Ice Cube Offers $5 Million to NCAA Star Caitlin Clark for Big3 League: A Game-Changer for Women’s Sports Investment and Growth

Ice Cube Makes $5 Million Offer to University of Iowa Basketball Star Caitlin Clark, Reflecting Surging Interest in Women’s Sports

Hip-hop legend Ice Cube made headlines in late March when he confirmed on social media platform X a story that had been circulating about his Big3 men’s basketball league. The 54-year-old businessman linked to a TMZ article reporting a “blockbuster $5 million offer” Big3 had made to University of Iowa basketball player Caitlin Clark, praising her as a “generational athlete” who could achieve tremendous success in the league.

Clark, known for her sharpshooting skills as the NCAA’s highest scoring player ever, drew attention from celebrities like “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis and rapper Travis Scott at Iowa Hawkeyes games. The recent college women’s basketball championship game between the Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks even outperformed any basketball game — women’s or men’s, college or pro — in viewership since 2019, according to ESPN.

Ice Cube’s offer to Clark, which includes just 8 regular season games and two potential playoff games, represents a substantial increase over the average salary paid to professional women basketball players, which stands at about $147,745 annually. This offer comes amid a broader trend of increased interest in women’s sports, with attendance at US women’s pro soccer games rising by 23% in 2023 and a YouGov survey revealing that 44% of sports fans aged 18 to 24 prefer watching women’s sports.

Moreover, consulting firm Deloitte predicts that women’s sports, encompassing soccer, basketball, tennis, and golf, will surpass $1 billion in revenue this year for the first time ever, marking a 300% increase over 2021. Hedge fund mogul Marc Larsry has heralded women’s sports as the next “big opportunity” for sports investing, prompting a flurry of activity from investors across industries.

Private-equity firms, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs alike are seizing the opportunity to invest in women’s sports businesses, recognizing the potential for significant returns in a rapidly growing market. With a surge of interest in women’s sports driving both player earnings and investor activity, the future looks promising for this expanding sector.