In her rookie season alone, Caitlin Clark racked up 1.2 million viewers per game, sent merch sales soaring by 500%, and had the Indiana Fever playing to crowds of over 17,000, outdrawing the NBA’s Pacers like it was just another Tuesday. And yet, despite carrying 26.5% of the league’s entire economic weight on her rookie shoulders, boosting attendance, viewership, and even giving several people a reason to finally watch women’s basketball, the CC world has been met with side-eyes because of so-called fans. Now, as per one national analyst, if that’s how we treat the face of the league and her fan base, it’s probably time to look in the mirror and do better before we fumble the bag and the moment. After all, Ryan Brewer projected Clark to bring $1 billion for the league in 2025.
Remember last year? Caitlin Clark somehow ended up on the receiving end of 17% of all Flagrant 1 fouls in the league. The moment that lit the match? Her much-debated run-in with Chicago’s Chennedy Carter. While initially ruled a common foul, it was upgraded only after a public outcry. From there, the hits kept coming. DiJonai Carrington’s shoulder left Clark with a visible bruise under her eye, and at one point, every one of the six Flagrant 1 calls in the WNBA had been committed against her. Naturally, fans were furious.
Sure, we all know that there are some so-called fans who drive the hateful agenda, but the entire Fever fandom was reduced to that. So, when even real fans spoke up, they only received criticism in return. And they had to further silence themselves after Alyssa Thomas’ allegation ushered in a new wave of generalization. The league issued a statement reminding the public that while a growing fan base was welcome, racist or threatening remarks would not be tolerated.
And those concerns didn’t disappear this season. In Fever’s season opener against the Chicago Sky, we again saw fouls, techs, and fresh allegations of racial slurs. The league launched an investigation, and it took them two weeks to respond. But when the verdict finally came? Just silence wrapped in a statement. They finally admitted that they could not find any evidence to substantiate the accusations.
In light of these events, Rachel DeMita made an extremely important claim. “The WNBA needs to focus on the things that really matter.” She said, setting the tone for the rest of the discussion. Her main point of concern was for the W to properly utilize its resources! “The things that really matter are marketing the league properly, marketing the players properly, marketing their star players properly. Especially Caitlin Clark with the millions and millions of people that she has brought into the WNBA, and they also need to take care of the product on the court.” And it makes sense.
Because the consequences of what the league has prioritized are already visible. Ever since Caitlin Clark’s injury and her subsequent absence from games, the hottest tickets in town have cooled off. Opposing teams that expanded their arenas in anticipation of Clark-fueled sellouts are suddenly staring at rows of empty seats. In the first four games Clark missed, average ticket prices dropped sharply, from $137 to $80. And it’s not just ticket sales taking a hit. Fever games, which were drawing around 1.81 million viewers, are now averaging just 847,000, a steep 55% dip.
DeMita then stopped and basically asked Cathy Engelbert to stop believing in her “it’s great discussion” narrative. After all, not all publicity is good publicity if it ends up alienating an entire section of fans. Instead, the league could actually focus on uplifting athletes in a positive light. “Think if the WNBA put more resources into marketing players properly, and not trying to put one player down in order to lift up other players.” She critiqued.
But let’s bring the topic back to Caitlin Clark for a moment. The six-foot-tall point guard has been instrumental in driving change in the WNBA, so what is she up to? Will she be playing against the New York Liberty on Saturday, and what will that mean for the Indiana Fever?
Caitlin Clark’s revenge arc is underway?
May 24th turned out to be quite a dark day for Indiana basketball. That was the last time that Caitlin Clark took the WNBA court this year, and coincidentally, it was against the NY Liberty. Sometime during the game, the superstar ended up pulling her quadriceps muscle, leading to a prolonged break. Adding to the pre-existing injury burden of Sophie Cunningham, that was a lot for the Fever to handle.
However, they took the recovery step-by-step, and now? Stephanie White was happy to clear after today’s practice that both Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham will be available to play against the New York Liberty on the 14th. This game isn’t just a normal matchup or a return game; this might be the game in which CC gets even.
May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots the ball while Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso (10) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Teams have been needlessly physical with the former ROTY and MVP candidate this year, especially on defense. And after such a long, and almost serious injury, it makes sense to see Clark get ready for this matchup in style. The Iowa alum has a lot on her plate, and definitely a lot to prove after Aari McDonald has been waived.
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