### Unrivaled Women's Basketball League Eyes Star Recruit Caitlin Clark

The newly established "Unrivaled" women's basketball league is setting its sights high, aiming to recruit standout player Caitlin Clark. This ambitious league, co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, has recently secured an inaugural TV deal with TNT Sports, which will broadcast 45 regular-season games on TNT and truTV, in addition to streaming on Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max platform. With the media landscape in place, Unrivaled plans to extend an offer to Clark in the coming weeks, according to sources.

Unrivaled has been careful in its approach, opting not to rush their recruitment efforts immediately after Clark’s impressive rookie season with the Indiana Fever. Instead, they allowed her an offseason to recover, play golf, and tend to other engagements. Clark, who became the first rookie since Candace Parker to be named to the All-WNBA first team, has a lucrative eight-year contract with Nike worth $28 million and endorsements from major brands like Gatorade and State Farm.

The league hopes that offering Clark a financial stake and the opportunity to compete against the world's top 30 players will be persuasive enough. Recruiting Clark, renowned for her ability to draw significant TV audiences, would be a major coup for TNT, which faces the potential loss of NBA broadcasting rights after this season, ending a four-decade-long streak.

This endeavor to recruit top talent is backed by seasoned sports media executives like David Levy and John Skipper. Both Levy and Skipper, who are also investors, played critical roles in the league's media rights negotiations. Levy, with his extensive experience from Turner Sports, sees enormous potential in adding Clark to Unrivaled’s roster.

The league, which has received significant support from the WNBA, aligns closely with its vision for growth. The WNBA itself secured a $2.2 billion media-rights deal this year with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime, set to start in 2026. Levy even entertains the possibility of taking games to specific fan bases, such as traveling to Iowa should Clark join.

Collier, when asked about Clark's possible recruitment, hinted at more rookies joining the league soon. She emphasized the positive impact that Clark has had on the WNBA, generating significant revenue for teams while earning a modest base salary of around $75,000. Collier underscored the league's mission to ensure top players are adequately recognized and compensated.

In bolstering their sports portfolio, TNT Sports' chairman Luis Silberwasser emphasized the network's dedication to expanding top-tier women's sports programming, highlighting the opportunity to boost the profile and growth of women's basketball through this partnership with Unrivaled.