Caitlin Clark won’t be taking her talents to South Beach after all.
The Indiana Fever star has declined an offer to play in Unrivaled Basketball, the new 3-on-3 league set to debut in January 2025, ESPN reported Wednesday evening.
The news comes just hours after the league unveiled its six teams’ rosters and coaching assignments during a 22-minute YouTube livestream.
With two open spots remaining in the league, some had speculated that the video’s length was a nod to Clark’s No. 22 Fever jersey.
That detail, though, now appears to be nothing more than a quirky coincidence.
Clark reportedly turned down a $1 million offer to join the league, co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. The Athletic reported, though, that Clark’s invite will remain on the table on the off chance she changes her mind.
But if there’s anyone who could use some time away from the court and spotlight, perhaps it’s Clark, who’s coming off a record-setting rookie campaign.
Clark averaged a rookie-best 19.2 points and 8.4 assists per game. She also grabbed 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from 3-point range en route to nearly unanimously winning the 2024 Rookie of the Year award.
It’s also notable that Clark had only a little break between Iowa’s NCAA Tournament run to the national championship game and the WNBA preseason starting up.
She also became a lightning rod in the WNBA, with some of her most passionate fans rallying to her defense on the physicality she faced.
Clark has hit the green this offseason. Last week, she participated in the pro-am for The Annika LPGA tournament. And on Wednesday, she made an appearance at the RSM Classic Pro-Am.
Clark is also scheduled to be a guest speaker at a major women’s sports awards luncheon in Kansas City on Feb. 4 which will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
Who takes the last two spots on Unrivaled remains to be seen. The league will tip off in Miami on Jan. 17.