Unrivaled league preparing massive offer for Caitlin Clark as they pick up pursuit.

Caitlin Clark’s got no shortage of off-season options, so if the Unrivaled league is going to land the face of the sport their offer will have to fit the name.

As Front Office Sports reported Wednesday, it will.

The new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league — co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier and gearing up for its inaugural season — is preparing to offer Clark a contract exceeding $1 million with other incentives for the three-month league.

FOS described it a “Lionel Messi-like” offer.

A “Messi-like” deal references the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink offer Major League Soccer extended to court the seven-time Ballon d’Or Winner in 2023, and could possibly include a handsome contract, partial ownership, generous financial incentives and even a stake in broadcast revenue.

For the Unrivaled league, which will tip off in Miami in January and run throughout the WNBA’s offseason, Clark’s involvement would be nothing short of revelatory.

Other female basketball players including Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese have already pledged their participation, but none carry a following like Clark.

The WNBA Rookie of the Year is the fourth-most marketable athlete on the globe, according to SportsPro — one notch behind LeBron James and one in front of the aforementioned Argentinian.

If Messi’s influences on the business and reputation of American soccer are any indication, Clark is well worth the price.

Lionel Messi received a sweetheart deal to join Inter Miami FC.AP
In the season preceding his arrival, Inter Miami FC generated revenue between $50-$60 million.

In 2023, that figure climbed to $120-$130 million, per ESPN. This year, the club is projecting to earn more than $200 million.

A rising tide lifts all boats— not just the super yachts in Miami. As MLS reported Tuesday, more people are watching American soccer than ever before— both on television and in person. Only England’s Premier League and Germany’s Bundesliga recorded higher attendance numbers.

The league also set new sponsorship, retail, social media and digital media records during the 2024 regular season.

The expectation is that Clark, like Messi, would bring fans into the arena, drive ratings for broadcast partner TNT Sports and grow advertising revenue.

Given that Unrivaled has pledged to offer “the highest average salary in professional women’s sports league history,” per the league’s spokeswoman who chatted with Front Office Sports, those profits would go a long way — for Clark and for the league’s other 29 players too.