Overview

• In 2024, Ice Cube’s Big3 extended a $5 million contract to Caitlin Clark after sponsors projected her star power would drive significant revenue, but Clark declined to pursue her WNBA career and endorsements.
• On July 28, Ice Cube told TMZ Sports that Big3 backers did not guarantee equivalent funding for Angel Reese, making the league unable to replicate Clark’s deal.
• Angel Reese has bolstered her brand as a WNBA All-Star, landing the NBA 2K26 WNBA Edition cover and becoming the face of Reebok’s first female basketball signature shoe in over a decade.
• Reese also competed in the inaugural Unrivaled three-on-three league and collected a $50,000 championship bonus, underscoring alternative leagues’ role in supplementing modest WNBA salaries.
• The decision highlights how corporate sponsor confidence and athletes’ marketability shape high-profile recruitment and earning opportunities in emerging basketball platforms.