Ice Cube’s Big3 basketball league is taking the world by storm. With names like Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley, and Dwight Howard lighting up arenas in three-on-three action, the league continues to gain traction — but it almost had its biggest moment yet.
In May 2024, Cube reportedly offered Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark a staggering $5 million to join the league — a jaw-dropping figure, especially when compared to the standard Big3 salary, which maxes out at around $100,000 per season.
But Clark wasn’t the only rookie on his radar.
According to TMZ, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese also received an offer to join the Big3. However, hers came nowhere close to matching Clark’s lucrative deal.
“The thing with Caitlin Clark was to unlock millions of dollars for the league — because of her stardom,” Cube said. “That’s what our sponsors were telling us. They didn’t tell us the same thing about Angel Reese… I don’t know if we can make the same offer.”
Just when you thought the Clark-Reese rivalry couldn’t get any spicier, Ice Cube poured more fuel on the fire.
The draw (and divide) between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese
Cube’s comments didn’t seem intended as a diss, but they clearly draw a commercial line between Clark and Reese — one that reflects how the two are perceived in the broader basketball and business worlds.
Clark, a record-setting superstar at Iowa and now in the WNBA, has been widely credited with boosting the league’s national profile. WNBA games featuring Clark have shattered attendance, viewership, and merchandise records. Opposing teams have relocated to larger venues to accommodate ticket demand. Her jersey sold out within seconds. League sponsors have flooded in at record levels.
Reese, on the other hand, has taken a more polarizing — but equally bold — path. After winning the 2023 NCAA championship by defeating Clark and LSU’s title run, she has drawn both admiration and criticism. But she hasn’t backed down. She even trademarked the term “MeBounds” in response to critics of her rebounding efficiency — all after setting WNBA rookie records for consecutive and total double-digit rebound performances.
Reese has been vocal in pushing back on the idea that Clark alone is responsible for the WNBA’s growth.
“It’s not just Caitlin. I’m here too,” Reese said last season.
Still, the Big3’s offer disparity paints a clear picture: Clark is seen as the centerpiece, while Reese — at least in this instance — was viewed as the discount alternative.
Would fans have paid to watch Angel Reese take the court in the Big3, battling NBA legends and 7-footers? Almost certainly. But Ice Cube’s remarks have now positioned Reese as the “cheaper option”, a tag that might just give her one more chip on her shoulder for seasons to come.
And if history tells us anything, that chip tends to fuel her greatness.
