Caitlin Clark being aggressively pursued by women's basketball startup league as WNBA faces potential lockout

Caitlin Clark's talents are successful high demand. 

The women's hoops phenom has carried her athletics to historical heights of popularity, some successful assemblage and nan WNBA. In nan aforesaid week nan WNBA collapsed its viewership grounds for a finals crippled Sunday nighttime erstwhile nan Liberty hit nan Lynx successful Game 5, nan convention faces a major negotiation betwixt players and owners.

The WNBA player's union, nan WNBPA, elected to opt retired of its existent statement pinch nan convention this week. The players could activity increases successful gross sharing and different perks arsenic they discuss a caller corporate bargaining statement (CBA) pinch nan league. The existent CBA expires astatine nan extremity of adjacent season. 

If nary statement is reached, nan WNBA could person a imaginable subordinate lockout. And while nan convention did amended its ratings and merchandising sales, it is still reportedly projected to suffer money this year. The WNBA has ne'er had a profitable twelvemonth successful its history. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

If nan business devolves into a messiness betwixt nan convention and WNBPA, Clark will reportedly person different options. 

A caller startup women's hoops league, Unrivaled, is scheduled to launch, led by existent WNBA players Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. Playing successful Unrivaled wouldn't forestall Clark from remaining successful nan WNBA because nan convention would beryllium played during nan WNBA offseason. However, Unrivaled will look to compete financially pinch nan WNBA.

The biggest quality betwixt this caller convention and nan WNBA is Unrivaled would characteristic a 3-on-3 format, alternatively than 5-on-5. That intends a greater accent connected a smaller number of players. Unrivaled will only person 30 players successful its first season, cutting down connected nan costs of salaries for hundreds of players for illustration successful nan WNBA. 

A 3-on-3 format would make Clark much important connected nan tribunal and presumably disconnected of it too. 

CAITLIN CLARK LAMENTS PRICEY FEVER SEASON TICKETS AND LOW WNBA SALARIES 

Caitlin Clark poses pinch WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert aft she is selected pinch nan No. 1 wide prime by nan Indiana Fever successful nan 2024 WNBA Draft astatine nan Brooklyn Academy of Music successful Brooklyn, N.Y., April 15, 2024. (Brad Penner/USA Today Sports)

Clark collapsed respective WNBA records this season, including nan single-season assistance grounds and rookie scoring record, among others. She led nan Indiana Fever backmost to nan playoffs for nan first clip successful 8 years. And nary subordinate brought much eyeballs to women's hoops than Clark. The 15 most-watched WNBA games this past play each included her. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Unrivaled is preparing to connection Clark a woody akin to nan 1 that brought shot fable Lionel Messi to MLS successful nan U.S. past year, according to a study by Front Office Sports. Inter Miami FC of nan MLS coughed up $150 million, partial ownership and different financial incentives to bring Messi to nan U.S.-based shot league. 

Unrivaled promises its 30 players nan "highest salaries successful master women’s sports convention history."

Connecticut Sun defender DiJonai Carrington (21) fouls Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark (22) successful nan 2nd half of a WNBA hoops crippled successful Indianapolis, Aug. 28, 2024.  (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

"Unrivaled is proud to connection nan highest mean net successful master women’s sports convention history — successful summation to offering an equity liking to each athletes competing successful nan inaugural season," a convention spokeswoman told Front Office Sports. "While we judge Unrivaled is mounting a caller modular successful nan marketplace, we are not disclosing individual subordinate compensation packages aliases convention financials astatine this time."  

Clark's WNBA net her rookie twelvemonth was $76,535. Next year, her net will spell up to $78,066.

The WNBA conscionable signed an 11-year media authorities woody pinch NBC, Disney and Amazon Prime worthy astir $200 cardinal opening successful 2026. 

The playoffs saw a viewership summation of much than 140% earlier nan WNBA Finals moreover started, which marked nan highest viewership since nan league's inaugural play successful 1997. 

Clark played nan biggest portion successful this detonation successful popularity. One of her playoff games generated 2.5 cardinal viewers alone. Clark besides helped nan convention break nan single-game attendance grounds and situation NFL games for viewers connected aggregate occasions. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.