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Ice Cube Talks About Caitlin Clark Turning Him Down

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 11:35 AM ET

Caitlin Clark continues to make headlines in her second WNBA season with the Indiana Fever. As the All-Star break wraps up, fans across the league are eager to see Clark back on the court after a first half marked by various injuries that sidelined her for stretches.

Athlon Sports recently spoke with rap icon Ice Cube, who opened up about his efforts to recruit Clark to his Big3 league. While that plan didn’t pan out, Cube made it clear the offer was serious.

“We offered her $5 million,” he said. “It wasn’t just a marketing stunt. Her agents kind of snuffed it out. We never got a chance to talk directly to her or her family, so we never really got to make our case.”

Cube said he believed the opportunity could’ve been historic for Clark.

"We thought she could have a Billie Jean King moment and break a barrier by playing professional three-on-three," he said.

Despite Clark turning down the offer, Ice Cube had no hard feelings. He’s proud of the direction the Big3 is heading.

“I think we’re owning the culture right now when it comes to basketball,” he said. “And we’re gonna continue to do it.”

After Clark declined the Big3 offer, the story didn’t end there. As Athlon Sports' Joe Vitale reported back in March 2024, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy jokingly tried to up the ante.

“I’ll offer Caitlin Clark $10 million to play on our intramural hoops team,” Portnoy said.

Through the first half of the season, Clark has played in 13 of the Fever’s 23 games. Indiana heads into the second half with a 12-11 record. When she’s on the floor, Clark is averaging 31.1 minutes and 16.5 points per game.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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