The president of the Unrivaled Basketball League has made it clear that Caitlin Clark won’t be joining their ranks.

Indiana Fever’s Clark, 22, would understandably have been one of the biggest draws for the new 3-v-3 division, which launches in January. Her status as WNBA Rookie of the Year made her a sought-after figure for the start-up.

Speculation was rife when Unrivaled expanded its roster from 30 to 36 players, hinting at persistence in courting Clark’s talents. But Alex Bazzell, husband of co-founder Napheesa Collier, has insisted that wasn’t the case.

The move was actually made primarily so they could accommodate Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas, who reversed her earlier plan to play abroad. Speaking on The Ringer WNBA Show, Bazzell explained: “Because of it, we were able to then get AT involved.

“Because originally she was going to go play overseas and then changed her mind… and we’re like, ‘Well, we gotta figure out a way for AT to play’. So people think it was like, ‘Well, let’s make extra roster spots so we can give ourselves more time to recruit Caitlin’.

“That’s not entirely true. It was more about we already have players ready to come in [and] we want to make sure that they’re a part of this. At the same time, like, of course, I’ve been on record saying Caitlin will always have a spot in our league, and that is true, right?

Caitlin Clark meeting PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan

Clark is embracing golf, seen here with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan ( 

Image:

Getty Images)

“Like, we always want to be a home for the best of the best. She’s also first-team all-W. We went through our negotiations. Inevitably, she needed time this offseason, which we respect, so we hope to see her next year. She won’t be playing this year.”

Clark has looked to pursue her other sporting passion of golf so far in the offseason, taking part in various Pro-Am competitions. She’s passed up a lucrative opprtunity, with Unrivaled players promised $250,000 (£196k) salaries for just an eight-week season, while her own offer was rumored to be in the region of $1million (£785k).

The rosters have now been confirmed, despite only 34 of the 36 player slots being filled. Two wildcards remain, which have each been drafted to one of the six teams.