When Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were coming out of school, hip-hop legend and BIG3 founder Ice Cube extended a $5 million contract offer to the former Iowa star to be the first female athlete in his upstart 3-on-3 league — but the same wasn't offered to Reese.
Catching up with TMZ Sports over the weekend, Cube revealed his reasoning for only offering Caitlin the seven-figure deal over Angel. Saying how the BIG3's corporate sponsors assured him it would be worth the investment and they "didn't tell us the same thing about Angel Reese."
"I don't think we can make that same offer because it won't have the same impact to the league," the West Coast MC said.
Clark ended up turning down the league's advances and was drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever that spring, while Reese slid to the seven spot and the Chicago Sky.
Both ladies had a tremendous impact in their first seasons though, with Angel nearly setting the WNBA's single-season rebounding record and Caitlin setting all-time marks of her own while skyrocketing the league's attendance and viewership.
The former LSU All-American has talked about how her WNBA earnings are just a small part of what she makes compared to her off-court endorsements where she's been able to monetize her popularity (and divisiveness) among fans.
Angel has landed everything from Vogue spreads to her very own cover of NBA 2K — and she's also set to debut her first signature shoe with Reebok.
And while Caitlin Clark still may be one of sports' biggest draws, there are plenty of opportunities to be had for the W's other players on this wave that she helped create.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!