Latest news with #Big3
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Big3 erupts as Rachel DeMita brutally fired for daring to mention Caitlin Clark during live broadcast
Big3 erupts as Rachel DeMita brutally fired for daring to mention Caitlin Clark during live broadcast (Image via Getty) A surprising move has rocked the basketball world. Courtside reporter Rachel DeMita has been fired from Ice Cube 's Big3 basketball league. Her offense? Posting tweets about WNBA star Caitlin Clark during a Big3 broadcast. The situation quickly blew up online, and now fans are divided. The firing happened just as Clark continues to dominate headlines and turn down huge offers from other leagues. Rachel DeMita let go after posting about Caitlin Clark on June 14 during Big3 duties On Saturday, June 14, 2025, Rachel DeMita was working as a courtside commentator for the Big3 league when she posted eight tweets mentioning Caitlin Clark. The posts went live during the Big3 broadcast, the same day Indiana Fever beat New York Liberty in the WNBA. According to Front Office Sports, this was the 'final straw' for Big3 executives after months of concern. Rachel DeMita, who turned 35 that same day, later read a termination letter from Big3 on social media. The letter said the league was 'dismayed and disappointed' by her decision to spotlight a rival league's player. Big3, which features retired NBA stars, was founded in 2017 by rapper Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Rachel DeMita, who is engaged to former NBA player Andre Roberson, responded by saying she would 'take it on the chin' and accepted full responsibility. Her dismissal ends a 12-month working relationship with Big3. Caitlin Clark turned down Big3's massive $15 million offer to stay in WNBA Caitlin Clark has been the center of attention in women's basketball. Earlier this year, Ice Cube revealed on The Dan Patrick Show that Clark was offered $10 million for two seasons with Big3. The offer included bonuses and team ownership options. Big3 co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz claimed the deal could have reached a $15 million total value. Also Read: Who Is Sophie Cunningham? Viral WNBA Moment Shows Her Fierce Defense Of Caitlin Clark Despite the offer, Caitlin Clark chose to stay in the WNBA. She is currently on a four-year contract with the Indiana Fever, worth $338,056. Instead of joining rival leagues like Big3 or the new Unrivaled league, Clark decided to focus on improving her game. Her endorsements are massive—most notably an eight-year, $28 million shoe deal with Nike. On June 14, she played in a one-off game worth six times her annual WNBA salary. That same day, a controversial foul and fan backlash once again sparked debate about how the league is protecting its rising star. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Blindsided' glamorous basketball reporter breaks silence on being fired over Caitlin Clark posts
Basketball influencer Rachel DeMita has broken her silence on the speculation shrouding her employment status with the Big3 League. The 35-year-old confirmed Friday evening that she had been fired by the 3-on-3 basketball league just days after posting about Caitlin Clark while on the clock. In a candid video shared to social media, DeMita, who is engaged to former NBA star Andre Roberson, admitted that the posts had led to her dismissal but revealed that she was left 'a bit blindsided.' 'The rumors are true, I was fired from the Big 3 — I was terminated from my job with the Big 3,' she announced. 'I can say it, I was terminated this week.' She went on to explain that her three posts on X about the WNBA phenom came during Saturday's clash between the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty, while four Big3 games were also taking place in Chicago. She also admitted to sharing additional posts about the Fever-Liberty matchup, but only once the Big3 broadcast had finished. addressing the rumors. — Rachel A DeMita (@RADeMita) June 20, 2025 The posts appear to have been the final straw for the league, which was founded in-part by rapper Ice Cube, as it deemed them and the WNBA fixture to be in direct competition with its own. DeMita also claimed that the Big3 informed her in a letter that they were cutting ties over her failure to promote 'only league games.' She read a letter from the Big3, which stated: 'It has come to Big3's attention that Miss DeMita was posting on her social media platforms during this weekend's Big3 games and promoting the competing New York Liberty versus Indiana Fever WNBA game that was being broadcast at the same time. 'The league is extremely dismayed and disappointed by Miss DeMita's severe lapse in judgement while performing services for the league during which time she should have reasonably known that she should have been promoting only league games. 'The league provided her with unique access and opportunity to be a focal point on national broadcast, so management was completely taken aback.' Two of the Big3's matchups Saturday were televised on CBS and the others on Vice. Meanwhile, the Fever's upset of the reigning WNBA champions was shown on ABC, drawing the third-most viewership of any WNBA matchup ever aired on the network. 'I did feel bummed that there wasn't any discussion prior to me prior to me being fired,' she said. 'I didn't hear from anybody, there was no talks about it, and I wasn't under the impression that those tweets would do any severe harm to the Big3.' She later added, 'I'm not making excuses, I'll take it on the chin, that's my bad, I apologize for that.' DeMita acknowledged her error and accepted full culpability but still maintained she believed there should have been a discussion before her outright dismissal. DeMita, a former Old Dominion basketball player who has one million followers on Instagram, first joined Big3 in June 2024. Judging by her Instagram posts, the social-media personality is also clearly a huge fan of Clark, who she watched in the flesh as recently as May 3. DeMita shared a photo of herself wearing the Fever sensation's No. 22 jersey at a game in Indiana that day, while including the caption: 'oh it's going to be a fun season'. She has been engaged to ex-Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Roberson, 33, since December 2024, roughly six years since they started dating.
