Earlier today (March 27), TMZ revealed that Ice Cube’s BIG3 basketball league submitted a $5 million offer to Caitlin Clark to join as a player. According to the publication, the NCAA point guard would only need to play eight regular season games and, if applicable, two playoff games to be guaranteed the money. Not only would there be "substantial additional compensation" through merchandising and sponsorships, the deal wouldn't come with an exclusivity clause -- meaning that Clark could play in the WNBA.
Not long after the news hit the internet, Cube hopped on Twitter to both confirm and explain his company's decision.
"We intended [for] the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship. But I won’t deny what’s now already out there. BIG3 made a historic offer," he wrote. "Why wouldn’t we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."
The rap legend and mogul cited previous acquisitions and gave his take on the current state of women in professional sports. "The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men’s pro team and she won the championship in her first year. Then, Lisa Leslie won it all in year two," Cube stated. "With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes... [who] should not be forced to spend their offseason playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet."
He continued, "They should have more than just one professional option in the U.S. at a time when American pro sports leagues are being infiltrated by autocratic, anti-women regimes such as Qatar. Our pathbreaking offer to Caitlin Clark demonstrates that BIG3 now offers another choice for athletes."
Currently, Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes are preparing for a Sweet 16 matchup against the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday (March 30). As of this report, she hadn't responded to Cube's opportunity.