Unrivaled expands rosters in latest attempt to lure Caitlin Clark

With Unrivaled’s new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league adding Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston as their 30th player on Thursday, the league announced it plans to expand its total amount of players to 36.

Following a reported “Messi-like” offer to Fever star Caitlin Clark, the expansion gives the league more time and room to lure in the former Hawkeye legend.

“We’re able to do this because we outperformed our financial projections, and so now we get to do something that we wanted to do in the future, which is give more people spots in Unrivaled,” league co-founder and current Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, said in a social media video.

Collier and New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart developed the league to provide an alternative income option for players who might otherwise compete overseas during the WNBA’s offseason. This eight-week season will begin in January 2025 and occur during the peak of the WNBA’s offseason. Unrivaled has also promised players who join with equity options in the league.

Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Other WNBA players joining Unrivaled include Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd, and Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale. Additionally, Las Vegas Aces guard Kate Martin and Indiana Fever guard Lexi Hull recently committed to the league, both former Hawkeyes teammates.

Regarding the prospects of adding Clark, Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell told Sportico that the league is not applying a “full-court press” but rather giving her an opportunity to relax from basketball.

“We’re always going to have a roster spot for Caitlin Clark,” Bazzell said. “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.”

While there has not been much commotion from Clark’s side, Unrivaled hopes that the six additional spots and the reported offer will be enough to gain her commitment.

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Story originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire