Unrivaled has enjoyed a stellar pilot season.
The newly created league, designed to give players a domestic option in the off-season, could have had even more success had stars like A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark opted to play.
Unrivaled, founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheese Collierand supported by top athletes like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Coco Gauff, attracted 36 of the best women basketball players.
The league aims to provide domestic playing opportunities and bypass the WNBA’s prioritisation rule, which penalises players who arrive late from overseas commitments.
It is based in Miami and provides players with a significant income boost, with an average salary of $222,222.
With top facilities and a chance to play against some of the best basketball players in the world, Unrivaled was a no-brainier for most WNBA players.
However, for the likes of Clark and Wilson, playing in the league just was not attractive enough and until now, we never knew why.
Las Vegas Aces star and 2x WNBA champion Wilson opened up on her decision to pass on the offer in a interview with Time Magazine.
“That’s my time to really just decompress. Unrivaled seems great. My teammates are loving it. Obviously, the money in it is amazing. And it’s like, ‘Dang, missing out,” Wilson said.
“But wholeheartedly, not even trying to front—I just didn’t want to. I just want to protect my peace.
“Because once the season gets in, no one’s gonna think, Oh, you just got done playing Unrivaled, let’s take it easy.”
Unrivaled had also tried and failed to recruit the likes of Jonquel Jones, Nneka Ogwumike, Kelsey Mitchell and Kelsey Plum.
However, none of their attempts to recruit these players were as intense as their pursuit for Clark.
Clark was named the fourth-most-marketable athlete in the world by SportsPro (Messi ranks behind her at No. 5.) With her stardom and broad appeal in mind, the start-up league was desperate to sign her.
The Indiana Fever star was offered significant equity in the business and a three-month salary of over $1 million.
A significant boost on the $76,535 salary she earned with the Indiana Fever last year.
Although Clark’s main income comes off the court, along with other deals, she has an eight-year, $28 million contract with Nike
Therefore, having a more peaceful off-season like Wilson might have been too desirable to pass on for Clark and with the star raking in the money elsewhere, Unrivaled just could not offer her a attractive enough package.