Social media has been abuzz with rumors that Caitlin Clark has signed with European basketball leagues and clubs for the offseason. The rumor mill has been active since her WNBA season ended, and the main reason could be the extent to which she is adored by the fans, who want more.
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Time to burst the misinformation bubble. No, Clark is not going to Europe to play basketball in the WNBA offseason. Speaking to Ryan Ruocco after Game 2 of the first-round Playoff series between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun, Clark said she “almost definitely will not be playing basketball this offseason.”
ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco says at end of Indiana Fever-Connecticut Sun Game 2 that Caitlin Clark “almost definitely will not be playing basketball this offseason” — mentioning overseas AND 3×3.
Might make a bigger media rights deal for new Unrivaled 3×3 league tougher to get up front.
— Austin Karp (@AustinKarp) September 26, 2024
Clark made her stance clear with this comment back in September. A month on, it appears she is sticking to the decision to not go overseas. The 22-year-old has been busy playing golf, and has been spotted teeing off with her Fever teammate Lexie Hull, or with former LPGA player Martha Foyer-Faulconer.
Clark is set to compete in an LPGA pro-am game hosted by golfing legend, Annika Sorenstam, in November.
Apart from golf, her public appearances included being courtside at a Indiana Pacers preseason game. Clark also visited her old stomping grounds in Iowa with her former Hawkeye teammates.
While playing in Europe is not on CC’s cards this offseason, Unrivaled might be. With the 3×3 league signing Clark’s Iowa mate Kate Martin, the chances of Unrivaled getting her is high.
Will Martin’s move get Clark to consider Unrivaled?
Unrivaled is a game-changer for women’s basketball. The league, started by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, is set to bring a shift in power when it comes to ownership and revenue. So far, 27 names have been announced out of 30, the latest signing being Martin.
There have been no hints at whether the league has convinced Clark, the W’s biggest rookie till-date. With TNT securing Unrivaled’s broadcast rights, there are speculations that the league will make a “full-court press” towards signing the 2024 ROTY.
Martin’s signing might be one of the moves that takes the league closer to Clark. Martin suits up for the Las Vegas Aces. The league signing her is great for both parties. And, her relationship with Clark is no secret.
Fans are hoping CC would consider this chance to team up with Martin and join Unrivaled.
They said if we can’t bring Caitlin Clark, we might as well try and bring in her closest friend in the league maybe that will change her mind
— @grtinho (@grtinho) October 28, 2024
All that are wishful thinking, though. As of now, Clark is enjoying her offseason putt-ing (pun intended) things into perspective.
