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Unrivaled has revealed their rosters for the season and the participation of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is still up in the air. Announced on Wednesday, Unrivaled divided a group of 34 players into six teams. Players were grouped into six pods, labeled A through F, based on their positions as guards, wings, or bigs, to form the rosters. The league's six coaches collaborated to pick one player from each pod, assigning them to one of the six clubs. They crafted balanced rosters without knowing which team they would eventually coach.
Although the rosters are set two teams still have open wild-card roster spots, fueling speculation that Clark could be revealed as one of the final participants in the league. But, it still isn't clear if she will participate as the January tip-off date for the new league inches closer and closer.
Unrivaled has remained optimistic that the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year will choose to join them. Several fellow WNBA players linked to Clark have announced that they'd be participating in unrivaled. Clark's former Iowa teammate Kate Martin was announced to be joining the league and Clark's current Indiana Fever teammates Lexie Hull and Aaliyah Boston were announced this week as well.
“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,” Bazzell said.
Bazzell's comments came as Front Office Sports senior reporter Michael McCarthy reported that Unrivaled was looking to give Caitlin Clark $1 million and incentives to play in the league. McCarthy described the deal that the league was looking to give Clark as a “Lionel Messi-like offer.
MLS superstar Lionel Messi got a groundbreaking deal from Inter Miami CF to join their club, including a contract valued at $150 million, partial ownership in the organization, and even revenue from Apple MLS Season Pass among other incentives. But, it appears that Clark was never a realistic option to join the league given the amount of basketball she's played in the past year from her historic run at Iowa to the Fever's playoff push in her rookie season.
Per comments from ESPN’s Ryan Rucco during game two of the Fever’s WNBA Playoff matchup against the Connecticut Sun in September Clark looked to take a break from basketball following the conclusion of the WNBA season.
“We talked to Caitlin Clark earlier today. She said she almost definitely will not play basketball this offseason. So it is likely we will not see her play again until April.”
In previous comments obtained by the Sports Business Journal from Brazzel, the league recognizes that Clark wants to take a break from the game but is still ready to pursue her as a potential addition.
“And then with Caitlin, what we’ve always tried to do with every player, you have to treat them with the cards that they’re dealt. She’s been through the last year and a half probably more mentally and emotionally than any women’s athlete’s been through, as far as anyone can remember. So we haven’t had that firm dialogue or firm offer just yet. We are going to make that offer. It’s going to be a historic offer, but we’re giving her time to mentally escape basketball before we sit down and have that conversation.”
Unrivaled tips off on January 17, 2025. The games will be broadcast on TNT, TruTV and Max.
