Caitlin Clark undoubtedly made a bigger splash in the WNBA than her rival, Angel Reese, and that difference extends to their value. And Ice Cube can attest to this. On Saturday, the BIG3 founder explained why Reese won’t be getting the $5 million deal that was then offered to Clark.
Ice Cube notably gave Clark the offer in 2023, where she was already making waves as she led the Iowa Hawkeyes to the NCAA Finals. The star guard obviously didn’t accept it, and she went on to play another college season (and another Finals run) before applying for the W Draft in 2024.
Speaking to TMZ, Cube didn’t hold back when the reporter asked him why the BIG3 didn’t give the same offer to Reese, playing for the Chicago Sky.
“Yeah, she’s a great player,” Cube said. “The thing with Caitlin Clark it was just to unlock millions of dollars for the league because of her stardom. What our sponsors were telling us. You know they didn’t tell us the same thing about Angel Reese. I don’t know if we can make that same offer.”
“I don’t think we can make that same offer because it won’t have the same impact to the league.”
Ice Cube, BIG3 Won’t Offer Angel Reese $5 Million Caitlin Clark Deal | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/k1VuCHamJr pic.twitter.com/KuEcmdDQvy
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) July 27, 2025
Ice Cube’s BIG3 league—an eight-team, 3×3 circuit featuring ex-NBA stars like Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap—was never built for WNBA rising stars with packed calendars. Adding Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese always felt like a reach, given their full-time grind as the W’s next faces.
Adding to this is the fact that Caitlin Clark and Reese are already getting higher pay, although off the court. Both have multiple endorsements from famous companies, while Reese is playing for the 3×3 league Unrivaled. However, they share the same advocacy for a higher salary in the WNBA.
Caitlin Clark is backed by celebrities, has higher value than Reese
Ice Cube was just one of the famous figures who had admitted that Caitlin Clark’s marketability is really what makes her stand out amongst her fellow stars. More celebrities, from former NBA player Jim Jackson to controversial analysts, have given their reasons behind Clark’s high value.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy is arguably the boldest out of Caitlin Clark’s supporters. With his claims that Clark is the “most marketable American athlete in the world,” he has clashed with many fans and critics alike. Adding to him is FOX Sports analyst Colin Cowherd, who compared the Indiana Fever star’s impact to that of golf icon Tiger Woods.
While Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark’s rival, impact on the WNBA through her partnerships is no doubt true, and in values unimagined, it’s also a fact that Clark stands out the most.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
