Caitlin Clark is in line to make extra historical past — the NCAA phenom may turn out to be basketball’s first-ever $5 million girl, if she accepts an enormous deal from Ice Cube‘s Big3 league … TMZ Sports activities has realized.
Sources with direct data of the deal inform us Dice’s up and coming basketball league has already put the unprecedented supply on the desk for Caitlin — $5 million to play 8 common season video games and presumably 2 playoff video games! That is it … 10 video games for $5 mil, assured.
We’re instructed she would additionally get “substantial additional compensation” from merchandising and sponsorships — however this is the most important rub to the deal … Big3 would enable her to additionally play within the WNBA.
Caitlin, who’s Iowa Hawkeyes are preparing for his or her Candy 16 recreation this weekend within the Ladies’s NCAA Match, has already declared herself for the WNBA draft subsequent month … and the Indiana Fever have made it clear they’re choosing Caitlin with their #1 decide.
There are solely 2 common season Fever video games that would probably battle with the BIG3 schedule — so, we’re instructed Dice’s league sees this as a win-win-win state of affairs for each leagues, and clearly, Caitlin.
CC is the most important identify in school hoops this season, as she grew to become the all-time scoring chief in NCAA historical past … and that is for men and women, as she topped “Pistol” Pete Maravich‘s 54-year-old document of three,667 factors. So, there isn’t any thriller why the BIG3 would go all out to get her.
This is how astronomical this supply is for Caitlin — the highest-paid participant within the WNBA final 12 months was Erica Wheeler, who made $242,000. It is anticipated Caitlin’s WNBA deal could be barely greater than that, however nothing within the universe of the 7-figures she stands to make from BIG3.
She could be the primary feminine participant within the BIG3, however she’s famously grown up enjoying and working towards towards male gamers … so, that is nothing new for her.
The one potential hitch is that BIG3 and the NBA — which operates the WNBA — have unhealthy blood. TMZ Sports activities broke the story … the U.S. Dept. of Justice launched an antitrust investigation final 12 months into allegations the NBA is making strikes to crush BIG3’s success.
It is unclear if the WNBA may or would block Caitlin or every other participant from enjoying within the BIG3 — however doing so could be a dangerous transfer, contemplating the DOJ investigation. As it’s, many WNBA gamers play in different leagues abroad throughout their offseason so as to earn more money.
We have reached out to Caitlin’s camp to gauge their curiosity within the probably history-making deal … we’ll let ya know as quickly as we hear again.