Unrivaled is a new women’s basketball league that is not living up to its name yet. This week, WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and ROY Caitlin Clark both reported that they declined invitations to the 3 vs 3 league that will begin in January 2025.
WNBA superstars prioritize offseason over new 3×3 league
Clark and Wilson are the two biggest names in WNBA basketball currently. Clark’s popularity skyrocketed WNBA viewership due to her unique skills and media coverage in college.
Wilson is the face of the WNBA due to her success in winning individual MVPs as well as winning titles with the Las Vegas Aces. When Clark joined the league, Wilson became more of a household name.
Wilson averaged career-high numbers last year and also led the league in scoring with 26.9 ppg. A source close to her stated that she “values her off-season” which was the biggest reason for turning Unrivaled down.
The source, according to SI.com, stated “A’ja just, honestly, she likes to rest her body, she doesn’t want to play year-round…And that’s where she has risen her game. If you haven’t noticed, she’s come back with adding something in her game every season. And that’s where it happens is in the off-season.”
The Aces started the 2024 season off with a 6-6 record but finished the rest of their games with 21 wins and 7 losses. The Aces lost steam in the WNBA playoffs when they fell to the eventual champion New York Liberty.
Clark had a sensational rookie year which is why Unrivaled offered her a lot of money to join the league, the rumor is $1 million and equity in the league. Clark set the scoring record for rookies and also set the WNBA all-time assists record.
Unfortunately for Unrivaled, Wilson and the Aces will focus on their off-season with intentions to win a third title in four years for Las Vegas. Clark also has improvements to make from her rookie year for her team to compete for a title. To Wilson and Clark, success in the WNBA matters more than trying this 3×3 basketball league.
