Ice Cube reveals he offered Caitlin Clark the bag to bring her talents to the BIG3 League. On Wednesday (Mar. 27), the West Coast legend took to X/Twitter to confirm the rumors. He expressed that they intended to keep the matter private but then elaborated on how much money he offered the Iowa Hawkeyes star player.
“We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship,” Ice Cube wrote on X/Twitter. “But I won’t deny what’s now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn’t we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3… America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off-seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet.”
“The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men’s pro team, and she won the championship in her first year. Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes.”
Cube later appeared on The Pat McAfee Show, detailing his decision to offer Clark a spot in the BIG3. The entertainer spoke glowingly about the face of women’s college basketball. He also expressed that it would be a huge and revolutionary move for women’s professional sports.
“It’s always 50/50 until we get a ‘no,'” he said. “At the end of the day, it is a generous offer, we’re in the new age. It’s like NIL. When we came up with the idea, our sponsors and partners wanted to make it happen. We was able to make that generous offer.”
“[But] it’s up to the player. We’ve always wanted to work with the WNBA. We’ve wanted to work with the NBA but unfortunately that hasn’t been able to happen but maybe this will open the door for that… When we came up with the idea to make this offer to Caitlin Clark our partners and sponsors all wanted to make it happen. Both leagues play on CBS, and we’ve wanted to work with the WNBA for a long time,” he added.
ESPN reports that the WNBA had no comment regarding Clark’s possible playing in the BIG3. However, a spokesperson for the league did mention some proposed earnings that Caitlin is set to make if she plays in the WNBA: “Caitlin Clark stands to make a half million dollars or more in WNBA earnings this coming season, in addition to what she will receive through endorsements and other partnerships, which has been reported to already exceed $3 million.”
In February, the athlete announced she was entering the WNBA Draft. The Hawkeye’s sharpshooter is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 Draft, which takes place on April 15. Experts have speculated that the Indiana Fever will select her.
“While this season is far from over, and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa. I am excited to be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft,” she typed on social media. “It is impossible to fully express my gratitude to everyone who has supported me during my time at Iowa – my teammates, who made the last four years the best; coaches, trainers, and staff who always let me be me; Hawkeye fans who filled Carver every night; and everyone who came out to support us across the country, especially the kids. Most importantly, none of this would have been possible without my family and friends who have been by my side through it all. Because of all of you, my dreams came true.”
Before then, fans can catch Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the March Madness Sweet Sixteen. The Hawkeyes will face the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday (Mar. 30).
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