No, Caitlin Clark is not leaving the WNBA after having a Rookie of the Year campaign. Rumors of Clark leaving the league have been swirling around throughout the offseason as she has been witnessed partaking in non-basketball activities, especially golf. Her golfing adventures have made some wonder if she will leave basketball altogether to pursue a career in the sport.
Advertisement
Such beliefs started to generate after CC and her Indiana Fever were eliminated in the first round of the WNBA playoffs during the last week of September. During a press conference, Clark was asked about her offseason plans.
She joked that she would play so much golf that she would soon be a professional golfer. The Fever guard quipped, “Maybe play some golf and that’s what I’m gonna do until it becomes too cold in Indiana. I’ll become a professional golfer“
To add fuel to the fire, the official X handle of the Ladies Professional Golf Association(LPGA) shared the clip and quote-tweeted, “Count us in, @CaitlinClark22. ”
Count us in, @CaitlinClark22. 👊 https://t.co/Pf6kQqUcj7
— LPGA (@LPGA) September 26, 2024
The light-hearted nature of this exchange was perceived as something serious by many fans, especially some of her diehards who wanted CC to leave the WNBA due to her perceived disrespect by the league’s athletes.
Clark is not just using golf to cool off like Stephen Curry does during the NBA offseason. Clark is also looking to develop her game at a serious level. In fact, she’s gearing up to compete in competitions.
In November, she is set to appear in an LPGA pro-am game hosted by golfing legend Annika Sorenstam at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. Thus, she has been preparing for the tournament alongside her Fever backcourt mate Lexie Hull.
From the court to the course 📸⛳️
CC and Lexie golfing: a photo thread pic.twitter.com/jezOy4VInK
— Bri Lewerke (@brilewerke) October 15, 2024
During the practice, one of her shots went viral as she was just a whisker away from nailing a hole-in-one. Thus, Clark has tremendous golfing skills and all eyes will be on her during the next month’s LPGA Pro-Am.
However, it doesn’t mean she is walking away from basketball, she just needs some time away from it. If we take into account her 2023-24 NCAA season, she has played non-stop basketball since August last year.
If we add her NCAA season and the WNBA season, she played 81 games in around 10 months, without including the preseason games. Thus, she is on a much-needed break. However, there is a chance we may see her on the basketball court before the WNBA season begins in May 2025.
Will Caitlin Clark participate in Unrivaled?
WNBA superstars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s highly advertised 3×3 league Unrivaled league will have its first season in January 2025. Thus far, the official X account of the league has unveiled 26 out of potential 30 players.
From the 2024 WNBA Draft, Angel Reese and Rickea Jackson have already been announced but Clark is yet to be named. Initially, it seemed as if the league’s management would not pursue Clark.
However, after securing a TV deal with TNT, they are going all in to recruit her and a source termed their approach as a “full court press”. It is unclear if Clark will join the league since she has yet to make up her mind.
She won’t join it for financial reasons despite it being advertised as the highest-paying sports league in the world because she already has enough endorsements to earn millions.
Apart from that, she may extend her golfing adventures before the start of another grueling WNBA season. But if she does end up being a part of Unrivaled to compete against the best women hoopers, fans of her basketball skills will be in for a treat.
