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There’s no denying the impact Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has had on women’s basketball—let alone the WNBA. She’s brought unprecedented attention to the league, helping regular-season TV ratings jump 170% from 2023 to 2024, along with a 48% increase in attendance.
In her rookie season, she averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game, earning WNBA Rookie of the Year honors, a spot on the All-WNBA First Team, and a top-five finish in MVP voting.
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Clark is now entering her second season in the WNBA, and the league looks to continue to capitalize on its momentum from just a year ago.
On Thursday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert appeared as a guest on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” where she discussed Clark’s growing impact on the league, as well as the WNBA’s goal of promoting not only Clark, but all of its stars.
“It is a balance, but she’s a generational talent,” Engelbert said. “No league’s ever about one player, but in this case, Caitlin brought tens of millions of new viewers into the W, and there’s no denying that impact. Not just in the WNBA, but the world of sports. Adam [Silver] and I talk all the time about, she’s the most popular athlete in America, you know.”
Engelbert went on to highlight other WNBA stars like Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, while also mentioning college basketball standout and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins.
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“She (Clark) just turned 23, so she is hugely popular, but again, you do want to balance it, because obviously you saw what happened with Juju Waktins, getting hurt,” Engelbert added. “You want to balance making sure that you’re also promoting your other stars, like an A’ja Wilson, like a Brianna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, killed it last year. I mean, she was the runner-up, MVP, and the defensive player of the year…”
Caitlin Clark poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert at the 2024 draft.Brad Penner
Engelbert discussed the WNBA’s goal to “sustain and gain.”
“Yeah, so I think, again, that’s why this year, sustain and gain,” Engelbert stated. “Sustain the momentum we had last year and gain even new viewers, because if you look at, I mean, we were up triple digits in every category, in every demographic, and young people, old people, young girls and boys were having watch parties and watching our games, so it was incredible.”
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The WNBA regular season will tip off on Friday night, with Clark and her Fever playing their first game on Saturday.
Related: ESPN Commentator Ryan Ruocco Takes Stand on Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese ‘Rivalry’
Related: NBA Legend Isiah Thomas Makes Strong Caitlin Clark Statement
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