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Caitlin Clark is being credited with elevating women’s basketball. It started during her college days when she played for the Iowa Hawkeyes. She is the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer.
There’s this thing called the “Caitlin Clark effect,” which refers to the way interest in women’s basketball ballooned in the early 2020s because of her. It was not just the interest, but also the value and profitability of the women’s game.
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There has been a cultural reset in women’s basketball since Clark’s emergence. Her Fever coach, Stephanie White, thinks Clark is so phenomenal that she is like the second coming of one of the most popular pop stars of this generation.
“It literally is like Taylor Swift 2.0, and because of that, her name gets thrown into a lot of conversations that have absolutely nothing to do with her, or her interests, and or our team or sport, or whatever,” White told IndyStar in 2024.
“And she is a 23 year-old kid who loves to play this game, who loves her teammates, who loves to compete, you know, at a high level.”
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Caitlin Clark fans from AustraliaJerome Miron-Imagn Images
(Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)
That’s a logical comparison. But how about in sports? Who is her equivalent?
Former NFL running back and two-time Super Bowl winner LeSean McCoy isn’t naming an equivalent. Instead, he takes it a step further by proclaiming Clark as the most influential female athlete of all time.
Speaking on the podcast Team FB Seven, McCoy put Clark above tennis legends and sisters Venus and Serena Williams. His co-hosts disagreed, but he doubled down on his take.
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Viewers are not convinced. They think it is a hot take.
“She hasnt been talked about in a while her college run and rookie year was amazing her hype has simmered down,” a top commenter wrote.
“Man he be saying anything,” another one wrote.
One user vouched for Serena and provided context.
“I think it has to be Serena Venus their success have black girls as a whole playing tennis, wnba was influenced like back in the 90s.”
There are people who agree with McCoy.
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“She is 100% bro the only reason anyone care one once about WNBA or women’s basketball in general be real,” one user insisted.
Related: Caitlin Clark Gets Honest Ahead of Debut for Team USA
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
