The ongoing debate over big-money opportunities in women’s basketball heated up again this week, with Ice Cube confirming that Angel Reese was never considered for the $5 million deal his BIG3 league famously offered to Caitlin Clark.
Cube, speaking to TMZ Sports at LAX, made it clear that while he respects the Chicago Sky rookie, there will not be a lucrative contract proposal sent her way anytime soon.
“I don’t know if we can make that same offer,” Cube said, noting the economic realities behind his league’s decision.
According to Ice Cube, BIG3 sponsors made it obvious they believed Clark would deliver huge returns – something they never indicated about Reese.
Sponsorship dollars decide who gets the offers
The unique $5 million offer was presented to Caitlin Clark during her time at Iowa, and would have required her to play only eight regular-season games and possibly two playoff matchups.
Clark ultimately turned down the historic proposal and instead went on to sign with the Indiana Fever in the WNBA.
When asked directly about Angel Reese, Cube was blunt: “They didn’t tell us the same thing about Angel Reese.”
Without a similar level of sponsor interest or projected revenue, Cube explained, there was no financial incentive for the league to make a comparable offer.
Despite missing out on Clark and, by extension, Reese, Cube expressed satisfaction with the current state of the BIG3.
“We got some great players,” he said, citing the impact of names like Lance Stephenson, Dwight Howard, Wesley Johnson, and Montrezl Harrell. “The league has been must-see TV for sure.”
Even as the BIG3 continues to attract talented players and generate headlines, the message is clear: headline-grabbing offers like the one extended to Clark are the exception, not the rule.
For now, Ice Cube and the league are focused on their current roster and the excitement they bring, leaving the door open but not expecting similar deals for other WNBA stars.
Read the full article here
