With women’s basketball finally garnering the interest, respect, and earnings that it deserves, why are some people put off by the idea that Caitlin Clark is partially responsible for the transformation of the WNBA into a strong sports league?
The popularity of women’s basketball is at an all-time high. The 2024 women’s NCAA championship game had 18.9 million viewers while the men’s championship only drew 14.8 million viewers. WNBA ratings have also increased since 2021. For the 2023 season, the WNBA saw the highest number of total unique viewers it has had in more than a decade. The increased attention and growth of women’s basketball is exciting for young girls and women who dream of becoming professional athletes with comparable compensation in the sport of basketball.
More importantly, the long overdue esteem for female athletes is finally becoming a realization. As women, we need to celebrate and get behind this success. The University of Iowa Hawkeyes former starting point guard, Caitlin Clark, was the number one draft pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. Millions of viewers have tuned in to watch her long-range shooting abilities, record-breaking scoring achievements, and overall elevated team play. Many people attribute the recent rise in women’s basketball supporters and associated revenue to Caitlin Clark’s talents and her mass appeal.
Saturated Media Coverage
I, like many others, have been following Caitlin Clark’s accomplishments since the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Why? Because I really didn’t have much of a choice. All media outlets were reporting on her every game, every shot, and every point made. We all watched her chip away at point-scoring records, one by one. While it was miraculous to see women’s sports news as the leading story on every media outlet, this type of success can easily breed jealousy. While journalists were now adding other standouts like Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardosa, Cameron Brink, and Ju Ju Watkins into the conversation, no one received the same coverage as Caitlin Clark. There is such a thing as over-exposure. Caitlin continued to shoot from the logo, stay healthy, and break many long-standing records; however, the attention that she received was significantly disproportionate to her collegiate peers and even elite WNBA players that have been in the game for years. I’m not saying the jealousy and hate are right, but I understand.
Prove It
Caitlin Clark has been hyped up as a future G.O.A.T. She is selling out arenas, increasing a fanbase at an exponential rate, and making groundbreaking endorsement deals. And she did all of this before playing one minute of professional basketball in the WNBA. A’ja Wilson is the starting center for the WNBA Las Vegas Aces. She led the Las Vegas Aces to back-to-back championship titles, is a two-time league MVP, a Finals MVP and made the All-Star Team every year she has been in the league since 2018. A’ja signed her Nike shoe deal days after Caitlyn. It appears unfair that a rookie who didn’t even win the NCAA Championship could have more clout than a proven champion. Not only has A’ja proven herself to be a WNBA champion, she foreshadowed her success by leading the South Carolina Gamecocks to an NCAA Championship in 2017 and won the most outstanding player award. Caitlyn has yet to do any of these things but she did score that eight figure Nike deal before A’ja. I’d be mad too.
Marketability Edge
Tiger Woods broke into professional golf and Serena Williams hit the professional tennis scene with grace and a masterfulness of the sport that commanded recognition. The similarity to Caitlin Clark is that all three athletes broke records, achieved the highest honors, were exciting to watch, and increased viewership and revenue in their respective sports.
In the case of Tiger and Serena, their race played a large part in their media coverage and attention. For these predominantly white sports, a black athlete who dominates and extends the popularity of the sport is an amazing feat. Not too long ago, Tiger and Serena and anyone who looked like them wouldn’t have been allowed to step foot on the golf course or tennis court. Now, young black boys and girls can see someone who looks like them be successful in golf and tennis. The impact of race was newsworthy. Here you have athletes who not only put in the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice necessary to be elite, they did it all while carrying the weight of social progress on their shoulders. Their accomplishments in the sport combined with their inspirational stories and the odds they had to beat, led to constant news coverage and high media visibility. The marketing powers that be realized that there was an entirely new and vast fanbase forming for golf and tennis that wanted to spend money and show support for Tiger and Serena. In this case, their race gave them a marketable edge.
Caitlin Clark is a white athlete who plays in a predominantly black sport. She is a transformational basketball player who set numerous collegiate NCAA records. Has her race helped elevate her visibility? Is she more marketable because she appeals to a new viewership of young white girls and women who now want to play basketball too? Yes. While other exceptional white female athletes played basketball and served as role models for young white girls and women who want to play the sport, none of them accomplished what Caitlin accomplished during her collegiate career. Now arenas are packed with new fans that were half interested or not interested at all in the WNBA. This is due to Caitlyn’s significant athletic ability to outdo everyone on the court and look good doing it. She is extremely marketable to young white girls and women and Middle Americans who now see one of their own make it in the WNBA. And one of the reasons she is so marketable to this vast and untapped demographic is because she is white. And it is ok to say that. And just like some people were not happy to see Tiger and Serena have the impact that they had on a predominantly white sport, some people may not be happy to see Caitlin Clark have the impact that she has on a predominantly black sport. The underlying reasons for the dislike may be different, but still exists.
More Love Than Hate for Caitlin Clark
While inspirational and interesting, not everyone can relate to Tiger and Serena. Caitlin did not have to endure the racism of announcers, journalists, and hateful public. She grew up with two brothers in the heartland of America. Millions of people can relate to this and they are buying her jersey at this very moment.
Clearly, Caitlin Clark’s marketability in addition to her outstanding basketball playing ability and performance make her a public relations dream. She has brought a compelling amount of attention and money to the WNBA and women’s college basketball. I truly believe that the contingent that rolls their eyes at Caitlin’s success is small; however, media coverage can amplify the mean tweets and off-brand opinions to make it seem like there is a story to tell.
