CNN
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Iowa Hawkeyes celebrity Caitlin Clark was requested Friday about a much-publicized offer to be part of the Big3, a 3-on-3 skilled basketball league based by Ice Cube, that includes a number of former NBA gamers.
She spoke to the media ahead of her workforce’s Sweet 16 Saturday matchup with (*16*) in Albany, New York.
“To be honest, I found out about the Big3 thing at the exact time you all did, and my main focus is on just playing basketball,” Clark mentioned of the multimillion-dollar offer. “I honestly don’t talk about those things with really anybody. I have other people that deal with it, and they haven’t said a word to me about it. My main focus is on this team and helping us find a way to beat Colorado and hopefully win another one after that.”
The Big3’s offer, price a reported $5 million for a single season, would nonetheless permit the NCAA Division I all-time main scorer to play in the WNBA, the place she’s projected to be the primary choose in April’s draft.
“We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship,” Ice Cube mentioned in a assertion supplied to CNN on Wednesday. “But I won’t deny what’s now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn’t we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3. … With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes.”
The Big3 isn’t Clark’s solely basketball offer past her school profession.
The 22-year-old Iowa native was additionally invited to participate in USA Basketball’s Olympic coaching camp subsequent week in Cleveland. But Clark and her coach Lisa Bluder are hopeful the reigning national participant of the yr can have different business at hand in Cleveland, which can be internet hosting the ladies’s Final Four.
“She did tell me about the invitation that she was getting for USA Basketball, but she hopes that she’s not there,” Bluder mentioned. “We all hope she’s not there next weekend.”
Clark appeared humbled by the prospect of enjoying for Team USA, however she confused her high precedence proper now’s on successful a national championship with Iowa.
“USA Basketball is my – that’s your dream. You always want to grow up and be on the Olympic team, but lucky for me, I have the opportunity of possibly not doing that because I want to be at the Final Four playing basketball with my team,” Clark mentioned. “But if not, that’s the place I’ll be.
“People that are on that roster are people that I idolize and have idolized growing up. Just to be extended a camp invite is something you have to be proud of and celebrate and enjoy. But more than anything, my focus is on winning these two games, and that’s exactly how it should be.”
The top-seeded Hawkeyes will face the (*16*) Buffaloes at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday for a probability to advance to the Elite Eight.