Caitlin Clark is breaking records – on the court, in terms of income and audience numbers. But the star of women’s basketball is extremely controversial, even among her colleagues.
Imagine a single female soccer player suddenly making sure that her team’s games are sold out and that more people watch her on TV than the men’s teams. That she earns millions and breaks sporting records on the field. And all of this after four months in the Bundesliga. That is exactly what is happening in the US women’s basketball league WNBA. Caitlin Clark is a phenomenon – and is loved and despised for it.
The 22-year-old was already a star before her first game in the WNBA in May. Compilations of her confident playing style, her simply spectacular three-point shots and her cheeky sayings were already making the rounds on social media during her college games. And they caused record attendance figures.
The Caitlin Clark Effect
College basketball has long been huge in the USA – but until now that only applied to the men’s teams. Clark suddenly had her women’s team, the Iowa Hawkeyes, selling out the houses. Instead of half-full stands, tickets were suddenly being traded on the black market. Her last game in the league, the playoff final against the South Carolina Gamecocks, was watched by 18.9 million people in April. That’s significantly more than the popular men’s college final. The press calls it the “Caitlin Clark Effect.”
However, opinions differ as to what exactly makes her that. Clark is without a doubt an outstanding basketball player. She can pass, she gets the ball – and she can shoot accurately even from a great distance. While still in college, she broke the record for the most three-point shots made in a single season. Not the record in the women’s college league – but that of the NBA star Steph Curry, known for his three-point shots.
Clark stands out
But that probably only explains part of the hype. Because the truth is also that Clark is one of the few white heterosexual women in the WNBA, a league that is largely dominated by black women, with an above-average number of lesbian women (around 25 percent). “I think the majority of the new viewers come from well-educated, white families with daughters,” explains sports reporter Clay Travis. “She looks and behaves like those (often white) families would want their daughters to look like.”
Not everyone likes this increased attention. The media say that Clark is an enemy for other players and even within her own team. The sometimes harsh fouls against her are discussed in detail, often seen as rejection of the other players. But it doesn’t have to be seen that way, expert Bob Costas is sure. “Alica Thomas just grabbed Angel Reese by the throat and threw her to the ground,” he explains. “But hardly anyone talks about it – because it happened between black people. You just can’t make a story out of it to the same extent.”
Two top players – one superstar
This observation is particularly relevant because Angel Reese actually has a very similar success story to Clark. She is also an exceptional talent, she also led her college team to success last season, and she is also one of the WNBA’s great new hopes. But the black woman who grew up in largely African-American Baltimore only experiences a fraction of the hype that surrounds Clark.
The two are not very competitive. Despite their rookie status, Clark and Reese have already broken records four months after their WNBA debut. With 19 assists in a single game, Clark has already broken the league record and is the first rookie in league history to achieve a triple-double – that is, double-digit values in three of the five most important game values. This has only been achieved 37 times in the WNBA. Reese also set a record: she achieved a double-double in 15 consecutive games, the longest series in league history.
However, the preference is clear among viewers: While the average viewership of Clark’s WNBA team, the Indiana Fevers, has almost quadrupled this season, Reese’s new team, the Chicago Sky, has only added about 15 percent of new viewers.
Rookie as top earner
Financially, Clark stands out anyway. Even in college, she signed advertising deals with Nike and the major insurance company State Farm. She is said to earn up to ten million dollars a year from this. This made her the highest-earning player in the WNBA on her first day: her salary is just $75,000 – and most players only have smaller advertising deals at most, even after years.
Nevertheless, the other players should not be jealous, said NBA legend LeBron James, who joined the debate. “Don’t twist it,” he warned in his podcast “Mind the Game.” “Caitlin Clark is the reason why great things are happening in the WNBA right now,” he said, recalling the positive development caused by the sudden huge interest in the long-forgotten league. With the greater interest, the league is ultimately more interesting for advertisers – which should then also fill the coffers of the other clubs.
The NBA veteran also has some advice for Clark herself. “She shouldn’t get involved in it and just have fun,” he says. “I’ve been on the same path. I hope she cleans up.”
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Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
