Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty ImagesBIG3 co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz said this week that Caitlin Clark could have made over $15 million had she signed with the league rather than committing fully to the WNBA.
In an article for OutKick, Kwatinetz wrote that BIG3's offer would have paid Clark $10 million 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."
Kwatinetz wrote that Clark would have made at least $15 million in all, and since the BIG3 is only a 10-game season, she still could have played in the WNBA as well.
After dominant collegiate career at Iowa that saw her win back-to-back Associated Press College Player of the Year Awards, Clark was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in last week's 2024 WNBA draft.
Clark's WNBA salary, at least to start, will pale in comparison to the $15 million she could have made in BIG3 over two seasons.
Per Spotrac, Clark will make $76,535 in her rookie season in the WNBA, although she won't be hurting for money due to her many endorsement deals.
Chief among them is a shoe deal with Nike that is expected to pay her $28 million over the next eight years, per Rachel Bachman of the Wall Street Journal.
Even so, it is fair to wonder why Clark didn't take BIG3 up on its offer in the name of significant earning potential and showing that she can compete with men at a professional level of basketball.
Kwatinetz referenced Clark saying during the women's NCAA tournament that she heard about BIG3's offer "the same time you all did," and he suggested that her agents may have kept the information from her:
"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. 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?
"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."
BIG3 has been in existence since 2017 and has significant financial backing with legendary rapper Ice Cube as co-owner, but it hasn't come close to rising to the level of popularity of the NBA or even the WNBA.
While the three-on-three nature of the league makes for fun, fast-paced action, rosters are primarily populated by former NBA players in the twilight of their careers.
The WNBA undoubtedly offers Clark a more competitive environment and a chance to prove her ability against the best players in women's basketball.
Of course, Kwatinetz's comments suggest that Clark could have tried to play in both BIG3 and the WNBA, but given the commitment to excellence she displayed at Iowa, it is possible Clark did not want to split her focus.
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