Rusty Weiss
Emmanuel Acho thinks the WNBA has moved past its need for Caitlin Clark. The former NFL player and podcast host made the claim on his “Speakeasy” show this week while discussing the latest on-court drama involving the Indiana Fever star.
Acho argued that Clark served her purpose by getting the league the attention and money it desperately needed. Now, in his view, she’s become more of a distraction than a help.
Acho delivers one of the dumbest takes you’ll ever see, right here.
Acho Says Clark Got the League Over the Finish Line
On the podcast, Acho laid it out pretty bluntly. He said Clark “got the WNBA over the necessary threshold they needed,” pointing to the new collective bargaining agreement, charter flights, and the big media rights deal worth billions.
“Caitlin Clark has gotten the WNBA over the necessary threshold they needed. Now, people are watching. Now, we realize there’s talent in the W that’s actually even greater than Caitlin Clark,” he said. “Caitlin got the necessary eyes there, but now that the eyes are there, we don’t necessarily need her anymore.”
He went on to claim that the league would actually be “better off without Caitlin Clark because she is a bigger distraction than she is an additive.”
"The WNBA would be better without Caitlin Clark, because she is a bigger distraction than she is an additive"
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) June 29, 2026
– @EmmanuelAcho FULL SENDS Caitlin Clark criticism over all of the coddling and catering she receives from fans and media
LIVE RIGHT NOW ➡️ https://t.co/oU4bmDUTFL pic.twitter.com/2JEGSYHh17
If Clark left the WNBA, the league would fold in weeks. It might still fold with her. Attendance and ratings would crash. Why? Because the product was unwatchable before she arrived.
Oh, and can you imagine if the roles were reversed and someone suggested a different player should just take a hike after using them to get better contracts?
Clark’s Numbers Tell a Different Story
The online reaction has been pretty loud, and much of it isn’t kind to Acho’s take. Clark’s arrival in 2024 basically flipped the league on its head. Attendance jumped, TV ratings went through the roof, and merchandise flew off the shelves. The WNBA landed a massive media deal, revenue sharing kicked in for players, and average salaries jumped dramatically — some top players are now making over $1.5 million a year.
None of that happens without her. While Acho is right that the league has other talented players, pretending that Clark is no longer a driving force, less than three years after she arrived, ignores what the numbers actually show.
Acho is a clown.
