Caitlin Clark may already be the face of the WNBA despite having played just five professional games, but some critics argue that status has yet to be justified.
Clark has cemented her status as arguably the greatest women’s college basketball player of all time and was selected first overall in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever last month.
The Iowa Hawkeyes legend became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer last year and set numerous other collegiate records.
All that’s missing from her resume is a championship after consecutive title game losses to LSU and South Carolina.
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Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark reacts during the fourth quarter of a game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on May 22, 2024 in Seattle. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Clark’s professional debut was the most-watched WNBA game since 2001. This comes after Clark played a starring role in the four most-watched games in women’s NCAA history, three of which were Iowa’s final three games in the recent March Madness tournament.
Before Friday’s game, Clarke was asked about the “narrative of attention” he was receiving “compared to some of the veteran players who have been in this league for a long time.”
Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark warms up before a game against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena on May 14, 2024 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Elsa/Getty Images)
“To be honest, I’m not a big social media user. I don’t read it.” Clark said. “This is my job. My job is to compete and play basketball every day. I think the more attention I get from every team in this league, the better I’m going to get.”
“My job is just to keep showing up and helping this team get better. We’re fighting for our first win. That’s my main goal.”
Clark’s Fever is off to an 0-5 start. She is averaging 17.8 points, 5.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds.
Even Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese criticized Clark on social media, saying the Sky’s recent win was “not the fault of one player on that charter plane.”
However, LeBron James recently defended Clark.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever during a game against the New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 16, 2024 in Indianapolis. (David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images)
“The Indiana Fever are the No. 1 pick two years in a row. You know what that means? They’re not that good,” he said. “I’m rooting for Kaitlyn because I’ve been in that position before. I’ve been down that same path. I hope she does great. I hope Aaliyah Boston does great. I hope they do great.”
“My favorite thing she’s brought to the sport is that more people want to watch. More people want to tune in. For the first time, they’re Chartered PlaneFor the first time in league history, they flew on a private jet, which is something to be celebrated in and of itself.”
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Clark’s WNBA debut against the Connecticut Sun averaged 2.1 million viewers and peaked at 2.3 million, surpassing the Stanley Cup playoffs. Shortly after she was drafted, her Fever jersey also set a record with Fanatics.
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