Caitlin Clark Should Take the Big3 Offer

In March, it was reported that the Ice Cube owned ‘Big3’ league had an offer on the table for Caitlin Clark to play for $5M. It’s unclear what the duration of the deal would be for Clark in the Big3. However, the 3-on-3 league would take place during the WNBA season where Clark is expected to be the first overall pick.

After news of the Big3 offer broke, Dave Portnoy, owner of Barstool Sports took to X/Twitter to insert an offer of his own:

A few facts before formulating your opinion on what offer you would choose: 

The Big3 season runs 10 weeks and begins on June 15th this year and reportedly typical salaries for players can run upwards of $100,000. According to On3, Caitlin Clark already has a $3.1M NIL Value from college basketball and has signed multiple brand deals with Nike, Gatorade, State Farm and more. The Big3 reported an average viewership of 605,000 in 2022.

The average WNBA salary is roughly $100,000 with the highest earning player making $245,000 per year this season.

Arguably the biggest Barstool Sports event is the Arizona Bowl that the company hosts on Barstool.tv. In 2023, the Arizona Bowl brought in 1.1M viewers.

Caitlin Clark just played a major role in the most viewed women’s college basketball game of all time in the Elite Eight against LSU. The National Championship rematch, which involved other stars like Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson and the defending national champion Tigers brought in 12.3M viewers. 

Up 8% from years prior, the WNBA averaged 505,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN, and CBS networks in 2023.

Across the “offers” on the table, it’s clear that any league that added Clark would see a jump in viewership. It’s also worth noting that the WNBA would benefit most from adding Clark to their roster.

What Clark Should Do:

It’s hard to judge a reference from someone that hasn’t grown up with the goal of one day playing in the WNBA like Caitlin Clark has. Therefore, the emotional factor in any decision is out the window.

However, if Clark has the option and the Big3 offer is for one or two seasons, then that’s the offer that appeals the most.

Why you don’t choose Barstool:

While Clark would cash in more money with Barstool than anywhere else, playing in their intramural league would, in my opinion diminish the value of the name Caitlin Clark. Many people despise Barstool Sports as it is and the company has no similar talent that would suffice for Clark.

Why you do choose Big3:

$5M is something it would take Clark over a decade to accumulate in the WNBA. If the contract is only for one or two seasons in the Big3, Clark would earn an entire WNBA salary ($250,000) per game in the Big3. The Big3 is notably known for the addition of its 4-point shot which is far behind the typical 3-point line. These types of shots are something that Clark is most notoriously known for throughout her college career. This would allow fans to see Clark draw in against former NBA talent which would raise eyebrows itself but also give her the ability to showcase her talents that she’s most known for on a national stage. Considering the idea that the contract is for a short period — Clark could still potentially make an appearance back in the WNBA after her Big3 stint. Since she would be playing former NBA All-Stars the level of skill would still be way above the average Barstool member and even some college talent — it wouldn’t hurt Clark as much.

If you were Caitlin Clark would you take the $5M offer from the Big3 or would you continue the route that others before her have taken into the WNBA? Or would you possibly go completely unconventional and sign with Barstool Sports for the quick $10M?

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