The Indiana Fever weren’t the only ones who won the jackpot at the 2024 WNBA draft. It was the entire WNBA and women’s sports. With Caitlin Clark entering the WNBA, the entire league has had a sudden surge. The viewership and fan engagements are at a level the league has never seen before. While one might expect that Caitlin Clark would get favorable treatment from the league after her ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’, the reality is the opposite.
Caitlin Clark has been subjected to a lot of unfair treatment from both her peers and some ex-players. It is understandable that when up against one of the best, you always want to play harder. But 17% of the league’s total flagrant fouls against a single player tells a bigger story. And now, with Sophie Cunningham recently giving the inside story about how Caitlin’s opponents used to target her, there is significant outrage from fans and analysts alike over Cathy Engelbert’s action, or lack thereof, to protect the ‘Golden Goose’ of the WNBA.
One such analyst who has recently spoken out against the commissioners’ handling of this situation is Fox Sports’ Brian Kilmeade. With growing speculation of an FBI investigation into Caitlin Clark’s treatment in the WNBA, Brian let his thoughts be known. He said, “I don’t think the league has almost done zero. They’ve almost said nothing, you don’t even hear any outrage. If this was the guys and they were beating up LeBron, Adam Silver would have spoken out already. I don’t know what’s happening. But I’ve never seen such resentment.”
Brian Kilmeade’s comments would ring true to any Indiana Fever and WNBA fan. For long, this has been a point of complaint and Cathy Engelbert has faced the heat for not protecting Caitlin Clark. The commissioner has an image of keeping things balanced and not ruffling any feathers. But when it comes to Caitlin Clark, standards need to be changed. The kind of impact she has had, she deserves protection in the league. Brian Kilmeade made sure to point out her impact in exact terms.
He said, “Here’s this woman, who comes into the league as a legitimate rookie. She has upped the viewership has upped to the highest in 20 years. So the ratings are up to their highest (200%), and attendance is up 14% year to year.” Sure, other players have also contributed heavily to taking the league to these heights. But Caitlin’s impact is the biggest reason for it all. After her recent injury against the Connecticut Sun, the viewership dropped by 55%.
Even the All-Star Weekend, which is a celebration of talent around the league, saw a steep decline in its viewership. Compared to the 2024 event, which included Caitlin Clark, the 2025 edition saw a decline of 36%. However, it is a testament to CC’s impact that even with a decline, this was the second-highest viewership in the league’s history. In a time like this, when the WNBA is the fastest-growing league, a serious injury can have dire consequences for the league’s future. However, till now, it doesn’t seem that things are going to change anytime soon.
Caitlin Clark and Her History With the WNBA’s Excessive Physicality
Ever since Caitlin Clark entered the league, she has been subjected to excessive physicality. In the first episode of her Show Me Something podcast, Sophie Cunningham revealed that the message coming out of opponent locker rooms was, “we’re gonna show her what the W is”. While there is a tradition that rookies are given harsh treatment to show that this is the big leagues now, things have gone too far in Caitlin Clark’s case.
From off-ball instances to multiple hits on her head, she has been treated roughly by the league. If last year, Chennedy Carter’s instances caused outrage, this year, it was Jacy Sheldon. But this time, Caitlin had her ‘protector’ Sophie Cunningham to take care of things. However, despite Sophie having her back and defending her, the physicality seems to have caught up with her.
Jul 15, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts with a possible injury after a play against the Connecticut Sun in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
She has already been injured 4 times this season and has missed more games than she has played. Still on the mend for the latest right groin injury, there is still no timeline for her return. Luckily, the Indiana Fever have managed to pull off wins that have put them in playoff spots. If not, there was a good chance that the Fever would have missed the playoffs.
With the Indiana Fever out of point guards, it will be interesting to see if they can manage to keep things afloat. Caitlin Clark’s return is still in the air, and till then, the Fever needs to figure things out and stay in the playoff positions. Seedings do not really matter to a team like Fever, who has already shown that it can beat anyone, provided they are healthy and whole.
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