With Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever well into the offseason, Jason Whitlock claimed that the rookie sensation should spearhead a league to rival the WNBA.
As the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx battle in the WNBA finals, players have spread across different leagues to make up for their non-lucrative salaries.
Speaking on his Fearless program, the ever-controversial sports media personality went off on how poorly-ran the WNBA is and laid down his idea.
‘Half the WNBA right now is overseas, playing in some foreign league because they don’t make enough money during the WNBA season,’ Whitlock said. ‘They’re already playing in rival leagues, why not start a rival league?’
‘You can have a rival league that operates during the summer or you can have a rival league that starts now. Right here in America,’ he continued.
Jason Whitlock suggested that Caitlin Clark should spearhead a league to rival the WNBA
Whitlock went on to reference Clark’s fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso, who was one of the players who left the US to play overseas. He added how a rivaling league with Clark as the front woman would be ideal for her contemporaries.
‘I just saw Kamilla Cardoso, I can’t remember what country she was flying off to,’ Whitlock said. ‘But you think Kamilla wouldn’t say ‘Oh, I don’t have to leave the country, I can play basketball, and I can get paid?’ To play in the XX league where Caitlin Clark and that league will draw a better audience. More people in the seats than the WNBA. And [Cardoso] won’t have to be a tool for politics.’
Furthermore, Whitlock claimed that Saudi Arabia would gladly fund the rivaling league. He also slammed the NBA and WNBA commissioners for not maximizing Clark’s ability to draw an audience.
‘I’m gonna tell you who’s going to do this, Saudi Arabia,’ he said. ‘They can see what I can see. Man, there’s a lot of momentum behind Caitlin Clark and women’s basketball.’
‘Adam Silver, Cathy Engelbert, the people running the NBA and the WNBA, they are idiots, Whitlock continued. ‘They don’t know how to maximize this Caitlin Clark gift.’
Whitlock added that Clark’s rival Angel Reese and UConn players would jump ship
Breanna Stewart and Nepheesa Collier founded the ‘Unrivaled’ 3vs3 league in 2023
Clark’s Rookie of the Year campaign inspired a spike in the WNBA’s viewership and attendance numbers. While campaigning for the Indiana Fever star to revolt against the league, Whitlock listed players who would jump ship with her, including rival Angel Reese.
‘I don’t know fully where Caitlin Clark stands, she may be a closeted feminist but I know money talks,’ Whitlock said. ‘I think Angel Reese, all she cares about is money and attention – she’ll jump on board. Juju Watkins, she’ll jump on board. Paige Bueckers, I think she would jump on board.’
Whitlock suggested that UConn women’s basketball Geno Auriemma should be the commissioner and players should be part owners of the association.
Breanna Stewart of the Liberty and Nepheesa Collier of the Lynx – both UConn alums – founded the Unrivalled 3on3 league which will launch in January. The league will play in Florida and has 26 players and six teams.
