her offseason. Despite the absence of the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year, there should be enough star power to attract some attention.The season begins Friday with a doubleheader. The Mist Basketball Club featuring a two-time WNBA MVP, Breanna Stewart, plays the Lunar Owls led by Napheesa Collier; and the Rose Basketball Club led by Angel Reese and Chelsea Gray goes against the Vinyl Basketball Club featuring Arike Ogunbowale and Jordin Canada.Co-founded by Ms. Stewart and Ms. Collier, the league aims to capitalize on the growing popularity of three-on-three basketball and allow WNBA players to remain in America during the offseason and supplement their WNBA incomes. The business model also includes Unrivaled players having ownership in the league through equity shares.“Breanna and I set out to create a league that would change the way women’s sports are viewed and ultimately how sports leagues operate,” Ms. Collier said. “We may have had the vision, but this isn’t just our league, it belongs to the players and the Unrivaled model reflects that.”Unrivaled’s list of investors includes the UConn women’s head coach, Geno Auriemma; a former NBA star, Carmelo Anthony; an author of best-selling books, Gary Vaynerchuk; actor Ashton Kutcher; and a tennis star, Coco Gauff. TNT Sports signed a multi-year agreement to be a partner of the new league and will invest an undisclosed amount.All games will be played at the MediaPro Center at Miami and will take place on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays.Ms. Clark was the catalyst of an unprecedented year in women’s basketball. When she played in the women’s Final Four for Iowa last April, the television audience was larger than for the men’s final. As the overall no. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, she made the all-star team, was named Rookie of the Year, led the Indiana Fever to the playoffs, and triggered an attendance and television ratings explosion. She was recently named Time magazine’s Athlete of the Year. Unrivaled tried to recruit Ms. Clark with a hefty offer, but she declined, leaving the spotlight to Ms. Reese and others.Ms. Reese has a growing fan base of her own after starring at LSU and completing her rookie season with the Chicago Sky. “I’ve been watching these players since I was in college,” Ms. Reese said of those involved in Unrivaled. “I have one year under my belt and want to be able to get as much information as I can from them. I told them to coach me hard and get on me when they need to get on me. When I leave here I know I’m going to take a lot from them.”Unlike the pushback Ms. Clark received from some of her WNBA rivals, Ms. Reese and her growing brand are welcome. Her rookie year ended prematurely after she suffered a wrist injury with six games remaining in the regular season. She underwent surgery after finishing the season averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, the highest rebound average in the history of the WNBA. She also set a rookie record with 26 double-doubles.Ms. Cooper has been impressed by Ms. Reese’s work ethic. “There’s a lot of young players that say they want to learn and you get with them and they don’t listen or they do what they want to do,” Ms. Cooper said. “But she communicates. She really wants to learn. I see her growth every single day. I have a lot of respect for her on the court and how she wants to grow.”A major attraction of the league is the ability to earn added income while remaining in America. For decades women have gone overseas to play professionally during the WNBA offseason. With a reported $35 million in funding and a salary pool of $8 million, the average Unrivaled salary is about $222,000. Players also get equity in the league.A teammate of Ms. Clark’s on the Indiana Fever, Lexie Hull, will join Ms. Reese on the Rose Bay Club. She also was involved in Athletes Unlimited, a women’s professional five-on-five league that begins its fourth season on February 5 at Nashville.“The opportunities to play in the States that are available now to players I think it’s a huge growth for the sport,” Ms. Hull said. “I’ve never gone overseas to play because of these opportunities. Being around my family is important to me in the offseason so being able to stay here and train and get ready for the season is just awesome. I’m appreciative of those two leagues forming and excited to see them grow.”The eight-week Unrivaled season runs through March 17. “Five years from now this thing is going to be bigger than ever,” Ms. Reese said. “It’s hard to get in here and it’s going to be harder. You don’t just want anybody to be able to play in Unrivaled. You need to be talented. You need to work hard. Being a part of getting equity and being one of the 34-35 people here is a blessing.”

Can New Women’s Basketball League Survive Without Caitlin Clark?

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