Rapper, actor, and BIG3 co-founder Ice Dice made headlines in March when he reportedly prolonged a “historic” $5 million contract provide to Caitlin Clark.
Now he’s revealing the small print of the rumored provide, which he says is at the moment off the desk because of “hating” from her group.
On June 13, Ice Dice made an look on “The Dan Patrick Present,” the place he was requested if the BIG3’s provide to Caitlin Clark nonetheless stands.
“Nah, we’ve moved on,” mentioned Dice. “We see that she’s centered on the WNBA and we actually didn’t get nice engagement from the provide from their group. I believe the brokers had been hating on it just a little bit.”
Ice Dice additionally revealed the small print of the provide and their intentions to probably give Clark an possession stake in a group.
“It was two years, $5 million a yr,” Ice Dice mentioned. “And plus, we had been going to do cool stuff with merch and there was even speak about a proportion in group possession. We consider her coming into the BIG3 can be such an enormous deal that every one boats would rise, and the league would profit from the eye.”
At the moment, no ladies play in Ice Dice’s BIG3 league.
In an op-ed revealed in April, BIG3 co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz predicted that the full worth of Clark’s contract may exceed $15 million.
“Financially, in comparison with her paltry WNBA wage, it was a MEGA provide, mentioned Kwatinetz. “Ten million {dollars} of wage over two years, a proportion of group possession value tens of millions, fifty p.c of merchandising revenues from her title and likeness, and possession of a BIG3 documentary with a seven-figure advance. In complete, we’re speaking fifteen million {dollars} or extra to merely play a ten-game season. Whereas nonetheless permitting her to play within the WNBA. The best possible of each worlds!”
In response to Clark, the deal by no means made it onto her radar till she scrolled by social media. “I discovered concerning the BIG3 factor on the actual time you all did, and my essential focus is simply on taking part in basketball,” Clark mentioned on March 29.
Clark was the highest general choice within the 2024 WNBA draft. Her four-year rookie contract is value a complete of $338,056. Her WNBA wage sparked debates on the inequality of feminine athletes’ salaries. A $5 million determine can be considerably increased than any base wage Clark may garner within the WNBA. The league’s 12 groups’ salaries are capped at an estimated $1,463,200 per group getting into this season, in keeping with information from Spotrac.
Nonetheless, some argued the purported provide from the BIG3 didn’t match the advertising and marketing energy and publicity Clark would have delivered to the desk.
“Principally as a result of the provide is about 40mil brief based mostly on the publicity she’d deliver,” one particular person wrote on X.
Whereas others had been vital of the way in which Clark’s representatives responded to the supposed provide.
“Very disenchanted to listen to that the brokers had been dismissive of the provide and the league. There are constructive methods to have interaction whereas sustaining give attention to priorities. Ice Dice is a good man whose provide/concepts ought to have been handled respectfully. I hope the league does properly,” one other particular person wrote.
There have been additionally some who believed the deal by no means stood an opportunity.
“That deal was a publicity stunt,” mentioned one sports activities fan.
“Ice Dice is so filled with sh—. He is aware of he doesn’t have the cash to offer her. He is aware of she would by no means take into account taking part in within the Huge 3. He did this for clout and advertising and marketing functions solely,” echoed one other.
A 3rd fan merely concluded, “That ship has sailed and now sunk!”
However Clark’s advertising and marketing and endorsement offers are set to vastly outpace her WNBA earnings. Her title, picture, and likeness (NIL) offers in school had been value greater than an estimated $3 million, in accordance to ON3. She continues to obtain monetary advantages from these offers.
However the place she may lack in wage, she is going to make up for it with partnerships and model offers. In April, Clark inked a $28 million contract with athletic footwear and attire company Nike. The deal features a signature shoe, The Wall Road Journal reported.
