Ice Cube explains the BIG3’s offer to Caitlin Clark: “It’s kind of a NIL situation”
The BIG3 offered Clark $5 million to play for them, that’s a heft sum, considering she is expected to make just $76,535 this year if she is picked first overall in the upcoming WNBA draft. Based on the WNBA collective bargaining agreement, she is projected to sign a $338,056 contract, which includes a fourth-year player option.
During his recent appearance on the All the Smoke podcast, league founder Ice Cube was asked how the BIG3 came up with the idea of offering Caitlin the deal and how they came up with the amount of money involved.
“We just felt like we had a great opportunity and we wanted to extend the opportunity,” said Ice Cube.
Like an NIL situation
Ice Cube said that opportunity came when the BIG3’s sponsors came to him and talked about the possibility of Clark playing in the league. With interest in her, Cube said that’s why they approached her about the offer. He, however, refused to confirm nor deny if the amount on the table was $5 million.
We don’t really want to go all the way into the deal and everything we have offered,” said Ice Cube. “If she agrees it’ll all come out. With us it’s kind of a NIL situation, our sponsors are clamoring, they would love for her to join the league, and if she joined the league, they would support the league even more. It’s a thing where we believe the money is there if she decides to join the league with no problem because they’re just sitting there waiting for her.”
Ice Cube said he wouldn’t be doing his job as CEO of the BIG3 if he did not look into what the league sponsors had in mind and try to make it happen. He believes that if Clark plays in the BIG3, everybody is going to benefit from it, including the league.
Kenyon Martin thinks it ridiculous
Since the news linking Clark to the BIG3 came out last week, it has gotten mixed reactions. Former NBA star Kenyon Martin, who has experience playing in the BIG3, called the offer ridiculous, saying that Caitlin couldn’t handle the physicality in the 3-on-3 league.
“It’s a step under prison ball,” said Martin. “You got prison ball. You got Big 3…Could you imagine her gettin’ stuck down on Reggie Evans? Just take for sh*** if this was a real thing, and she was able to participate, and he put her out there. Could you imagine her being matched up and Reggie guarding her for one, For two, her being in a 3-on-3, she can’t hide nowhere. Guard Reggie Evans out there, MF.”
Ice Cube addressed this matter during the All the Smoke interview, saying that while it’s unsafe for her to go at it with Evans, the BIG3 is no longer the hardcore league it was during its first couple of years.
He added that they’ve looked at the size of the guards in the league and believe that female players would do well at that spot. Whether Caitlin agrees or not remains to be seen. And we don’t expect an answer until March Madness is over.
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