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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has followed the lead of Kansas City Chiefs rival Patrick Mahomes as he hailed Caitlin Clark for her impact on the increase in the popularity of the WNBA.
The Indiana Fever point guard continued her staggering rise as she successfully made the transition to the professional game after being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft . The 23-year-old had first come to prominence due to her inspirational displays with alma mater Iowa during her collegiate days.
During her NCAA tenure, she became the all-time points scorer in Division I, while being named National Player of the Year on two occasions. Continuing her heroics after being drafted by the Fever, she experienced a historic maiden campaign in the WNBA en route to earning the Rookie of the Year prize .
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As was the case during her time with the Hawkeyes , Clark proved a major draw for viewers too during her first season in the league. In fact, audience numbers for regular season games reached their highest average in nearly a quarter of a century across the Indiana fan favorite’s inaugural term.
Now, NFL QB Burrow has become the latest sporting star to laud the record-breaking ace for her efforts, alongside her wider impact on the rising popularity of women’s sports in general. Speaking in glowing terms about his contemporary, the Bengals star said: “Shoutout Caitlin Clark, she’s always fun to watch.
“I think she’s bringing a lot of fans to the WNBA. She’s going to continue to get better,” he continued, before vowing to make a trip to see the player in action in Indianapolis during the new season, adding: “She’s an hour and a half from Cincy, so I’ll have to go and make the trip.”
Football peers such as Travis Kelce have also spoke in effusive terms in relation to Clark previously, with the tight end having said of the basketball sensation: “Oh man, she’s unbelievable. She’s the funnest one to watch right now and one of the best basketball players I’ve ever seen.”
Meanwhile, Chiefs teammate Mahomes also paid tribute to the Fever superstar, as he expressed admiration for her efforts on and off the court, saying on The Drive hosted by Carrington Harrison : “Watching Caitlin play and meeting her… A tremendous athlete and a tremendous role model for my daughter to watch.
“She shows how women’s sports has really taken off, and she’s kind of been at the forefront of that as far as women’s basketball. Glad she’s a Chiefs fan.”
Clark previously addressed the increased popularity of women’s sports, adding: “When (women are) given an opportunity, and we’re put on national television or people buy a ticket to sit in the arena and watch their favorite teams play, they come back, they enjoy it, they love it, they love the product that’s on the floor.”
