Caitlin Clark had a memorable season© (Image: Getty)

WNBA star Caitlin Clark has been cautioned against making a significant career blunder. The young starlet has become a household name following her record-breaking debut season, where she racked up an impressive 769 points.

Her rookie stats also included 337 assists and 223 turnovers, both records in their own right. Thanks to her stellar performance with the Indiana Fever, Clark was selected for the All-WNBA First Team and has secured numerous sponsorship deals.

However, her rising fame has made her a prime target for the newly formed Unrivaled basketball league. This 3-on-3 format, which debuted at the Paris Olympics this year, has attracted several WNBA players who have signed professional contracts to participate when it kicks off in January.

Clark has remained tight-lipped about her potential involvement with the league, but sports commentator Jason Whitlock has warned her that joining would be a colossal mistake. He suggested that the WNBA’s support for the new venture is purely self-serving.

“Caitlin, please do everything in your power, avoid the Unrivaled basketball league,” Whitlock advised. “It’s a disaster in the making. The dumbest idea that I’ve ever heard. You don’t want to be associated with it.

“The league is not going to work. People have no interest in watching women play 3-on-3 basketball. It’s a dumb idea. It’s controlled opposition, it’s a gimmick to stop Caitlin Clark and anyone else from launching a true competitor to the WNBA. They don’t want rivals.”

In the unfolding drama of women’s 3-on-3 basketball, which so far hasn’t attracted any Fever players to its ranks, 26 out of the confirmed 30 athletes have steered clear of the format change. Amid these lukewarm player reactions, the new league nevertheless secured a lucrative TV deal with TNT Sports, ensuring significant revenue regardless of the success level of its debut season.

Whitlock has leveled yet another round of criticism at point guard Clark, in stark contrast to his previously singing accolades. In a turn of opinion last month, he expressed disdain for her playing style: “The whining, the complaining, the flopping, the victimhood, the tongue-wagging, the hyper-focus on engaging with fans and arguing with referees. I can’t take it.”

Should Clark decide to dribble into the new venture Unrivaled, she might face a delay linking up with the Fever for the 2025 WNBA season due to training interruptions. Moreover, committing to the league could interfere with her plans to swing into golf during downtime, as she has indicated an eagerness to hit off-season greens.

Decked out in more than just basketball gear, next month will see Clark tee off at an LPGA Tour pro-am spectacle orchestrated by golfing icon Annika Sorenstam. Hosted amidst the lush fairways of Florida’s Pelican Golf Club on November 13, Clark will rub shoulders with renowned female pros and high-profile celebrities in a show of multi-sport talent.