Unrivaled added another marquee name to its roster Wednesday in Kelsey Plum, but sources said the league is leaving its final two spots open while Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson decide whether to commit for the 2026 season.
The 3-on-3 league had previously set an internal deadline to have all players announced by Oct. 1, but Unrivaled GM Clare Duwelius said Wednesday “a few of the players we’re in productive negotiations with just need a little extra time –and we’re all about giving our athletes the space to make big decisions on their own terms.
“That means we’ve still got two roster spots, and we can’t wait to share who will be filling them soon,” Duwelius said.
Sources said Duwelius was specifically alluding to Clark and Wilson, and the sense is this is the closest Clark has been to joining the league after a roughly $1M offer last season. Two of her Fever teammates, Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull, have already signed with Unrivaled.
Sources said Unrivaled’s original plan was to have the full roster settled before proclaiming it was taking a league trip to Philadelphia to play games at Mobile Xfinity Arena, but are willing to alter the timeframe as they wait for those two key players.
Clark, due to injuries to her quad and groin, only played 13 games in the WNBA this season and is believed to be deciding how to re-immerse herself in the sport. One potential roadblock is the W’s ongoing CBA negotiations, which could conceivably result in a work stoppage when the current contract expires Oct. 31, unless there is an extension. In the event of a lockout, Clark would likely be barred from working out at the Fever facility and would perhaps have to create her own scrimmage games similar to how NBA players convene every summer at UCLA.
Last off-season, after deciding against playing in Unrivaled, Clark spent much of her time at the Fever practice center playing against male players the team put together for her. But without access to the building this winter, Unrivaled or other leagues such as Athletes Unlimited become more formidable options. She could also participate for USA Basketball, which plays in a March qualifying tournament.
Some have speculated Clark’s injuries this season were related to her not training full boar last fall and winter, but a source close to her said she works out all the time like “a psychopath” and was ready for the 2025 season.
“She was in shape,” the source said. “I think she just got a little hurt, and then she was also getting f—- beat up by other players. It was just a matter of time.”
If Clark opts for Unrivaled, she would have access to the accomplished USA Basketball trainer Susan Borchardt, who handles the league’s strength, conditioning and recovery program. Each Unrivaled team will also have its own athletic trainer, physiotherapists with them at all times, as opposed to last season when the six teams and 36 player total had to share them.
As for concerns that the grind of the 3-on-3 format could cause Clark to aggravate her injuries, the league’s president Alex Bazzell — the husband of Lynx star and Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier — told SBJ that in general terms the opposite is true.
“If you watch basketball, it’s always played in actions of three,’’ said Bazzell, who is a player development coach for men and women players. “…This [league] is that. It’s just you’re getting more reps, right? And you get those reps without the pressure of having it all condensed and having no spacing, which can become frustrating as a player. … You get the ample reps you need without putting the wear and tear on your body.”
Plum’s arrival, announced Wednesday, is a coup for the league, considering she averaged 19.5 points and 5.7 assists for the Sparks and is one the more recognizable faces who did not play in Unrivaled last season. Other players who have opted to play for Unrivaled in recent days are Cameron Brink and Arike Ogunbowale.