New York Post
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Rachel DeMita explains her shock Big3 firing after WNBA posts: ‘Blindsided'
Rachel DeMita is no longer with the Big3. DeMita confirmed Friday on X that she was officially let go after posting about Caitlin Clark and the Fevers during a broadcast of the Big3 on Saturday. In a candid video addressed to her followers, DeMita told her side of the story and said she was a 'bit blindsided.' 'The rumors are true, I was fired from the Big 3 — I was terminated from my job with the Big 3,' she announced early in the video. 'I can say it, I was terminated this week.' DeMita explained that the tipping point was posting three times on X, commenting on the Saturday WNBA game between the Liberty and Fever head-to-head with a Big3 broadcast. Caitlin Clark finished with 32 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in what became a high-profile 102-88 victory over the then-undefeated Liberty. Rachel DeMita attends the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Draw Ceremony on March 16, 2019 in Shenzhen, China. Getty Images DeMita read aloud from a Big 3 letter stating the league was 'dismayed and disappointed' at her focus on Clark over the live event, which saw her directly promoting the league's competition in the WNBA. In the letter, the Big3 also docked DeMita for not promoting 'only league games' as part of her dismissal. DeMita also noted that she had other posts that were from after and not during said contests. 'I did feel bummed that there wasn't any discussion prior to me prior to me being fired,' she said. 'I didn't hear from anybody, there was no talks about it, and I wasn't under the impression that those tweets would do any severe harm to the Big3.' Caitlin Clark scored 32 points in the Fever's win over the Liberty on June 14. Imagn Images She later added, 'I'm not making excuses, I'll take it on the chin, that's my bad, I apologize for that.' Though she did acknowledge that she wishes there was a discussion prior to the decision to cut her loose. The league seemingly viewed the tweets as a conflict of interest. Caitlin Clark now stars in the WNBA and earlier reportedly declined a lucrative Big 3 offer in the past. DeMita also notes that she hadn't signed a contract yet for this coming Big3 season and that her agent was still in talks with the company as she continued to work in good faith while a deal was being constructed.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
How Ice Cube's Big3 Is Changing the Game
Bloomberg Markets: The Close Music Legend, Actor and Producer Ice Cube discusses how Big3, the 3-on-3 basketball league he founded, is changing the game with Romaine Bostick on "Bloomberg The Close." (Source: Bloomberg)
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Basketball influencer Rachel DeMita ousted from job over Caitlin Clark posts while covering rival league
Basketball influencer Rachel DeMita has reportedly left her role as a courtside reporter for the Big3 league just days after posting about Caitlin Clark during a game. DeMita, who is engaged to former NBA star Andre Roberson, shared some of Clark's highlights from the WNBA while working for its rival league on Saturday night. And according to Front Office Sports, the 35-year-old's promotion of Clark and the WNBA was the 'final straw' that led to her leaving Big3 - the three-on-three basketball league co-founded by rap icon Ice Cube in 2017. After sharing a clip of the Indiana Fever superstar making a deep three-pointer, she wrote on X: 'for those who questioned the hype.' DeMita, a former Old Dominion basketball player who has one million followers on Instagram, first joined Big3 in June 2024. She has been engaged to ex-Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Roberson, 33, since December 2024, roughly six years since they started dating. DeMita sharing highlights of Caitlin Clark from rival league the WNBA was the 'final straw' Judging by her Instagram posts, the social-media personality is also clearly a huge fan of Clark, who she watched in the flesh as recently as May 3. DeMita shared a photo of herself wearing the Fever sensation's No. 22 jersey at a game in Indiana that day, while including the caption: 'oh it's going to be a fun season'. Clark was at the center of fierce controversy earlier this week after she was brutally shoved to the floor during the Fever's win over the Connecticut Sun. When the Indiana superstar reacted angrily to being struck by Connecticut's Jacy Sheldon, the latter's teammate Marina Mabrey raced over and slammed her to the floor in a violent moment which sparked outrage online. Somehow Mabrey avoided an ejection from the game despite the shove being unprovoked, much to the dismay of WNBA fans. However, less than 24 hours later the league admitted referees were wrong to issue a technical foul to the Sun player. ESPN's Alexa Philippou revealed Wednesday that Mabrey's technical has been upgraded to a flagrant 2, which would have brought an ejection had it been dished out on the night. Clark's teammate and enforcer Sophie Cunningham was also fined separately for her foul with 46 seconds remaining in the game. As Sheldon came away with a steal in the final minute, Cunningham committed a blatant and hard foul of her own - wrapping her arms around the Sun guard's head and pulling her to the ground in an act of revenge after her foul on Clark. Another larger scuffle then ensued, with Connecticut's Lindsay Allen running over to defend her teammate and Sheldon popping straight up to shove the Fever player. Tensions took a while to die down and at the end of it, Cunningham, Sheldon, and Allen were all ejected.
