Caitlin Clark has single-handedly transformed the game of women’s basketball.
And everyone has their own take on Clark and what she’s managed to do for the game.
That’s why when one NBA legend said this about Caitlin Clark it had her completely stunned.
Caitlin Clark continues to be the victim of brutal racial attacks
Sports fans everywhere know that Caitlin Clark is the only reason TV viewership and attendance for the WNBA has skyrocketed this year.
But despite all the good she’s done for the sport, Clark has faced a torrent of racial, physical, and verbal abuse from jealous players and the media since her first day in the league.
Clay Travis bluntly explained that Clark’s fellow players hate her simply because she’s “straight and white.”
Meanwhile, one of the narratives many pundits want to promote is the idea that it’s the entire rookie class of players causing the WNBA’s popularity surge – not just Caitlin Clark.
NBA legend Magic Johnson saw the NBA’s popularity explode in the 1980s due to his Lakers rivalry with Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics.
Magic recently tried to compare his rivalry with Bird to Clark’s rivalry with Reese, saying their matchups captivated public attention.
“When I think about Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s impact on the game, they remind me a lot of Larry Bird and me. Our first meeting, Indiana State vs. Michigan State, in the NCAA Championship set the all-time viewership record for men’s basketball,” Johnson posted on X.
“Caitlin and Angel’s 2023 NCAA Championship matchup and their 2024 Elite Eight games were the highest viewership records at the time,” Johnson added.
But the numbers tell a different story.
Every game Clark played in during the 2024 NCAA Tournament set a record.
Clark’s Final Four matchup against the UCONN Huskies and Title Game contest against South Carolina drew even higher ratings than any of her games with Reese.
In fact, the 2024 title game ratings dwarfed the viewership of the 2023 matchup between Clark and Reese.
Reese just happened to be an opponent in a game Clark played in that people wanted to watch.
But Clark’s matchups with other teams drew exponentially larger audiences because it was the Caitlin Clark phenomenon that fans tuned in to see.
More false claims from Magic
“Larry and I heightened the NBA’s overall popularity. The Lakers and Celtics sold out arenas throughout the league and increased television viewership exponentially. The higher viewership numbers led to the NBA signing significantly larger TV contracts which then led to higher salaries for the players,” Johnson stated.
“Caitlin and Angel are now doing the same thing, selling out arenas and increasing the viewership. They have taken women’s basketball by storm, and with expiring TV deals on the horizon, the WNBA is now in a position to negotiate higher TV contracts and increase salaries for all of the talented players,” Johnson concluded.
But once again, the facts tell a different story.
Attendance in the WNBA is up for Caitlin Clark games far more than other teams.
Reese’s Chicago Sky averaged 8,567 fans per game, an increase from the 7,200 the year before.
The Sky sold out three games, one of which was the contest with Clark’s Indiana Fever.
That game against the Fever also happened to be the biggest Chicago Sky crowd of the season by far.
But Clark’s games are drawing 16,575 paid customers a night.
Clark is clearly the straw that stirs the drink in the WNBA.
Angel Reese is a good player and someone Clark has history with.
But the attempt to give her credit is an attempt to diminish Clark.
And that’s because there are some in basketball upset that a straight, white, and talented player is who fans are coming out to see.