Skip Bayless has praised Indiana Fever starlet Caitlin Clark after she rejected a reported seven-figure sum to join the new Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league.
The point guard made a major impression during her maiden WNBA campaign as the No. 1 overall draft pick delivered on her billing in a record-breaking first term as a professional. Averaging 19.2 points, a league-high 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game during the regular season, her performances earned her the Rookie of the Year prize.
After playing back-to-back NCAA and WNBA seasons, the 22-year-old is now enjoying a well-earned break from basketball during the offseason. Clark turned down the opportunity to take part in Unrivaled, despite speculation that she could be lured to join the 36-player roster for the tournament.
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Now, Bayless has revealed his admiration for the youngster after her decision to compete in Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s competition. After stars including Chelsea Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum and Angel Reese signed up, Bayless insisted that Clark had made the right call.
Taking to Twitter/X, he said: “After all the jealousy and resentment she felt last season – all the cheap shots and bullying attempts – she made a late-season run at MVP. SHE’S the reason WNBA popularity exploded last season. She doesn’t need 3-on-3.”
Previously, Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell acknowledged that the new 3-on-3 league would always have a space reserved for Clark to take part in the future. He told Sportico: “We’re always going to have a roster spot for Caitlin Clark. We’re not applying a full-court press the way people think.
“We are letting her decompress from basketball. She knows that we have a spot for her when she’s ready,” he continued. “[I’m] proud of what we’ve built, and we’re in a position to succeed. But if she played, she would take it to another level. She knows we would love to have her.”
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WNBA star Caitlin Clark was purportedly made a seven-figure offer to join up with the Unrivaled league (
Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, a report from Sports Business Journal claimed that A’ja Wilson – who also turned down the chance to play – was offered more money to sign up than Clark. A source informed the publication: “I believe they did offer more [than Clark], because I know what they offered A’ja.
“They have a lot of money, and they offered her a lot of money. And I was even just like, ‘Oh, you sure you don’t want to do this?’ But I also understand she really values her offseason. And that’s where she has risen her game. If you haven’t noticed, she’s come back with adding something in her game every season. And that’s where it happens is in the offseason.”
Wilson said of her decision to reject the approach: “I will not be in Unrivaled this year. I love what it’s doing for my teammates and everyone; it’s creating another avenue for players to play and stay in America. But I will not be doing that. I will be chilling.”
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