3 potential career moves that can accelerate $3.1 million NIL-valued Caitlin Clark's post-Iowa career

Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark has steadily built her brand, which, along with her performances on the court, has helped her become the most recognizable college sports prospect in the country.

The record-breaking Iowa star has since been the subject of intense speculation after being offered a huge deal to play 3-on-3 basketball in the Big 3 League owned by rapper Ice Cube.

There has been a further attempt to tempt her away to a new league. In light of all these offers, we will explore three potential career paths open to the star, who, as per On3, is worth $3.1 million in terms of NIL valuation.

#3. Barstool intramural team

After Ice Cube's offer was confirmed on Wednesday, there seemed to be a bidding war for the services of the Hawkeyes star. Barstool founder Dave Portnoy offered a mind-boggling $10 million per season to secure her services for the Barstool intramural team. It cannot be confirmed to be a serious offer, as it is recreational basketball at best.

He tweeted the offer on X:

"I'll offer Caitlin Clark 10 million to play on our intramural hoops team," he wrote.

#2. The Big 3 League

Late on Wednesday, TMZ confirmed that influential rapper Ice Cube, who is part owner of the Big 3 League, was offering Caitlin Clark a mammoth $5 million to play for a team in his league.

The Big 3 League is co-owned by the rapper and executive Jeff Kwatinetz and is a 3-on-3 league containing 12 teams.

Ice Cube acknowledged that the offer to Clark was legitimate on his X account.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," he said. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

Ice Cube further explained why the offer was extended, referencing one of the hallmarks of players in the WNBA, who often move to foreign leagues in the off-season to supplement their meager income.

"America's women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet," he said.

"And they should have more than just one professional option in the US at a time when American pro sports leagues are being infiltrated by autocratic, anti-women regimes such as Qatar. Our pathbreaking offer to Caitlin Clark demonstrates that BIG3 now offers another choice for athletes."

The league is 10 games long, and the Iowa star could potentially participate and not clash with WNBA games.

#1. Caitlin Clark has a conventional path to the WNBA

The popular Caitlin Clark is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft to the Indiana Fever, who hold that pick.

The NIL era in college sports has meant that student-athletes are no longer in a hurry to go pro to earn money, and in the case of women's college basketball players, they might even prefer the NIL earnings to the pros.

WNBA teams have a $1,460,200 salary cap, and as the projected No. 1 pick, Clark would earn $76,000 a year, which opens the door for parallel offers that dwarf that figure.

Clark is a marketing juggernaut on her own, so the straitjacket option of the WNBA might be a bit restrictive for the Hawkeyes star.

Whichever choice she makes, the college hoops world will be watching with great interest as the face of college basketball makes a decision on a highly-anticipated future.