WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has declared Caitlin Clark the most popular athlete in America, citing her transformative impact on the league and women’s basketball as a whole.
Clark, who is going into her second season with the Indiana Fever, has driven unprecedented viewership and attendance during her first WNBA season, leaving many wondering what heights she might reach in her sophomore campaign.
Engelbert emphasized Clark’s ability to sell out arenas, with the Fever leading the league in attendance both at home and on the road.
“It is a balance, but she’s a generational talent,” Engelbert said during an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” “No league is 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,” Engelbert added. “(NBA Commissioner) Adam (Silver) and I talk all the time about this. She’s the most popular athlete in America.”
Caitlin Clark: A generational talent
While no league is ever about one player, one player can certainly elevate an entire league. That’s a reality some of Clark’s detractors struggle to accept.
The 2024 WNBA season saw a 225% increase in viewership compared to the previous year, largely attributed to the Fever guard’s star power.
Dr. Ryan Brewer, described by the Indianapolis Star as a “renowned valuation guru,” attempted to calculate Clark’s financial impact on the league last season. The results stunned even him.
“When IndyStar asked Brewer to put a price tag on Caitlin Clark — what she has meant financially to the WNBA, her city and the country in her rookie season with the Indiana Fever — the numbers were so shocking that Brewer was sure he must have made some mistake,” the outlet wrote.
According to Brewer’s analysis, Clark was responsible for an astonishing 26.5% of the WNBA’s activity last season, including attendance, merchandise sales, and television viewership.
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Rising tide lifts all boats
Engelbert emphasized that Clark’s popularity surpasses other major athletes, including NFL and NBA stars, due to her cultural impact.
She has been named TIME Athlete of the Year in 2024, cementing her status as the most popular player in sports today. Now the challenge for the WNBA is properly capitalizing on her stardom.
Engelbert appears to be doing just that, with the Indiana Fever set to dominate national airwaves in unprecedented fashion.
As reported by The Athletic, 41 of the Fever’s 44 regular-season games will be nationally televised or streamed, the most of any team in the league. Ten of those games will be on ABC/ESPN, and another eight on ION. This programming commitment demonstrates the “Caitlin Clark Effect” that’s reshaping women’s basketball.
“We’re obviously marketing around all of our players, but I think Caitlin’s lifting everybody,” Engelbert said last season. “Our arenas are packed, our viewership, I mean…”
The only significant threat to this momentum would be a potential player strike.
